Quick Look: Clemson Regional

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Published May 26, 2025

Quick Look: Clemson Regional

Vernon Bailey • WVSports

Publisher

@WVSportsDotCom

West Virginia baseball is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, earning the No. 2 seed in the Clemson Regional. The Mountaineers (41-14, RPI No. 28) will open play Friday at noon against No. 3 seed Kentucky (29-24, RPI No. 38), with the game airing on ESPNU.

Host Clemson (44-16, RPI No. 9) is the No. 1 seed and No. 11 national seed, while USC Upstate (36-23, RPI No. 87) rounds out the field as the 4-seed. The Tigers will face USC Upstate in Friday’s nightcap at 6 p.m.

Only two of the four teams in the Clemson Regional faced off this season, Clemson and USC Upstate. The Tigers came away with a 7-0 win on March 4 in Greenville.

Trending Teams - USC Upstate is the hottest team entering the weekend, winning 9 of its last 10, including a Big South Tournament title. Clemson has won 7 of 10 and reached the ACC title game. Kentucky has lost 6 of 10 and was swept by No. 1 Vanderbilt to end the regular season, while WVU has dropped 7 of its last 10 games.

West Virginia Outlook - WVU is led by Kyle West (.354 AVG, 1.128 OPS, 10 HR), with Jace Rinehart and Sam White also posting strong offensive numbers. On the mound, Jack Kartsonas (6-3, 2.90 ERA) and Griffin Kern (5-2, 3.32 ERA) anchor the rotation. The Mountaineers went 3-0 in regional play last year and are looking to return to a super regional for the second consecutive season.

Kentucky Back in the Mix - Kentucky returns to the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year for the first time in program history. After a College World Series trip in 2024, the Wildcats’ postseason hopes this season were boosted by their strong RPI and quality wins.

Clemson Dangerous at Home - The Tigers are deep and balanced. Cam Cannarella (.339 AVG, 25 XBH) leads the offense, while a dominant bullpen trio - Reed Garris (1.33 ERA), Joe Allen (1.84 ERA), and Lucas Mahlstedt (2.18 ERA, 15 SV) - gives them late-game stability.

Underdog Watch: USC Upstate - Winners of nine of their last 10, the Spartans have two big bats in Scott Campbell (.400 AVG, 1.155 OPS, 11 HR) and Johnny Sweeney (.351 AVG, 1.206 OPS, 17 HR, 81 RBI). They'll look to carry that momentum into Clemson.

Ticket Info - All-session tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 28, at 10 a.m. ET at ClemsonTigers.com. Reserved seats are $60 for all sessions, with single-session tickets starting at $10 for youth.

What’s Next - The winner of the Clemson Regional will face the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional in the Super Regionals.