Tigers Face Gamecocks in Annual Rivalry Series
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Tigers play their annual rivalry series with South Carolina at three different sites this weekend.
SERIES SETUP
• Who - Clemson (7-1) vs. South Carolina (6-2)
• Best Ranking - CU - NR; USC - NR
• When - Friday (7 p.m.), Saturday (3 p.m.), Sunday (2 p.m.)
• Where - Columbia, S.C. (Founders Park) Friday; Columbia, S.C. (Segra Park) Saturday; Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium) Sunday
• Watch - SECN+ (Friday), ACCNX (Saturday, Sunday)
• Video Announcers (Friday) - Burch Antley, Kip Bouknight
• Video Announcers (Saturday) - Bob Mahony, William Qualkinbush
• Video Announcers (Sunday) - Tim Bourret, Don Munson
• Listen (Radio) - WCCP (105.5 FM), ESPN Upstate
• Listen (Internet) - ClemsonTigers.com, TuneIn (Friday, Sunday)
• Live Stats - ClemsonTigers.com
• Social Media - ClemsonBaseball
• Tickets - ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON
• Promotion (Sunday) - Game Highlight - Kids run the bases
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record - Clemson leads 179-140-2 (1899-2019)
• Record at South Carolina - South Carolina leads 84-68-2 (1900-2019)
• Record at Neutral - Clemson leads 12-10 (1899-2019)
• Record at Clemson - Clemson leads 99-46 (1907-2019)
STORIED RIVALRY
• South Carolina is Clemson’s most-common opponent in history, as the two have played 321 times dating to 1899.
• The two have met at least one time every year since 1945, with the exception of 1984.
• South Carolina leads the series 10-4 at Founders Park (opened in 2009).
• The season matchups went to a three-game, weekend-series format in 2010 after the two teams played four midweek games for decades.
• Clemson is 5-4 against the Gamecocks in regular-season, neutral-site contests since 2010.
• Saturday’s game marks the first time the teams play a neutral-site contest in Columbia.
• Clemson leads the series 52-29 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium (opened in 1970).
STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday - LHP Sam Weatherly (CU) vs. RHP Carman Mlodzinski (USC)
• Saturday - RHP Thomas Farr (USC) vs. RHP Davis Sharpe (CU)
• Sunday - RHP Brannon Jordan (USC) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (CU)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW
• Clemson, who has played all eight games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in 2020, fell to East Tennessee 5-3 on Tuesday.
• The Tigers are averaging 3.0 runs per game and hitting .243 with a .357 on-base percentage, .326 slugging percentage and 15 steals.
• The pitching staff has a 1.23 ERA, .189 opponents’ batting average and 2.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio and Clemson is fielding .954.
SOUTH CAROLINA OVERVIEW
• South Carolina is led by third-year Head Coach Mark Kingston.
• The Gamecocks defeated North Florida 6-5 at home on Tuesday. They are hitting .288 and have a 2.83 ERA and .974 fielding percentage.
• Andrew Eyster is batting .379 with two homers, Noah Campbell is hitting .348 with eight steals and Wes Clarke has four homers and 14 RBIs.
QUICK HITS
• Clemson is the designated home team and occupies the third-base dugout at Segra Park on Saturday.
• Clemson defeated College of Charleston 4-1 on March 20, 2019, the Tigers’ only previous game at Segra Park (opened in 2016).
• Seven of Clemson's eight games have been decided by two runs or less.
BOB BRADLEY AWARD PRESENTED SUNDAY
• Clemson’s MVP of the South Carolina series is presented the Bob Bradley Award. The Gamecocks’ MVP receives the Tom Price Award.
• The two late athletic communications directors served as baseball contacts for their respective schools for decades.
MEREDITH GETTING ON BASE
• Sophomore outfielder Kier Meredith is doing what he has always done best...finding a way to get on base.
• He has a .571 on-base percentage thanks in large part to four walks and four hit-by-pitches against only four strikeouts.
• He has reached base via a hit or walk in all eight games.
• He is hitting .444 with a double, two RBIs, five runs and two steals in eight games (eight starts).
• He is hitting .643 with runners on base and .714 with runners in scoring position.
• He went 4-for-5 with with a double, RBI and run against East Tennessee State on Feb. 25.
• In his career, he is hitting .300 with four doubles, a triple, homer, eight RBIs, a .475 on-base percentage and eight steals in 30 games.
• He was hampered by injury in each of his first two seasons (2018,19), playing a total of only 22 games (20 starts) those two years.