Clemson Tigers Have Open Spot in Pitching Rotation for First Homestand

The Clemson Tigers will host VCU and North Carolina A&T in their Clemson Invitational at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, which starts on Friday.

The Tigers (2-1) will host four games, with one game on Friday, two games on Saturday and one on Friday. That will allow the Tigers to get in two games each against VCU and North Carolina A&T.

Clemson will face VCU on Friday at 4 p.m. Saturday will feature Clemson’s first matchup with North Carolina A&T at noon and then its second matchup with VCU at 4 p.m.

North Carolina A&T is the final opponent at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

VCU will face North Carolina A&T in the only other game played during the weekend, as the pair will square off at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Clemson doesn’t have much experience with either program. VCU and the Tigers have never face each other, while the Tigers have only played North Carolina A&T one time, which resulted in a win in 2005.

The pitching matchups are set for all but one of the games the Tigers will play.

Clemson will start their ace, right-hander Aidan Knaak, in the first matchup with VCU against left-hander Cade Dressler.

Left-hander Ethan Darden will start Saturday’s doubleheader for the Tigers against North Carolina A&T’s Angel Ortiz. The Tigers haven’t set the starter for the second game with VCU, but they will face right-hander Brian Yetter.

Justin LeGuernic, a left-hander, will start for Clemson on Sunday against North Carolina A&T’s right-hander Mekai Griffin.

North Carolina A&T has an intriguing connection to the Tigers. Its head coach, Ben Hall, played for the Tigers as an infield in 2005-06 and batted .266 during his career.

Clemson is coming off a solid weekend at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last weekend last weekend at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It was the Tigers’ first three games in an MLB stadium and a dome.

Clemson defeated No. 13 Oklahoma State, 6-5, in the first game, then beat No. 12 Arizona, 16-5, in its second game before falling to Ole Miss.

The Tigers’ offense had a solid weekend, as they batted .324 with a .418 on-base percentage along with 10 home runs and 27 runs. Dominic Listi had a great weekend, batting .556 (5-for-9) with seven RBI, four runs and two walks.