Clemson continues to climb national polls, near consensus Top 5 team in college baseball
Clemson continues to climb national polls, near consensus Top 5 team in college baseball
Clemson baseball continues to surge in the national spotlight, moving up to No. 2 in the latest Perfect Game rankings following a 3-1 week that included another ACC series win. The Tigers (33-6, 11-4 ACC) also rose one spot in the D1Baseball poll, now sitting at No. 3 nationally.
The latest shuffle comes after a rough week for a couple of Top 5 teams, including LSU, which went 1-3. Texas, now 29-5, holds onto the No. 1 spot across all three major polls released Monday morning.
While Perfect Game and D1Baseball rewarded Clemson for its consistency, Baseball America moved the Tigers down one slot to No. 6. The drop wasn't performance-based, though. 'Clemson dropped one spot in the rankings due to poll movement, but there's no sign of slippage on the field,' Baseball America noted. Clemson handled Stanford in Week 9, winning its midweek game and taking two of three from a quality Cardinal team that's spent time in the rankings this year.
Aidan Knaak set the pace in the series opener, tossing six strong innings with just two hits, one run, and six strikeouts. Jacob Jarrell continued his home run streak with two more long balls to bring his team-leading total to nine, and Lucas Mahlstedt closed the series win with a three-inning save — his 12th of the year — bolstering his postseason honors case.
Up next, the Tigers return home to host No. 17 Louisville, with the series set to begin Thursday at 7 p.m. The Cardinals are coming off a series loss at NC State but earned a dramatic extra-innings win over Kentucky earlier in the week.
Clemson continues to make noise statistically within the ACC as well. Dominic Listi ranks second in on-base percentage (.525), with Cam Cannarella sitting sixth at .486 and ranking among the top five in both walks and runs scored. Jarren Purify adds speed and grit, placing top five in stolen bases and triples.
On the mound, Knaak remains one of the league's top arms — fourth in both strikeouts (67) and wins (6), while holding opponents to a .186 average (fifth-best). Mahlstedt continues to lead the ACC in saves with 12.
Offensively, the Tigers rank fourth in the conference in runs scored (301), are first in hit-by-pitches (76), and second in walks (250). They also lead the ACC in strikeouts at the plate (334). Clemson's pitching staff has produced the second-most strikeouts (383) while sitting fourth in ERA (4.53) and limiting opponents to a .227 batting average — also fourth-best in the conference.
For more, follow us on X @Clemson_Wire
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
DraftKings Promo Code: Get $300 Bonus For Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals Game 2
The latest DraftKings promo code offer will bring new users a $300 bonus for Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder. The latest DraftKings promo code offer will bring new users a $300 bonus for Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sign up for a new sportsbook account with the latest DraftKings promo code offer ahead of Pacers-Thunder Game 2 and Sunday's MLB games. Click here to start the sign-up process and get a chance to win $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager on any market. Game 1 of the NBA Finals brought another magical comeback for the Indiana Pacers, as Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winning shot with just 0.3 left on the clock. The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to respond in Game 2 to tie the series up 1-1 before heading on the road for Game 3. This game, along with MLB matchups like Red Sox-Yankees and Cubs-Tigers, provides new users with plenty of exciting betting opportunities to take advantage of this DraftKings promo code offer. DraftKings Promo Code Gives $300 NBA Finals Bonus DraftKings Promo Code Sign Up Through Our Links – No Code Needed New User Offer Bet $5, Win $300 in Bonus Bets In-App Promos MLB No Sweat Bet, WNBA SGP Boost, No Sweat NBA Finals, SGP Boosts etc. Terms and Conditions New Customers – 21+ in Eligible States Bonus Last Verified On June 8, 2025 Information Confirmed By Newsweek Sports Betting Staff The caveat to this welcome offer is