CLEMSON — Riley Bertram has played in big games a lot in his college baseball career.
Clemson’s second baseman has played in Regionals, Super Regionals and in Omaha. He was a part of a Michigan team that advanced to the Championship Series of the College World Series in 2019.
However, despite playing in those big games and playing in front of those large crowds, he says he gets chills when he thinks about how this weekend’s atmosphere at Doug Kingsmore Stadium is going to be like when the No. 4 national seed Tigers play in the NCAA’s Clemson Regional.
“I think it is going to be different. I think Clemson University does it different,” he said Thursday as Clemson gets set to host Lipscomb today at 1 p.m. in Game 1 of the Clemson Regional. “I think, from what I have seen and from what I have heard, DKS is going to be full tomorrow. I get chills saying that and I think it is going to be awesome.”
Clemson head coach Erik Bakich remembers all too well what Doug Kingsmore Stadium can be like when it is packed out and the Clemson faithful gets into the game. He was a graduate assistant at Clemson in 2002 when the Tigers packed out the place on their way to one of the program’s 12 CWS runs.
“That is how it used to be. That’s how it was twenty-one years ago. That’s how it was as an opposing coach here at Maryland in 2011. And that’s how it has been the last couple of home weekends,” Bakich said. “The fans have really shown out and come out in full sport. They get those balloons waving behind home plate, the music is playing, the marketing team is doing an awesome job engaging with the action on the field and the fans have gotten behind that.”
That’s part of the reason why the Tigers (43-17) have been so tough to beat at home. Clemson posted a 24-10 record at Doug Kingsmore this season, but has won eight straight and 10 of their last 11 at home.
“There were a couple of games early where you really could not hear the energy in the stadium or feel it,” Bakich said. “Lately, especially as the team has started to energize the crowd and the crowd has started to energize the team, so I think there can be awesome synergy between DKS and the on-field play.
“I just want the fans to take ownership of their roster spot on this team as the tenth man. We need it. I am excited to see them come out in full force this weekend and bring the noise and bring the energy and positively impact our play.”
Bertram feels this weekend is the reason why they got up early in the off-season and lifted weights. This is why they put in all those late nights in the fall. All of it was to get to this point and have the opportunity to play in front their home crowd in the postseason.
“I am happy for the team, happy for the guys,” Bertram said. “They deserve every part of it. It is going to be heck having that tenth guy out there. I am pumped. I am ready for it. I know the guys are dying to get to tomorrow.
“Winning is rewarding. It is a real thing,” he continued. “But it was cool to see all the hard work that the team put in throughout the fall. The early mornings, the lifts, the late nights. It would have been really disappointing to not see success on the field after all that hard work. So, to see the turnaround and to see all that, I know Coach Bakich, I don’t know how, but he mentioned he saw it coming. I am super happy that it did as well.”
CLEMSON REGIONAL
• Who - Lipscomb (36-24) vs. Clemson (43-17)
• Best Ranking - LIP - NR; CU - No. 3 Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball
• When - Friday (1 p.m.)
• Where - Clemson, S.C. (Doug Kingsmore Stadium)
• Watch - ESPN+
• Video Announcers - Tom Hart, Kyle Peterson
• Listen (Radio) - Clemson Athletic Network (locally on WCCP (105.5 FM))
• Listen (Internet) - ClemsonTigers.com
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record - 0-0
STARTING PITCHERS
- LHP Logan Van Treeck (LIP) vs. RHP Austin Gordon (CU)
CLEMSON OVERVIEW
- Clemson, who has a 24-10 home record, won the ACC Tournament title with a 4-0 record st week.
- The Tigers are averaging 7.5 runs per game and hitting .308 with a .470 slugging percentage, .403 on-base percentage and 97 steals.
- The pitching staff has a 4.33 ERA, .250 opponents’ batting average and 2.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Clemson is fielding .978.
LIPSCOMB OVERVIEW
- Lipscomb, who has a 14-15 road record and is averaging 6.8 runs per game, is led by 17th-year Head Coach Jeff Forehand.
- The Bisons won the ASUN Conference Tourney title with a 3-2 record. They are hitting .257 and have a 5.06 ERA and .969 fielding percentage.
- Trace Willhoite is hitting .311 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs, Austin Kelly is batting .302 with 21 homers and Hayden Frank has four saves.
MORE ON THE CLEMSON REGIONAL
- Clemson (43-17), the No. 1 seed, opens the Clemson Regional by playing No. 4 seed Lipscomb (36-24) on Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
- The Tigers are the designated home team during Friday's game.
- The winner of Clemson’s game plays the winner of the game between No. 2 seed Tennessee (38-19) and No. 3 seed Charlotte (34-26).
- The Tigers occupy the first-base dugout for all their games in the Clemson Regional.
- Clemson is the No. 4 national seed, its first top-eight national seed since 2016 and fifth overall (2000,02,06,16).
- The winner of the Clemson Regional plays the winner of the Auburn (Ala.) Regional from June 9-12.
Clemson and Lipscomb have never met. - Clemson is 23-11 against Tennessee, with the last meeting in 1997. The Tigers lead 14-3 at Clemson and 12-2 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
- Clemson is 1-1 in the NCAA Tourney vs. Tennessee, a 3-1 Vol win in the 1995 CWS and a 12-5 Tiger win in the 1996 NCAA Regional at Clemson.
- Clemson and Tennessee split a home-and-home season series, with the home team winning each game, in its most-recent meetings in 1997.
- Clemson has a 14-3 record against Charlotte in a series that began in 1985. The Tigers are 9-2 in games played at Clemson.
- The Tigers downed Charlotte 9-5 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Feb. 21, 2023, as Clemson broke a 5-5 tie with four runs in the seventh inning.
- Charlotte Associate Head Coach Toby Bicknell was Clemson’s volunteer assistant coach in 2007 and 2008.
- The four teams in the Clemson Regional have combined for 68 NCAA Tourney appearances (including 2023).
- Clemson is making its 45th appearance, followed by 13 by Tennessee, seven by Charlotte and three by Lipscomb
- In both 2015 and 2016, Clemson played in a regional with the most combined appearances by the teams (2015 Fullerton, 2016 Clemson).
- The 2017 Clemson Regional featured the third-most combined appearances, while the 2018 Clemson Regional was tied for third most.
CLEMSON’S NCAA TOURNEY HISTORY
- The Tigers play in their 45th all-time NCAA regional when they compete in the 2023 Clemson Regional.
- The 45 appearances are fifth most in NCAA history, trailing only Texas (62), Florida State (59), Miami (Fla.) (49) and Oklahoma State (48).
- Clemson’s last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2019.
- Clemson has made nine super regional appearances, with its last in 2010 by winning the Auburn Regional.
- The Tigers have made 12 trips to the College World Series, with its last in 2010.
- Clemson has a 121-95 record (.560) in NCAA Tournament games.
- Clemson is hosting an NCAA regional for the 17th time in history in 2023.
- Clemson last hosted a regional in 2018. From 1994 to 2011 (18 years), the Tigers hosted 11 times.
--photo courtesy of ACC Communications
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