Tigers Travel to Rocky Top for Tough Test

Clemson, South Carolina; March 5, 2024: Alex Brown stands in to bat vs. Tennessee at McWhorter Stadium. (Photo By Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

In a clash of orange, No. 19 Clemson softball (37-12, 16-5 ACC) will travel to Knoxville to take on No. 2 Tennessee (37-9, 12-6 SEC). This final regular-season mid-week matchup will be a great opportunity for the Tigers to add another impressive win to their resume for NCAA tournament bid consideration. It will also be Clemson’s first trip to Rocky Top. 

Despite dropping game three, Clemson is coming off a series win over Boston College. Bats were on fire for senior weekend. Maddie Moore, Macy Cintron, and Julia Knowler all hit homers throughout the series. Alex Brown was also crucial in bringing her teammates across the plate. The third baseman leads the team with a .452 batting average and 70 hits on the season. Her 56 runs on the season rank first in the ACC and third nationally. As a team, Clemson leads the ACC in doubles with 81. The program has demonstrated its offense can come from anywhere in the lineup. 

Freshmen like Marian Collins and Taylor Pipkins are already playing well beyond their years. Collins hit a walk-off home run against in-state rival South Carolina in the last midweek matchup. The development of these young players has allowed the program to be firing on all cylinders. 

The Tigers have found an ace in Reese Bassinger in the center circle. The senior transfer from Winthrop has a 15-5 record and has pitched nine complete games. A challenging right-handed pitcher, Bassinger can confidently work through lineups, relying on her experience to remain composed.

Tennessee is coming off its first SEC series sweep of the season, defeating Auburn. Taylor Pannel is a star for the program. She went 5-for-8 (.625) in the series with four runs scored, a triple, a home run, two RBIs, and a stolen base. As a team, the Volunteers currently have a .316 batting average and a .544 slugging percentage. 

Pitching-wise wise Tennessee is dangerous. They led the nation in earned run average at 1.69. Their 16 shutouts are the most in the SEC. Leading the charge is Karlyn Pickens. She was previously named SEC Pitcher of the Week for three consecutive weeks. On the season, she holds a .96 ERA and .86 WHIP through 138 innings pitched. Pickens made NCAA history in March by recording the fastest pitch ever thrown at 78.2 mph.

This ranked ACC-SEC game will be a battle. Look to see Clemson continue their hot hitting as we head into the final week of regular season play. With only four more contests, recording wins is more important than ever. Catch the Tigers finishing the season strong on ESPNU at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.