Clemson Baseball Stuns ACC Field, Secures Top NCAA Tournament Seed—Key Highlights, Player Breakouts & What’s Next

Durham, N.C. – For the second time in three seasons, Clemson baseball found itself on Championship Sunday at the ACC Baseball Tournament. Riding the momentum of a 44-15 campaign and a string of statement wins in Durham, the No. 5-seed Tigers collided with No. 3-seed North Carolina at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in a showdown that doubles as a preview of next week’s NCAA Tournament. Road to the title game • Pool play: Clemson opened with a 6-1 victory over Virginia Tech, powered by freshman right-hander Tristan Smith’s seven strikeouts across six innings. • Quarterfinal thriller: The Tigers erased a late deficit to edge NC State 7-6, scoring three runs in the eighth behind Jacob Jarrell’s opposite-field double. • Semifinal statement: Jarrell struck again with a third-inning grand slam that ignited a 9-4 win over top-seed Georgia Tech, Clemson’s 21st conference victory of the year, the most in the ACC this season. Sunday’s early fireworks Head coach Erik Bakich turned to left-hander B.J. Bailey against a Tar Heel lineup that entered play batting .309. UNC struck first on a Gavin Gallaher RBI double in the opening frame, then piled on eight runs in a fifth-inning outburst highlighted by Tyler Bass and Hunter Stokely home runs. Clemson finally broke through in the seventh when leadoff star Cam Cannarella launched a two-run blast to right, trimming the deficit to 14-2 and avoiding a shutout. Under ACC tournament rules, a 10-run margin after seven frames can end the contest; Clemson needed a late rally to extend the game. Season snapshot • Overall record: 44-15 (21-9 ACC) entering the final • National ranking: No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll • RPI: Top-10, positioning Clemson for a potential host seed on Selection Monday. Key performers • Cam Cannarella – Sophomore center fielder hitting .354 with 21 steals; his championship-game homer pushed his season tally to 12. • Billy Amick – Junior third baseman leading the club with 19 home runs and 62 RBI. • Tristan Smith – Friday starter sporting a 2.81 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 83 innings. What’s next Win or lose, Clemson’s résumé virtually guarantees a home regional when the NCAA brackets are revealed Monday at noon ET on ESPN2. The Tigers have not hosted since 2023, when they swept through the Clemson Regional en route to a Super Regional berth. With the offense firing and the bullpen rounding into form—closer Rob Hughes owns 10 saves and a 1.98 ERA—Bakich’s squad believes a deep postseason run is within reach. SEO takeaways Fans searching for “Clemson baseball,” “ACC baseball championship 2025,” “Clemson vs North Carolina score,” and “Clemson NCAA regional host” will find the latest score updates, season milestones, and postseason outlook—all in one place.