Clemson Baseball: The best is yet to come

T.J. Hopkins sacrifice fly on Friday night didn't change a thing.  Neither did Drew Wharton's missile to right in the 9th inning Sunday. This is not a reactionary opinion, but rather one that's been two-plus years in the making.

Typically, I’m the cautious type, the one who reminds giddy fans about small sample sizes and the tough ACC schedule to come.  I'm the one who looks at a 6-1 record in one run games and thinks "that can't continue". I’m still that guy. At least on the outside.

On the inside, the way this Clemson team is playing has me wondering if the Tigers will be spending a part of June on a business trip to Omaha.

The third edition of the Monte Lee led Tigers has won close games and blowouts, had good pitching and timely hitting, hit the ball long and short, and out of the park on occasion.

The pitchers throw strikes, the batters hit strikes and the fielders field the ball.  Sounds simple I know, but there was a time where those things didn’t happen often enough.

Gone are the small ball days that frustrated so many.  Sure, it’s there when needed and Lee is not above a bunt when the situation calls for it, but it likely won’t be in the bottom of the first inning of a 0-0 game with runners on first and second.  Lee wants his guys to mash. While many are thinking "bunt them over and get a run", Lee is thinking "let him mash and get 3".

No longer do 2-0 or 3-1 deficits feel like they might as well be a million, that the game is over if the opponent scores more than a run.  Nor does it feel like the Tigers are not as mentally tough as their opponents, as once was an all too common thought about Clemson baseball.

In fact, the opposite feeling is currently rampant among  Clemson fans - no deficit is too much and the Tigers will find a way to win because they are the more resilient team, no matter the opponent.

More importantly, the team believes it, too.

There are weak spots of course, this is not a team without flaws. As the competition ramps up the pitchers will record less strikeouts, which leads to a higher chance of errors in the field and some of the gaudy early batting averages will take a dip.

But it’s also a team with the top pitching coach in the nation in my opinion and certainly one of the best head coaches who just happens to be a guy even opponents rave about.

Baseball is a unique game. There’s no hope of going undefeated and the best hitters make outs 65% of the time. Losing and failure is inherent and an integral part of the game. Friday night stunk and there’ll be losing streaks and lost series, but you shouldn't lose focus on the larger picture.

If it’s true that a team takes on the mentality of their coach, then it’s a matter of when, not if, this team wins the College World Series.

There are still steps to be taken that aren’t trivial - winning a regional and a super to name a couple and oh yeah, the stage and format of the College World Series.

It likely won't happen this year and as much as fans want to downplay it, luck is a factor.

But you can feel a shift in the Clemson baseball program. This team doesn't hope to win.  They expect to win.

The good news is as high as fans expectations are, they’re not as high as Lee’s. Excuses aren’t tolerated. Accountability is paramount. The players who perform play.

It goes way beyond that though. In Lee the Tigers have a coach who is not afraid to take advice and suggestions from just about anyone willing to talk baseball. He may or may not implement those suggestions, but Lee is always looking for an edge for his team and will engage anyone he thinks can provide his team an advantage, no matter how slight. No stone will remain unturned in the search for the slightest leverage over an opponent.

If we’ve learned anything from Clemson football it’s that a coach with a vision, plan and the right players can change the direction of a program and take it to the zenith of the sport.

There'll come a time when a 10-1 start, 3 game sweep of Dallas Baptist, along with a 4th straight series win over South Carolina won't be a surprise, it'll be the standard.

Just as it took some time for Dabo Swinney to revamp his roster and recruit players that fit his vision and plan, Monte Lee is in the process of doing the same with his roster and program.

One of Swinney’s patented phrases is “The best is yet to come” and as long as Monte Lee is at the helm that phrase applies to Clemson Baseball, too.