TEMPE, Ariz. -- Clemson (44-20), ranked as high as No. 13 in the nation, will play in the Tempe (Ariz.) Super Regional at No. 2 Arizona State (47-12), beginning Saturday at Packard Stadium.

Saturday’s game will start at 9 p.m. Eastern time on ESPNU and Sunday’s game will start at 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. Monday’s game, if necessary, will start at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. Eric Collins and Morgan Ensberg will provide commentary on the ESPN family of networks.

Arizona State will be the designated home team in Saturday’s game, while Clemson will be the designated home team in Sunday’s game. A coin flip will determine the designated home team for a potential game three on Monday.

The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., from June 13-24. The winner of the Tempe Super Regional will face the winner of the Chapel Hill (N.C.) Super Regional in the opening round in Omaha on June 14. North Carolina will host East Carolina in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

Clemson’s NCAA

Tournament history

The 2009 season marks Clemson’s 34th trip to an NCAA Regional dating back to the 1947 season. That year, Clemson actually advanced to the Final Eight of the NCAA Tournament, but it is not considered a College World Series season because only two teams went to the CWS in those days.

Clemson won the 1947 District III Tournament in Charlotte by coming through the losers’ bracket. The Tigers, coached by Randy Hinson, lost in the first round to Alabama 8-2, then came back with a win over Auburn and two wins over Alabama to advance. Clemson’s season ended when Yale, led by future President George H.W. Bush, defeated the Tigers in New Haven, Conn., by a score of 7-3. Bush was 1-for-3 as the starting first baseman.

Clemson made its first trip to Omaha and the College World Series in 1958 when the Tigers again came through the losers’ bracket. After losing to Florida in the first round, Clemson came back to defeat George Washington, Florida State and Florida twice to advance under first-year Head Coach Bill Wilhelm. Clemson defeated Florida 15-14 and 3-1 on June 9 to advance. Harold Stowe struck out 17 in that second game on June 9, and that is still a Clemson single-game record for strikeouts in an NCAA Tournament game.

The Tigers advanced to Omaha in 1959, this time with three easy wins: one over Georgia Tech and two over Florida State. One of the wins over the Seminoles was a 24-2 victory at Gastonia, N.C. That tally is still tied for the most runs scored by Clemson in an NCAA Tournament game.

The Tigers did not advance to Omaha again until 1976. In fact, Clemson made just one NCAA Tournament appearance between 1960 and 1974. That was in 1967, when Clemson reached the Regional Championship, but lost to Auburn 6-5.

Clemson made it to Omaha three out of five years between 1976-80. Clemson won a regional in Columbia in 1976 with three straight wins, then came through the losers’ bracket in Miami (Fla.) in 1977 to advance to Omaha, where the Tigers lost their first game at the hands of Arizona State by a score of 10-7. The 1980 season was the first year Clemson played host to a regional, as Clemson swept three games by scoring 45 runs, including 17 in a 17-12 win over South Carolina.

Clemson has been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1987 except 2008. The Tigers have been to the NCAA Tournament 22 of the last 23 years. Clemson also made College World Series trips in 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2006.

Overall, Clemson has been to a regional in 34 seasons, sixth-most all-time. Clemson’s all-time record in NCAA play is 101-71, a 58.7 winning percentage.

Clemson is 56-31 (.644) under Head Coach Jack Leggett in NCAA Tournament play, including a 36-6 record (.857) in home NCAA Tournament games. Leggett has taken Clemson to a regional 15 times in the 16 years he has been Clemson’s head coach, and the Tigers have advanced to the College World Series five times. Leggett has also taken Clemson to a Super Regional eight of the first 11 years that format has been in existence.

Clemson in 8th

Super Regional

Clemson’s appearance in the Tempe Super Regional this weekend will be the Tigers’ eighth Super Regional appearance in the 11 years of the format. Since 1999, Clemson has missed playing in a Super Regional just three times (2003, ’04, ’08). Clemson has been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1987, with the exception of the 2008 season.

