A new era in Clemson baseball begins with low expectations across the league.
Erik Bakich enters his first year as the head coach of a Tiger program that's missed the NCAA tournament the last two seasons, and the conference doesn't appear to think highly of Clemson's chances in 2023.
In Thursday's release from the conference, the ACC coaches voted the Tigers fifth in the Atlantic Division, ahead of just Notre Dame and Boston College, but Clemson did receive one vote to win the conference title. Louisville and Wake Forest received the same number of votes (6) to win the league while the Cardinals edged out the Demon Deacons for first place in the Atlantic.
Miami was pegged to take the Coastal, but Virginia Tech, picked fourth in the division, was the only other team to receive a vote to win the conference title.
Clemson certainly hopes to be a surprise team in 2023 and get back to the NCAA regionals for the first time since 2019. Bakich has assembled a team mixed with veterans and young talent looking to prove themselves.
The Tigers open the season Feb. 17 with a three-game series against Binghamton at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
2023 ACC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
First-place votes in parenthesis
Overall ACC Champion
Louisville (6)
Wake Forest (6)
Clemson (1)
Virginia Tech (1)
Atlantic Division
1. Louisville (6) - 89
2. Wake Forest (6) - 84
3. NC State (1) - 58
Florida State - 58
5. Clemson (1) - 47
6. Notre Dame - 38
7. Boston College - 18
Coastal Division
1. Miami (10) - 93
2. Virginia (2) - 75
3. North Carolina (1) - 72
4. Virginia Tech (1) - 64
5. Georgia Tech - 45
6. Duke - 26
7. Pitt - 17
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