that you must place a winning $5 wager to get the $300 bonus. With this in mind, make sure you place your initial bet on a market you feel is likely to win. If you plan on betting the Pacers-Thunder game, you might want to look into some prop bets that are likely to settle as a win, as opposed to a moneyline or spread bet. Oftentimes, you can adjust the lines for prop bets. Just make sure your bet has odds of -500 or longer. As for MLB games, strikeout props could be a good way to go, too. These are adjustable and qualify for this promo as long as your bet meets the minimum odds qualifications. If you win the $300 bonus, you will be able to use your bets within the next seven days before they expire. Use DraftKings Promo Code For $300 Bonus Offer To start the registration process, click here or on one of our other links. You will not need to enter a code. Just go through the steps to complete your account, and you will automatically be given the welcome promo. You will be asked for basic information, like your name, age, address, etc. After that step, you will need to use a payment method, like a credit card, to make an initial deposit. This will cover your $5 bet. After placing that $5 wager, wait for it to settle. If it wins, you will receive your bonus. NBA Finals Profit Boost Promo When you create a new DraftKings Sportsbook account, there will be several in-app promos to take advantage of, in addition to the welcome offer. One of the main ones is the NBA Finals Profit Boost. When you claim this offer, you will receive a profit boost token to use on a same game parlay for Pacers-Thunder Game 2 on Sunday night. The parlay must have three or more legs and have odds of +300 or longer. You will be able to claim this offer for each game of the NBA Finals, and there are similar promos running for the NHL and MLB. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Chipper Jones crushes ‘toxic' MLB umpire after questionable calls in Cubs-Tigers
Chipper Jones has had enough of a certain MLB umpire. After multiple questionable calls were made during the Cubs-Tigers game on Saturday, Jones went scorched earth on Doug Eddings. The Cubs' 6-1 win was marred with several apparent missed calls, including a couple of called third strikes — including one that looked high and outside to Pete Crow-Armstrong — that were well outside of the zone and what looked to be a wrong ruling on a checked swing by Kyle Tucker. Jones took to X, claiming Eddings is one of the worst umpires in baseball. 'Not only one of the worst umpires in the league for going on 2 decades … but consistently one of the most confrontational. Toxic combination!' Jones wrote. 3 Doug Eddings talks to the dugout of the Chicago Cubs in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 7, 2025. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Jones, who played for the Braves from 1993-2012, had plenty of run-ins with Eddings, who began working in the MLB in the late 1990s. Eddings has worked 14 postseason series, including two World Series. He was also a part of the umpiring crew in the World Series last year between the Yankees and Dodgers. Jones seemingly doesn't have many positive memories from games umpired by Eddings. 3 The Braves' Chipper Jones throws out the ceremonial first pitch on April 22, in Atlanta. Getty Images He isn't the only one, either. In June 2023, Eddings issued a warning to the Diamondbacks in a game against the Nationals. During the bottom of the first inning, there was complaining heard from the Arizona dugout and Eddings took it upon himself to address it, which was caught on the Bally Sports Arizona TV broadcast due to low game attendance. 'Remember, there's not a lot of fans here and I can hear everything you're saying,' Eddings told the dugout, which was also a slightly embarrassing shot at the Nationals, who were in last place in the NL East at the time. 3 Willson Contreras #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals talks with umpire Doug Eddings after Eddings called pitcher Andre Pallante #53 of the St. Louis Cardinals with a balk in the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 16, 2025 Getty Images Jones clearly wants some action to be taken, seeing Eddings' calls as more of a troublesome pattern rather than the exception in the league.
