2003 Clemson Baseball Outlook
The 2002 Clemson baseball season was one of the most successful in school history. Besides the numerous team and individual milestones that were set, the Tigers ended their season in college baseball's holy land...Omaha, NE, and the College World Series. But with the loss of many key players, there is one question that predominates most fans' minds...can Clemson make it back to the CWS?
"This will be an exiting year," said Jack Leggett, who is in his 10th year as Clemson's head coach. "We lost some offensive firepower, but we will be a different type of team. We will be an exciting team on the bases."
Gone are 2002 unanimous National Player-of-the-Year Khalil Greene, Clemson's all-time home-run king Jeff Baker, and the versatile Jarrod Schmidt. The top two pitchers from last season, Matt Henrie and Steve Reba, also departed along with B.J. LaMura. However, the cupboard is not bare in 2003, as a solid defense, an All-American first baseman, and a deep pitching staff return.
"We will still have a little bit of pop," said Leggett. "Maybe not as much home run power, but we will still be able to play defense. Our pitching depth is going to be strong."
The leader of the team will be fifth-year senior Michael Johnson. The All-American turned down a professional baseball contract to come back to Tigertown and he needs just 14 homers to break Baker's career home run record of 59. The record will fall if he has anywhere near the season he had last year.
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 Michael Johnson
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Along with Johnson, Kyle Frank, Paul Harrelson, Patrick Hogan, and Russell Triplett are team captains for the 2003 season. The returning Tigers will be joined by a host of freshmen and junior college transfers that Collegiate Baseball ranked the nation's fifth-best recruiting class.
Despite losing four first-round draft picks to the professional ranks, Clemson still signed six players who were drafted, including Kris Harvey, son of former Major Leaguer Bryan Harvey, and Brad McCann, who will vie for the starting spot at third base.
Along with the newcomers on the field, Tom Riginos was named assistant head coach, arriving from Stetson. He replace nine-year assistant Tim Corbin, who was named head coach at Vanderbilt last summer. Bradley LeCroy and Seth Miller were also added to the coaching staff.
Leggett believes the unity of last year's squad will carry over into 2003. "I think the strength of this team is team chemistry. Everyone has got to believe and everyone has got to be involved as one, and if we can do that, we have a chance to have a strong and tough team to beat. We will have a little more speed and our pitching depth is going to be good from top to bottom."
"We have to come up with a consistent shortstop, be consistent behind the plate, and play good defense. We are going to be an offensive team that takes advantage of opportunities and executes, and does a good job with the fundamentals."
Clemson will need unity in order to play what Leggett calls "one of the toughest schedules that anyone could pla.y." There are 30 games against teams who played in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Four games against South Carolina will once again highlight the non-conference schedule, along with road series at Auburn and Georgia Southern. Add ACC series against Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and the rest of one of the nation's toughest conferences.
Fans will find that 2003 Clemson Baseball will have a new look, both on and off the field. Tiger Pride renovations to Doug Kingsmore Stadium are on schedule to be completed for the home opener on February 26 against Charleston Southern. Among the new features will be a renovated plaza area with concession stands, new restrooms, new dugouts, a new press box, and chair back seating in the middle portion of the stadium.
The Tigers have two solid returnees behind the plate. Senior Steve Pyzik started 36 games, while sophomore Collin Mahoney started 26. Pyzik is an outstanding receiver behind the plate and has been in the Tiger program for three seasons. Mahoney crushed most of his six homers last year. When the New York native put the ball in play last year, he was 25-for-45 (.556). However, he did strike out 49 times in 94 at bats.
Gene Pierce, who red-shirted last year after appearing in just six games in 2001, sophomore junior college transfer Brady Everett will also compete for time behind the plate. Pierce has one career homer in just two at bats, and improved vastly during his red-shirt season. Everett played only one season at Edmonds (WA) Community College. Harvey, a freshman will also get a look behind the plate.
The Tiger infield must replace it's All-Star left side (Baker and Greene). The biggest question mark on the diamond will be at shortstop. Sophomore Garrick Evans is a strong and athletic player who showed potential in limited action at the plate. He has some raw power uncommon to most middle infielders. He also has great speed.
Freshman Herman Demmink, who has already made his presence felt in the weight room and in the Omaha Challenge, will compete for the starting shortstop position. Jess Easterling and Daniel Pritchard, who both red-shirted last season, will vie for playing time up the middle.
