CLEMSON -- The art of manufacturing runs.
It’s what good baseball teams do, because even the best lineups have off days. That’s just baseball.
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At one point, manufacturing runs was the heartbeat of the game. Get a man on, bunt him over, drive him in with a base hit. Classic small ball.
But since the Moneyball era — with Billy Beane leading the charge and sabermetrics reshaping the modern game — it’s been all about three-run homers and never "giving away" an out.
But: A) This isn’t professional baseball. B) Clemson doesn’t rely solely on small ball.
Clemson has one of the most dangerous lineups in college baseball.
Still, the Tigers are hitting just .281 as a team (133rd nationally), with 1.09 home runs per nine innings (121st) and a .443 slugging percentage (131st). Not exactly eye-popping numbers from a group that looked unstoppable on paper.
And yet, the Tigers have scored 269 runs — 33rd in the country.
So what gives?
They manufacture runs.
This offense may not blow you away with raw power, but it’s incredibly effective.
Sure, they flexed some muscle during the Cal series with six home runs in three games. But before that, Clemson had no trouble winning without the long ball — 30-5, with the sixth-best win percentage in the nation.
The secret? Patience. Approach. Chaos.
This lineup, built to slug, also has one of the sharpest eyes in the country. Clemson ranks sixth nationally with 221 walks — and it starts at the top.
Leadoff man Dominic Listi is one of the toughest outs in college baseball. He’s hitting “just” .314, but he’s drawn 35 walks (eighth nationally) and holds a .522 on-base percentage. He sets the table.
Then there’s Cam Cannarella — a top MLB draft prospect. Pitchers clearly want no part of him either. He’s drawn 33 walks (14th nationally), and while he’s only hit one homer this season, he keeps finding ways to contribute.
In 2023 and 2024, he hit .388 and .337, respectively. This year, he’s off to a “slower” start at .325 — but with a career-best .481 OBP. That’s nearly .020 higher than either of the last two seasons. That’s maturity. That’s trusting the process.
Want another underrated stat? Clemson leads the country in sacrifice flies with 30. Luke Gaffney leads all players with eight. Jarren Purify has five.
Purify is also a menace on the basepaths — 14 steals in 17 attempts — and he’s getting on base at a .463 clip. He’s not a lock to run every time, which keeps defenses guessing, but when he goes, he’s a problem.
Tryston McLaddie is another spark plug who brings speed and pressure. And Andrew Ciufo — who started the year slow — has quietly laid down six sacrifice bunts. Clemson doesn’t lean on the bunt, but when it’s time to manufacture a run, the Tigers execute.
Don’t believe it? Look back at the Wake Forest series.
Sunday. Rubber match. Down 6–3 with six outs left. Bats were quiet all day, but they found a way in the eighth:
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Josh Paino walked. Ciufo walked — Paino to second. Listi flied out. Then Clemson dialed up pressure: Ciufo stole second. Paino stole third. Purify struck out looking. Cannarella singled. Paino scored. Ciufo came home on a throwing error. Collin Priest walked. Gaffney singled — Cannarella scored.
Three runs. Just two hits. Manufacturing.
Then in the ninth? They didn’t even need a hit.
McLaddie walked, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, then scored on a wild pitch.
Good teams find ways to win.
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No. 3-ranked Clemson just keeps doing it, even when the bats go quiet.
Toby Corriston is an intern at Tigerillustrated.com.