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: In the Showdown in Motown finale, the Chicago Cubs lose 4-0 to the Detroit Tigers
DETROIT — Some good-natured bantering occurred over the weekend between Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer and Detroit Tigers president Scott Harris, who worked his way up the ladder after joining the Cubs as director of baseball operations in 2012 under Hoyer and former president Theo Epstein. They helped the Cubs build a championship team together before Harris moved on to become the general manager of the San Francisco Giants and then president of the Tigers in September 2022. Harris was informed Sunday that the winner of the rubber game between the Cubs and Tigers would be awarded the 'Theo Cup,' a trophy that only exists in the imagination of a few media members looking to replicate the Vedder Cup, a newly recognized award named for Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder that goes to the winner of the San Diego Padres-Seattle Mariners series. 'The decisive game of the Theo Cup?' Harris said when apprised of what was at stake. 'Jed and I have talked, yes, but nothing worth sharing.' Cup or no cup, the Tigers wound up with a 4-0 win in the Showdown in Motown to take the interleague series. There was no champagne celebration afterward, but at least fans were treated to an interesting series between two of baseball's best teams, and some impromptu fireworks Sunday when Nico Hoerner was ejected by plate umpire Derek Thomas in the fifth inning for arguing a called third strike, followed by manager Craig Counsell's ejection after backing Hoerner. While the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry took center stage on the baseball calendar, Detroit was the place to be this weekend. The Cubs move on to Philadelphia to complete their three-city road trip, facing another top team, albeit one that lost eight of nine heading into Sunday. The Phillies took two of three from the Cubs in late April at Wrigley Field. Matthew Boyd will start in the opener, followed by Colin Rea and Ben Brown. Sunday's finale featured an intriguing matchup between Cubs rookie Cade Horton and Jack Flaherty, who returned to the Tigers after being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline and winning a ring. Flaherty threw six shutout innings, allowing two hits, while Horton suffered his first career loss in his sixth appearance. Horton struggled in the first inning, putting the first two men on before giving up a two-out, two-run double to Spencer Torkelson. Flaherty didn't give up a hit until Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with two on and one out in the fourth, but Ian Happ was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Kerry Washington, and the Cubs failed to score when Michael Busch lined out to center with the bases loaded, ending the threat. The Tigers padded the lead on Riley Greene's two-run single off Horton in the fifth, while the Cubs couldn't muster up any offense against Flaherty. Expectations have grown considerably for the Cubs over the last several weeks, with the team off to its best start since 2016. The Cubs were considered a favorite for a division title all along, but few thought they could hang in the same area code as the megabucks Dodgers or New York Mets. The offensive explosion and improvement of the bullpen now has many Cubs fans thinking bigger things, which brings more attention to the team. 'I don't know that anything has changed from that perspective,' Counsell said in a conversation before Sunday's game. Expectations haven't changed despite having the league's best record? 'The expectations are just playing good baseball, doing our jobs the right way and continuing to do that on a daily basis,' he said. 'Those are the expectations.' That may be true, but certainly Cubs fans' expectations have risen, right? 'I'm telling you what we worry about,' Counsell replied. 'We just worry about the stuff we control every day and I think those standards in itself are something that's difficult to achieve every day. But it's what we've been working at since the beginning.' Counsell has downplayed the Tigers series because it's still June, and it may have meant more to Harris and Hoyer, two old friends with bragging rights at stake. Even before Sunday, there was a lot for Hoyer and Harris to talk about, from Tarik Skubal's dominance in the Tigers' 3-1 win on Friday, to five Cubs home runs Saturday in their 6-1 victory. Harris denied there was any trash-texting between him and Hoyer after their team's respective wins, and said the competition is friendly. 'I would characterize it as we're both very competitive, and we both want to win today,' Harris said. 'But after today, I really pull for those guys. There are just a lot of really good people over there and I want them to be successful. I know they will be successful because they're really talented and they built a really, really good baseball team. 'We share observations about each other's teams, because a lot of times those conversations are really constructive, and it's useful for someone like me to see the Tigers through an outsider's lens. And he's an outsider, and I imagine that's useful for him to understand the perspective of an outsider watching his team. So we often share observations. I find them useful. I don't know if he finds them useful.' Hoyer did not make the trip to Detroit, which Harris speculated was because Hoyer wanted to spend time with his family, not because he didn't buy into the importance of the Cubs-Tigers series. 'You're more bought into the Theo Cup than Jed is,' Harris said. Guilty as charged. Either way, the rematch of the Theo Cup would have to wait until October, and that's only if the two teams meet in the World Series. That's a long way off, and obviously a lot has to happen for both teams just to get there. But the way things have been going for the Cubs and Tigers the first two-plus months, it's no longer just a pipe dream.
