Clemson Baseball makes moves in up national polls after another impressive week

USA Today

07-04-2025

Clemson Baseball makes moves in up national polls after another impressive week
Clemson baseball continues to climb the national rankings after another strong week, moving into the Top 5 in three major polls.
The Tigers jumped to No. 4 in the D1Baseball rankings and cracked the Top 5 with Baseball America for the first time this season, landing at No. 5. Perfect Game bumped Erik Bakich's squad up one spot to No. 3.The rise comes after a 4-0 week that included a midweek win over Georgia Southern and a weekend sweep of Cal.
Clemson leaned on timely hitting and shutdown relief work to get it done, especially late in games. On Friday, Dominic Listi delivered a clutch two-run double in the seventh inning, while on Sunday, Luke Gaffney's go-ahead sac fly sealed the sweep. The bullpen was dominant, combining for 6.1 shutout innings across the series.
At 30-5 overall and 9-3 in the ACC, Clemson currently leads the league in winning percentage. Georgia Tech (11-4) owns more ACC wins after also sweeping Stanford, who Clemson will now host for a three-game set this weekend. All three matchups will be on national TV, starting Friday night on ESPNU.
Individually, the Tigers continue to shine across the board. Lucas Mahlstedt leads the ACC in saves (11), and Aidan Knaak ranks top five in both strikeouts (61) and wins (5). Offensively, Listi is among the ACC's best in on-base percentage (.522), walks (35), and hit-by-pitch (15). Jarren Purify and Andrew Ciufo also rank high in HBP, and Purify is top 10 in triples, sac flies, and stolen bases. Josh Paino has worked his way into the league's top 10 in RBIs with 36.
With momentum building and another ACC series ahead, the Tigers are making their case as a true national contender.
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