Why Clemson baseball can — and cannot — win back-to-back ACC tournaments

CLEMSON — After winning two of three against Georgia Tech this past weekend, Clemson baseball continued to improve its postseason résumé.

The No. 4 Tigers (36-10, 17-7 ACC) have the best overall record in the conference and have eight games remaining, including a road series against Wake Forest. It is projected to host an NCAA tournament regional for the second straight year as a No. 3 overall seed.

It was a No. 3 seed in the ACC tournament last year, beating Virginia Tech, Boston College, North Carolina and Miami to win its first conference tournament since 2016.

Here's why Clemson can — and can't — win its second straight ACC tournament:

Can: Clemson baseball has the best pitching in the ACC

The Tigers have the best ERA (4.67) and the fewest walks (82) allowed in conference play, as well as the third-lowest batting average against (.251).

In ACC games, freshman Aidan Knaak leads the conference with a 1.88 ERA, has the second-best batting average against (.178) and the third-most strikeouts (60) in 43 innings. Tristan Smith has a 4.50 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 11 walks in four conference games, and Ethan Darden has a 5.08 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in nine ACC games (seven starts).

Can: Clemson knows how to overcome large deficits

Time and time again this season, the Tigers have proved they are never out of a game. They have 20 comeback wins, thanks to their pitching keeping the game within reach and their hitters making critical hits. The largest deficit they have overcome was nine runs against Florida State on March 24.

Against Louisville on April 26, the Tigers were down seven runs after giving up 10 in the fourth inning and clawed back for a 12-11 win. Against Pittsburgh on April 19, they overcame a 4-0 deficit entering the fourth inning to win 6-4.

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Can't: Clemson's bats can go cold, putting added pressure on pitching

A major reason the Tigers have to ignite mid- to late-inning rallies is because their hitters fail to score runs. While pitching plays a factor, too, the batters have gone through stretches where the offense is nonexistent.

When Clemson had its roughest week of the year, losing three straight games for the first time since March 2023, it batted a combined 18-for-99 (.182) and left 25 total runners on base against USC Upstate and the first two games against NC State.

Against the Wolfpack, in Clemson's only series loss this season, it went scoreless for 19 innings before breaking through in the finale.

Can't: Injuries can be too much for Clemson to overcome

Health is paramount for the Tigers. Cam Cannarella, Jacob Jarrell, Reed Garris and Nolan Nawrocki have missed time with injuries earlier this season. Smith returned to the mound a few weeks ago from an ankle injury, starting shortstop Andrew Ciufo is out for the year with a torn ACL and left fielder Will Taylor will miss the rest of the regular season with a broken bone in his wrist.

Clemson has been able to offset the injury bug so far with its depth, but a critical injury can still derail its season when facing better competition in the tournament.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson baseball: Why Tigers can win second straight ACC tournament