Clemson is tied for fifth in the nation in Super Regional appearances. Cal State Fullerton, Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and Rice have all been to nine Super Regional tournaments (including this year), while Clemson is tied with Louisiana State for fifth. Arizona State will be making its fifth Super Regional appearance, tied for 10th-most in the nation.

In terms of all-time wins in regional and Super Regional play, Clemson has 88, tied for seventh-most in NCAA history. Arizona State has 83, tied for 10th-most in NCAA history.

The series

Clemson and Arizona State have met on the diamond just once previously. It came in the 1977 College World Series in Omaha, Neb., as the Sun Devils came away with a 10-7 victory. Clemson entered the game with a 41-8 record and had been ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation after a 26-0 start, still the longest winning streak in Clemson history. Arizona State finished the year with a 57-12 record and won the College World Series with a 2-1 victory over South Carolina.

The Tigers started Bill Musselman, who went on to play in the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays and had a 12-0 record entering the game. However, he had to face an Arizona State lineup that had five future major leaguers in the batting order (Jamie Allen, Chris Bando, Hubie Brooks, Bob Horner, Chris Nyman). Horner went 3-for-5 and Allen went 3-for-4. Allen and Nyman also hit home runs.

Clemson was led by Dave Caldwell, who had three doubles and three RBIs. The three doubles are still tied for the most doubles in a College World Series game, as he was named to the All-College World Series team for his performance. Steve Nilsson hit the only home run for Clemson, who pulled to within 10-7 with two runs in the ninth inning but could get no closer.

Battle of outstanding pitching staffs

Based on the pitching stats of Clemson and Arizona State, there might be low-scoring games this weekend. Arizona State is first in the nation in ERA (2.79), while Clemson is fifth (3.57).

Both schools used outstanding pitching to advance to Super Regional play. In posting a 3-0 record in the Tempe Regional, Arizona State had a 1.67 ERA, the second-best figure in the 64-team field in regional play. Clemson had a 4-1 record with a 2.25 ERA. That was the fourth-best ERA in the regional round.

If the season ended today, Clemson’s national ERA standing would tie for its second-best national finish in that category in school history. Clemson’s 1996 team led the nation with a 3.03 ERA thanks in part to future Major League pitchers Kris Benson, Billy Koch and Ken Vining. The 1984 and 1992 teams also finished fifth in the nation in ERA.

Clemson has a 2.74 strikeout-to-walk ratio this year, the second-best mark in school history. The only team with a better figure in school history is the 1996 team that had 663 strikeouts and 210 walks for a 3.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 2006 team that went to the College World Series is third at 2.61.

Each of the top six schools in the nation in terms of ERA are still alive in the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson vs. Pac-10

Clemson has an 8-16 lifetime mark against Pac-10 schools, including a 1-7 mark in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers’ only NCAA win over a Pac-10 team took place in the 1958 College World Series, a 3-1 win over Arizona behind a 16-strikeout performance by Harold Stowe. That was Clemson’s first-ever game in the College World Series.

The Tigers have not beaten a Pac-10 school in the NCAA Tournament since then. Clemson has lost seven games in a row to the league in the NCAA Tournament, with the last game coming against Stanford in the 2000 College World Series.

This will be Clemson’s first game against a team from the Pac-10 since the 2001 regular season, when the Tigers defeated Oregon State in Las Vegas, Nev., by a score of 13-2 on Feb. 25.

This will be Clemson’s first-ever game against a Pac-10 school on its home field.

Clemson vs. Pat Murphy

This will not be the first time Clemson has faced Arizona State Head Coach Pat Murphy. Murphy brought Notre Dame to Clemson during the 1994 NCAA Tournament and his Fighting Irish came away with an 8-1 upset victory. Clemson was the No. 1 seed in that six-team regional and was the top-ranked team in the nation entering the NCAA Tournament.

Murphy was the head coach at Notre Dame from 1988-94. He left for Arizona State the following August, so his last games as Notre Dame head coach were at Clemson in that regional. Notre Dame lost to Auburn in the championship game of that regional.

