CLEMSON, S.C. – The Tigers host an ACC series for the second weekend in a row when No. 10 NC State comes to town.
SERIES SETUP
• Who – NC State (15-3, 2-1 ACC) vs. Clemson (16-1, 3-0 ACC)
• Best Rankings – NCS – No. 10 PG; CU – No. 2 CB
• When – Friday (6:30 p.m.), Saturday (4 p.m.), Sunday (1 p.m.)
• Where – Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium)
• Watch – ACC Network Extra
• Video Announcers – Ron Smith, Pete Yanity
• Listen – TigerCast, Clemson Tigers Network
• Live Stats – ClemsonTigers.com
• Social Media – ClemsonBaseball
• Tickets – ClemsonTigers.com, 1-800-CLEMSON
• Promotion (Friday) – The first 1,000 fans receive trading cards of Tiger players and coaches.
• Promotion (Saturday) – Young fans can stand on the field during the national anthem and run the bases after the game.
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record – Clemson leads 117-82-1 (1921-17)
• Record at Clemson – Clemson leads 59-27-1 (1921-16)
STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday – RHP Michael Bienlien (NCS) vs. LHP Jacob Hennessy (CU)
• Saturday – LHP Brian Brown (NCS) vs. RHP Brooks Crawford (CU)
• Sunday – TBA (NCS) vs. LHP Jake Higginbotham (CU)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW
• Clemson blanked Charleston Southern 5-0 at home on Tuesday behind a Tiger-record-tying three home runs by Grayson Byrd.
• The Tigers are averaging 6.9 runs per game and hitting .265 with a .390 on-base percentage and 11 steals.
• The pitching staff has a 2.68 ERA, .231 opponents’ batting average and 2.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio and Clemson is fielding .980.
NC STATE OVERVIEW
• NC State is led by 22nd-year head coach Elliott Avent.
• The Wolfpack won both midweek home games against UNC Asheville. They are hitting .341 and have a 3.11 ERA and .971 fielding percentage.
• Brett Kinneman is hitting .408 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs, while Evan Edwards is batting .375 with five homers and 13 RBIs.
QUICK HITS
• Clemson’s 16-1 start is its best since 2002 (26-1).
• Clemson has hit at least one home run in 12 of the last 14 games.
• Seth Beer has reached base via a hit, walk or hit-by-pitch in 22 straight games, which include the last five games of 2017.
BYRD TIES TIGER HOME RUN RECORD
• Junior infielder Grayson Byrd had one career home run, which came in 2017, entering the game against Charleston Southern on March 13.
• He hit three homers in his first three plate appearances and totaled a career-high five RBIs in Clemson’s 5-0 win over the Buccaneers.
• He tied the school record for homers in a game and became the 14th Tiger with three and first since 2010 (John Hinson vs. USC Upstate).
• He hit a solo homer to left in the second inning, a three-run homer to right field in the fourth and a solo homer to center in the seventh.
• The son of former major league pitcher Paul Byrd is hitting .283 with three homers, 11 RBIs and two steals in 14 games (12 starts) in 2018.
• In his two seasons as a Tiger, he is hitting .284 with four homers, 31 RBIs, 30 runs and five steals in 71 games (66 starts).
