Clemson at Santa Clara
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Interstat) — The Clemson Tigers look to continue their momentum from a high-scoring victory when they visit the Santa Clara Broncos in nonconference baseball action Monday at Stephen Schott Stadium.
Clemson (21-12) arrives after splitting a four-game series at Stanford, capped by a 12-5 win Sunday. The Tigers’ offense erupted after being held to four runs in the previous two games.
Santa Clara (13-17) seeks to rebound after dropping three straight at San Diego, including a 13-7 loss Saturday. The Broncos’ bullpen struggled in the series, but catcher Johnny Luetzow provided a bright spot with a home run in the finale.
A key matchup will feature two arms looking for consistency. Clemson is expected to turn to Michael Sharman, who is coming off a spectacular, albeit hard-luck, performance. On April 4 at Stanford, the right-hander threw seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six, but took a 5-4 loss. His outings have been volatile, mixing dominant starts with shorter, rougher appearances.
He will be opposed by Santa Clara’s Jace Gillmore, who also pitched Saturday at San Diego. The right-hander struck out five over three innings but was charged with three earned runs. Gillmore has shown swing-and-miss stuff this season, including a six-inning, one-hit shutout performance against Utah Tech on March 14.
Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-2 victory for the home-standing Broncos.
Following Monday’s contest, Clemson returns home to open an Atlantic Coast Conference series against North Carolina on Friday. Santa Clara begins West Coast Conference play by hosting Saint Mary’s on Friday.