Murphy has one connection to Notre Dame on his current Sun Devil roster. Freshman outfielder Johnny Ruettiger is the nephew of former Notre Dame gridder Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger. The movie “Rudy,” released in 1993, portrayed his life as a walk-on on Notre Dame’s football team in 1974 and 1975. Johnny Ruettiger attended the same high school (Joliet (Ill.) Catholic) as his uncle.

Johnny Ruettiger is no walk-on, as he is batting .350, second-best on the team. He has started 23 of the team’s 59 games. He was 3-for-6 with three RBIs and four runs in the Tempe Regional when he started all three games.

Long trip for the Tigers

Clemson will make its longest trip for an NCAA Tournament game in history when it travels to Tempe to face Arizona State. The trip is 1,664 miles and it is the longest trip for Clemson for an NCAA Tournament game by 573 miles. The second-longest trip was to Texas Tech and Lubbock, Texas, for the 1997 NCAA Central Regional.

This will be Clemson’s longest trip for any baseball game since the Tigers played in a regular-season tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., in February of 2001. Clemson’s longest trip in history for a baseball game took place in 1994, when Clemson played in a regular-season tournament in Hawaii. It is 4,573 miles from Clemson to Honolulu, Hawaii.

This will be Clemson’s first-ever baseball games in the state of Arizona.

Tigers face another

traditional power

Clemson certainly does not have an easy path when it comes to getting to the College World Series this year. The Tigers had to defeat Oklahoma State to advance to the Tempe Super Regional and now must win at No. 2 Arizona State to reach the College World Series.

Oklahoma State made its 37th appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year, the fourth-most appearances in NCAA history. The Cowboys have been to the College World Series 19 times, tied for the fifth-highest total in NCAA history.

Arizona State is in the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time, the seventh-highest figure in history. The Sun Devils have been to the College World Series 20 times, the fourth-highest figure in history. Arizona State has won the national title five times, finished second five times and third five times.

Clemson is in the NCAA Tournament for the 34th time, sixth-most in history. Clemson’s 11 College World Series appearances are 11th-most as well.

Worth noting

Clemson has won twice in one day on four different occasions in 2009, the most times that has happened since 1992. Prior to 2009, Clemson had a combined four days in the last seven years in which it won twice in one day.

Polls

The Tigers moved up two spots to No. 14 in the Baseball America poll this week after going 4-1 in the Clemson Regional last week. Clemson also moved up two spots to No. 13 in the Collegiate Baseball poll. The Tigers were ranked No. 14 in the Sports Weekly coaches poll following the ACC Tournament, as that May 25 poll is the last Sports Weekly poll until the College World Series concludes.

Clemson has had at least one final Top 25 ranking in 12 of Leggett’s first 15 seasons in Tigertown. The Tigers have also been ranked No. 1 for 20 weeks by at least one of the three major polls under Leggett.

Tigers advance

through losers’ bracket

Clemson advanced to the Tempe Super Regional by going through the losers’ bracket at the Clemson Regional. It marked just the second time that Clemson had gone through the losers’ bracket at a home regional or Super Regional. Overall, Clemson has made it through the losers’ bracket to win a regional or Super Regional six times, four away from home and two at home.

Clemson win total

+13 over 2008

Clemson has a 44-20 record entering the Tempe Super Regional. That is quite an improvement over last year, when the Tigers had a 31-27-1 record. The 13-win improvement ties for the third-best mark in school history from one season to the next. The all-time record is a 17-win improvement from the 1990 to 1991 seasons. The Tigers made a 16-win improvement from 1957 to 1958 when Wilhelm took over and led the Tigers to the College World Series in his first year. Leggett took Clemson to a 12-win improvement in his first year in 1994 as well.

Leggett coached

and played in CWS

Leggett is one of just 10 men in history to play as a student-athlete and coach a program in the College World Series. Leggett played in Omaha for Maine in 1976 and has coached Clemson five times (1995, ’96, 2000, ’02, ’06).

