Clemson baseball is just nine days away from its regular-season opener against Army at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, and as always, there’s plenty of buzz surrounding coach Erik Bakich’s program.
As the season inches closer to first pitch, the Tigers are near the middle to bottom of most preseason top 25 rankings. Tuesday’s preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll has Clemson at No. 17, while D1 Baseball and Baseball America are slightly less generous: the Tigers are No. 19 in the former’s rankings and No. 20 in the latter’s. Perfect Game also ranks Clemson No. 20 in its preseason top 25.
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On Tuesday, The Athletic unveiled its own preseason top 25 rankings (subscription required for full viewing). Clemson checked in at No. 22, one spot below the Arizona Wildcats and one spot ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats. The Tigers are one of eight ACC teams ranked in The Athletic’s preseason top 25.
Veteran college baseball writer Teddy Cahill said of Clemson entering 2026:
“Clemson has an experienced, well-rounded roster. Right-hander Aidan Knaak is one of the most accomplished pitchers in the country, as he has earned first-team All-ACC honors in each of his first two college seasons. The Tigers have a veteran lineup with senior catcher Jacob Jarrell and junior second baseman Jarren Purify leading the way.”
Knaak is entering his junior season after bursting onto the scene as a freshman on Clemson’s 2024 team that reached a Super Regional for the first time since 2010. The 21-year-old right-hander made 16 starts last season and was 9-1 with a 4.18 ERA with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 3:1 (110 strikeouts, 29 walks).
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Knaak held opponents to a .214 batting average in 90 1/3 innings as the Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament as a top 16 seed and hosted a regional.
Jarrell led Clemson with 15 home runs and added five doubles with 41 RBIs while batting .263 in 59 games behind the dish. Purify, the Tigers’ starting second baseman, finished with a .298/.417/.462 slash line and had six home runs and 10 doubles in 57 games.
Cahill summed up where Clemson has room for approval:
“Clemson is searching for the right mix behind Knaak. The pieces are there, especially if right-hander Drew Titsworth steps up as the team’s No. 2 starter, but the bullpen needs to be rebuilt this year. Clemson could also use someone to step up in the lineup and will hope its transfer portal additions like outfielders Ty Dalley (Mercer) and Nate Savoie (LMU) are up to the task.”
Clemson finished last season 45-18 overall, including an 18-12 mark in the ACC. The Tigers reached the championship game of the ACC Tournament before falling to conference champion North Carolina.
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Clemson baseball schedule 2026
Clemson begins its season Friday, Feb. 13 with the start of a three-game home series against Army. First pitch for the Tigers’ season opener is 4 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ACC Network Extra.
Here’s a full look at the Tigers’ 2026 baseball schedule.
Feb. 24: vs. Presbyterian
Feb. 27: at South Carolina (at Columbia)
Feb. 28 vs. South Carolina (at Segra Park)
March 1: vs. South Carolina (at Clemson)
March 4: vs. Michigan State
March 10: vs. Georgia Southern (North Augusta, S.C.)
March 12-14: vs. Georgia Tech
March 17: at College of Charleston
March 20-22: at Notre Dame
March 24: vs. Coastal Carolina
April 1: vs. Wake Forest (Charlotte)
April 10-12: vs. North Carolina
April 21: vs. USC Upstate
April 24-26: at Louisville
May 1-3: vs. Boston College
May 5: at Coastal Carolina
May 8-10: vs. Florida State
May 14-16: at Virginia Tech
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball ranks among The Athletic’s top 25 teams entering 2026