Triplett, who was a Second-Team All-ACC utility player in 2002, has the versatility to play any infield position. He will compete for starting spots at second base, third base, and shortstop. Tanner Leggett, the only switch-hitter on the Clemson team and son of the Tigers' head coach, is another rookie in the infield.
The leader to take over for Baker at third base is Brad McCann, a junior college transfer who has three years of eligibility remaining. He was drafted in the 22nd round by the Philadelphia Phillies, but opted for Tigertown. McCann shined in fall workouts.
The undoubted offensive leader of the team is Johnson, who might have had the finest season in Tiger history if it were not for Greene. His defensive skills are just as finely tuned as his offensive skills, as Baseball America recently listed him as the best defensive first baseman in the ACC along with being the #2 senior prospect in the country by the same publication. His 24 career steals in 29 attempts prove his speed on the basepaths as well. Johnson was selected in the second round of the Major League Draft by the San Diego Padres last June, but decided to return to Clemson for his fifth season.
Joining Johnson on the right side of the infield will be David Slevin, who started 56 games at second base. Slevin is a slick-fielding second baseman with the ability to bat at the top of the lineup. He had an outstanding .968 fielding percentage a year ago, and committed just nine errors.
Jeff Hourigan is a versatile player who can play left or right field and first base along with his outstanding pitching abilitites. He started 33 games as the designated hitter a season ago and showed some power with six home runs.
Harvey, a fifth-round pick last June out of Bandys High School in Catawba, NC, is a versatile player who showed great potential at the plate and on the mound in fall workouts. He along with fellow freshmen John Ingram and Dan West will compete for spots at the corner infield positions.
Frank, the starting centerfielder, returns to give the Tigers veteran leadership. He started all but one game in 2002, did not commit an error, and hit .324 with four home runs and 43 RBIs. He is a fifth-year senior who Leggett will look to to provide stability at the top of the Tiger lineup.
 Kyle Frank
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Ryan Hub will provide depth in the outfield in 2003. He has been in the Tiger program for three years and has shown flashes of power and speed. Harvey and Hourigan both have the abitlity to play left or right field. They hope to succeed another talented, multi-purpose player in Schmidt, who had an 18-3 career record along with his stout offensive numbers. Freshman Justin Lepore was injured in the fall, but hopes to make contributions in the outfield.
The pitching staff returns sophomore Jeff Hahn and Hogan, a junior, who had the hottest arms at the end of the season and should take on expanded roles in 2003. Hahn, who was 3-0 with a 3.19 ERA, notched one of his three saves to clinch the Clemson Regional title and picked up a win in relief against Georgia Tech in the College World Series. Hogan finished the year with a 2-1 record and a 3.79 ERA along with four saves. Both have excellent control and have the ability to appear in long relief and start.
 Patrick Hogan
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After starting in the bullpen, sophomore lefty Tyler Lumsden found a home as a starter. The #19 sophomore prospect in the nation by Baseball America had a 4-1 record late in the season and could become an effective starter as one of only two southpaws on the 2003 squad. Freshman Robert Rohrbaugh is the other lefty. Hard-throwing junior Steven Jackson finished the 2002 season 6-1 and will compete for a starting spot. He could become a dominant force if he can maintain control of his fastball.
Despite being a freshman, Hourigan showed that he could be as dominant as any Tiger hurler last season. He struck out 32 while walking only nine in 29.2 innings pitched. The Beacon Falls, CT native also tallied three saves. The Tiger coaching staff is hoping for similar numbers from Harvey, whose fastball impressed Kevin O'Sullivan, Clemson's pitching coach.
Harvey, who is rated as the #15 freshman prospect in the nation by Baseball America, is one of 11 new pitchers in 2003. Aaron Troila, like Everett, is a junior college transfer from Edmonds Community College. Pat Clayton, a seventh-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves last June and the #40 freshman prospect by Baseball America, is a talented and tall righthander. He comes to Clemson from Walton High School in Marietta, GA.
Red-shirt freshmen righthanders Josh Cribb and Adam Walker spent last season conditioning and preparing to contribute in 2003. They will be looked upon to provide valuable innings. Jason Berken, Stephen Clyne, John Leonard, Brett Murphy, and Brock Thornburg are five other first-year freshmen righties who will vie for innings on the mound this year.