Five Tigers on Regional All-Tournament Team

Five Tigers were named to the Clemson Regional All-Tournament team, as the Tigers captured the title by going 4-1 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from May 29 to June 1. Infielders Ben Paulsen (1B) and Mike Freeman (2B) along with outfielder Wilson Boyd and designated hitter Chris Epps all made the team among position players. Lefthander Chris Dwyer was one of only two pitchers named to the team. Epps was named Clemson Regional MVP after going 10-for-19 (.526) with one double, two homers, six RBIs, seven runs and a stolen base in five games.

Tigers rally to claim Clemson Regional

The Tigers won four of five games in the Clemson Regional to win the title at Doug Kingsmore Stadium from May 29 to June 1. Three of the four wins came while facing elimination. The Tigers outscored their opponents 38-13 and outhit them .324 to .209. Chris Epps, who earned Clemson Regional MVP honors, was 10-for-19 (.526) with seven runs, one double, two homers and six RBIs, while Mike Freeman was 11-for-22 (.500) with six runs, three doubles, one triple, one homer and seven RBIs. Ben Paulsen also added two doubles, two homers and five RBIs. The Tiger pitching staff had a 2.25 ERA as well.

In the Tigers’ first game on May 29, Jeff Schaus’ two-run double in the ninth inning lifted Clemson to a 5-4 walkoff victory over Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles built a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth before Schaus’ solo homer in the bottom of the fifth cut their lead to 4-3. The Tigers, who put their leadoff batter on base in each of the last seven innings, missed opportunities to tie the score in the sixth, seventh and eighth. Addison Johnson led off the ninth with a single before Epps reached on a bunt single. Schaus later ripped a one-out double over the first-base bag to score Johnson from second and Epps from first for the winning run. Graham Stoneburner pitched 4.2 scoreless innings in relief of two-hit ball with five strikeouts to earn the win.

In the Tigers’ second game on May 30, Neil Medchill’s two-out, run-scoring single in the eighth inning propelled Oklahoma State to a 3-2 win over Clemson. Tom Belza and Mark Ginther hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning to give the Cowboys a 2-0 lead, then the Tigers responded with two runs thanks to four hits in a row in the top of the eighth. But Clemson left the bases loaded and Medchill’s single off Paulsen’s glove proved to be the difference. Clemson outhit the Cowboys 8-5, including two hits by Freeman and Paulsen. Tiger starter Casey Harman allowed just three hits, two runs and two walks with eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched.

In the Tigers’ third game on May 31, Scott Weismann pitched 8.0 scoreless innings and Clemson pounded out 14 hits en route to a 10-0 win over Tennessee Tech. The Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead with four runs in the third inning, highlighted by Paulsen’s two-run homer. Clemson added three more runs in the fourth inning and cruised the rest of the way. Epps went 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs, while Paulsen went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Weismann and David Haselden combined to limit the Golden Eagles to just four hits. Only one Golden Eagle advanced past first base and none advanced past second base as well.

In the Tigers’ fourth game on May 31, Chris Dwyer struck out 13 batters and Clemson totaled 16 hits in its 15-1 victory over Oklahoma State. The victory, which kept the Tigers’ season alive, was the 1,100th of Leggett’s career. It was also the 100th NCAA Tournament win for the Tigers. Dwyer struck out the most batters in a game by a Tiger since 1998 and allowed just six hits, one run and one walk to earn the win. Clemson scored 11 runs in the first three innings and never looked back. Freeman went 4-for-6 with a homer, four RBIs and two runs, while Wilson Boyd went 4-for-6 with two doubles and four RBIs.

In the Tigers’ fifth game of the regional, Clemson rallied from a 5-1 deficit to score five combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings and defeat Oklahoma State 6-5 and claim the Clemson Regional title. The Cowboys took a four-run lead in the top of the seventh thanks to three Tiger errors, but Epps’ two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning started the comeback. Then in the eighth inning, Kyle Parker lined a two-out, two-run single to give Clemson the lead for good. Matt Vaughn struck out Mark Ginther with two runners on base in the ninth inning to end the game. Vaughn pitched 3.2 solid innings without allowing an earned run to earn the win. All six Tiger runs and all 10 hits came with two outs as well.

You must be logged in to comment.