CLEMSON -- Call them the “Cardiac Cats” if you want — they’ve earned it.
No. 3-ranked Clemson baseball has had heart-racing finishes feel less like flukes and more like a signature move.
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Whether it’s an eight-run ninth inning to walk off Florida State, a 13-inning war with Florida in the Super Regional or the recent six-run rally against Wake Forest, this team seems to thrive on chaos.
Or do they?
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Yes, the Tigers have played in some absolutely bonkers games. But if you take a step back, Clemson fans might not realize just how un-dramatic things have actually been once the Tigers take the lead.
Because here’s the stat that might blow your mind:
If Clemson has had a lead at the end of any inning this season… it wins.
Not usually.
Every single time.
This year’s record when leading after each inning:
After the 1st: 16-0
After the 2nd: 21-0
After the 3rd: 21-0
After the 4th: 22-0
After the 5th: 24-0
After the 6th: 25-0
After the 7th: 25-0
After the 8th: 25-0
Perfect across the board. (Knock on wood.)
To put that into perspective, last year’s team was still solid in those same spots — but not invincible. Clemson went 18-5 when leading after the first, 23-4 after the second, and 25-7 after the third. By the time they reached the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings with a lead, they were 36-4, 31-4, and 31-3 respectively.
Very good. But not flawless.
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What this year’s team is doing is unreal.
Take Wednesday’s midweek game against Gardner-Webb. Ugly? Sure. But Clemson still found a way to win — and yes, it helped that Jacob Jarrell parked two solo shots.
But more than that, the Tigers took a lead and never gave it back — and the bullpen deserves a big chunk of the credit.
Now, it’s fair to say there’s still some unease about Clemson’s pitching depth. That’s understandable based on what fans have seen in recent years. But slowly, steadily, this group is starting to look more secure.
Take B.J. Bailey, for example. The Tigers were searching for some consistency on Sundays, and it’s starting to look like he might be the answer. Over his last two starts, Bailey has been rock solid.
Against Georgia Tech on March 29, he went 6.2 innings, gave up just four hits and one earned run and struck out eight. A week later at Cal, he followed it up with another quality outing: 5.1 innings, five hits, three earned runs and four strikeouts.
That kind of reliability at the back end of a weekend rotation is huge. Especially for a team with deep postseason aspirations.
Then there’s Lucas Mahlstedt — the national leader in saves with 11. He’s rocking a 1.01 ERA over 26.2 innings with a sparkling 4.38-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s been nails.
And now other arms are settling into roles.
Reed Garris has emerged as a serious option in the back end. In 10 appearances, he’s thrown 18 innings, allowed just 9 hits and 2 earned runs, walked 5, struck out 23 and sits with a 1.00 ERA.
Joe Allen’s finding his groove too — he’s got a 2.70 ERA across 16.2 innings in 11 outings.
And don’t sleep on Drew Titsworth. He looked like he might be battling the sophomore slump, but Wednesday against Gardner-Webb he came out dealing: career-high 4.1 innings, 7 strikeouts and retired 13 straight batters without allowing a baserunner.
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So can the Tigers keep this pace up? Who knows. Baseball’s a weird game. Streaks end. Roles shift.
But here’s what we do know: If Clemson grabs a lead — any lead — this team knows how to finish the job. And that’s the kind of security you don’t fully appreciate… until you don’t have it.
Toby Corriston is an intern at Tigerillustrated.com.
