A long way home: Jordan Greene looks to make amends for 2017 Regional
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One year ago, Logan Davidson stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the third inning with Clemson trailing 2-0 to two-seeded Vanderbilt. It was a late Monday night and Clemson was fighting for a Super Regional spot in the Regional's deciding game.
On first base stood Jordan Greene, a sophomore at the time, who was getting instructions from his first base coach.
There were two outs and Clemson desperately needed to generate some momentum. The moment the ball met aluminum, the speedy Greene was supposed to take off running.
On a 1-1 count, Davidson belted a line drive down the right-field line and Greene was off to the races. Greene was looking to score the entire way and as he rounded third base, the throw to the plate was a bit off target.
There was an attempted tag, but Greene maneuvered around it and crossed home plate with ease, pumping his fists while yelling, “let’s go!” A packed Doug Kingsmore crowd was on its feet when all of a sudden Greene was tagged by Vanderbilt’s catcher while walking to his home dugout.
The home plate umpire rose his fist and Greene was called out. Now, it was the Commodores who ran towards their dugout with excitement. Greene had not touched home plate.
Well, allegedly.
“I mean, I touched the bag,” Greene says with a laugh now one year later. He remembered the moment with good spirits.
“It was something I was able to let go,” Greene added. “If I had actually missed the bag, then I don’t know, it probably would have worn on me a little bit more than it did.”
After looking at video replay, you could see the top of Greene’s shoe touch the top of home plate. But replay isn’t available in Regional play, Greene quickly reminded me.
That moment all but decided Clemson’s fate in its home Regional. The play at the plate was not the sole reason the Tigers fell.
But the air left Doug Kingsmore Stadium and the rest of the game was a blur as Vanderbilt belted Clemson 8-0 to end Clemson’s season while moving on to a Super Regional.
Now, there’s a possibility Clemson will get another crack at the Commodores. The Tigers are hosting their third consecutive Regional and Vanderbilt is the No. 2 seed once again.
Heading into this pivotal weekend for Clemson’s baseball program, the tough break in the elimination game one year ago won’t be in the back of Greene’s mind.
“Not at all. We’re just trying to go win it, man,” Greene quickly replied. “We had a chance last year and things didn’t work out… If we go out and play our best baseball, I am confident that we will be able to get out of our regional.”
Greene is from Fort Mill, South Carolina and lettered four times in baseball at Charlotte Country Day. He’s been at Clemson for three seasons and has been a steady addition to Monte Lee’s team.
The second baseman got to Clemson’s campus the same year Lee was hired. He’s progressed well throughout his time at Clemson and is now a dangerous hitter who usually shows up near the bottom of the order.
In 2017, he batted .263 and had 52 hits while driving in 18 runs. This season, things are a little bit different. Greene’s batting average is a bit lower at .248 but he’s hit five home runs, brought in 20 runs, and has on on-base percentage of .403.
Before this season, Greene had only hit one home run during his career. His walk-off bomb in Clemson’s rubber match against Florida State was the biggest at-bat of Greene’s career and of Clemson’s season, according to his head coach.
Greene’s success this season comes from a variety of sources, which is fitting because he can play so many different roles on this team. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, which comes from his father Anthony Greene, a “blue-collar guy,” who had to work his way into playing football in the NFL.
“Never take anything for granted. Just keep working. Keep grinding,” are a few phrases his dad would tell him.
“If you do that, good things will come,” Greene said.
It also helps that Greene spends plenty of time getting some extra hitting practice in with Clemson slugger and future MLB Draft selection Seth Beer.
After practice or late at night, Beer can usually be found in the batting cages trying to get some extra practice in. The right fielder spends countless hours in the cages and said he goes every day, even if it’s just to clear his mind.
Not far behind him would be Greene, who also wanted to improve. The two have gotten to be close throughout their time at Clemson since they are both in the same class.
Beer can always be found in the starting lineup as one of the best hitters in the country. Greene has to earn his spot and doesn’t like when his head coach takes him out. He expects the most out of himself and, of course, his teammates.
“Jordan is a guy who is never afraid to call me out on something and that’s what I love about him,” Beer said. "He doesn’t care who you are, what you’ve done, or how you do it because at the end of the day he wants you to give 100 percent every day and go out there and compete.”
There’s been a lot of noise from some Clemson fans saying this year’s squad needs to do more than just compete during this weekend’s Regional. The Tigers have not won a Regional since 2010, and have lost three consecutive Regionals when they have hosted.
And they hear about it. A lot.
So for a team that rarely feels the pressure of the moment, a group that’s so even-keeled all the time, do they feel the pressure put on Lee in his third year?
Some players were quick to say no, but Greene feels as a third-year guy himself that there is some pressure on Clemson to perform this weekend.
“If anything it’s kind of on us, you know what I’m saying?” Greene said. “I’m a third-year guy. I have been here just as long as coach Lee has. Obviously, all of us want to get over that hump. It’s in the back of our mind, but it’s something that we control our own destiny for.”
This could finally be the team that ends the eight-year drought, but the message Lee had for his team this week was that they needed to take things one day at a time, one step at a time.
But looking back on this time a year ago, there is a bit of a different feel about this Clemson team as its hunt back to Omaha continues. There were question marks about pitching that turned into exclamation points, and so many of the players on this 45-win team have grown from one year ago after Vanderbilt celebrated a Super Regional berth on their home field.
Greene is one of them.
“He’s matured tremendously. I can’t say nothing but the greatest things about him,” Beer said with a smile. He looked at Greene who stood about 10 feet away on the other side of the room talking to reporters.
“He’s a guy that you look to and you know that he’s in your corner, he’s in your team’s corner, and he’s going to do everything in his power to help our team win.”