Surging Tigers host Notre Dame in crucial conference baseball tilt

Notre Dame (17-13, 7-8) @ Clemson(20-14, 4-8)

Friday - 8:00 PM ACCN (real TV!)
Saturday - 4:00 PM ACCNX
Sunday - 1:00 PM ACCNX

With Saturday being the Spring Game, there should be some good crowds to also see the Baseball Tigers, and fortunately it looks like the boys are turning a corner and may give the masses something to smile about besides the high-flying Garrett Riley air raid offense making its Death Valley debut.

After a very lackluster performance in game one in Tallahassee, the Tigers caught fire and took games two and three from the Seminoles behind the pitching and hitting of Caden Grice and absolute brilliant offensive and defensive play from Blake Wright.

The Tigers followed that up with a 8-1 in Athens over a UGA team that was fresh off of a sweep of a top 10 Kentucky squad. This weekend the Tigers are slightly modifying the weekend rotation, giving Ethan Darden on Friday, Austin Gordon on Saturday, and Caden Grice in his usual Sunday spot. I like this move. Gordon is still a solid pitcher but has had some rough game ones, whereas Darden has been awesome as of late, including last Friday against FSU. It’d be great if he can get us a game 1 win and then we get to see Gordon with a little less pressure on Saturday. Caden has been outstanding to watch on Sundays, so I have to highly recommend anyone in town for the Spring Game to try and stick around to watch the show he puts on.

I called this a crucial series earlier, and I mean it. Notre Dame is a middling ACC team, not that good but not that bad. This makes it crucial because Clemson needs ACC wins and the Tigers still have some tough series ahead. Clemson’s current RPI is #33, but the latest Baseball America projection has the Tigers on the outside looking in of the NCAA tourney. But the projections have Notre Dame (#49 RPI) in as a third seed in the Lexington, Kentucky regional. So this series is one that may have repercussions on Selection Sunday.

Friday and Sunday are showing chances of rain but Saturday looks pretty clear. So, as always, make sure to keep an eye out for potential schedule changes.