Clemson baseball had its chances on Saturday night, but a late and unsightly collapse sent the Tigers into the loser’s bracket and a long way from Omaha.
West Virginia scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to upset Clemson, 9-6, in a back-and-forth NCAA regional winner’s bracket game at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
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Adding insult to injury: All four runs came in a 5-5 tie game … and after Clemson had recorded two of the necessary three outs to get out of the inning clean.
WVU (44-14) advances to the regional championship and needs just one more win to reach the super regional round. Clemson (45-18) falls to a losers’ bracket game against Kentucky on Sunday at noon, and needs to win three games in two days to advance.
Otherwise, the Tigers’ College World Series drought will extend to 15 years (2010).
“If we’re gonna do it, we’re definitely gonna do it uphill and the hard way,” Clemson coach Erik Bakich said postgame. “But maybe that’s how our story’s supposed to go.”
Clemson, the No. 11 overall seed in the field and the No. 1 seed in its region, trailed No. 2 seed West Virginia 4-0 after five innings before surging back. The Tigers scored four runs in the sixth to tie the game 4-4 and took a 5-4 lead in the seventh.
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But the game shifted dramatically when Clemson, up 5-4, subbed out relief pitcher Reed Garris and replaced him with star closing pitcher Lucas Mahlstedt.
Mahlstedt, the team’s single-season saves leader, allowed an RBI double and the game-tying run on the first pitch he threw against the Mountaineers.
Clemson couldn’t get any runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, which would’ve put the Tigers in position to end the game in the top of the ninth with three outs.
Mahlstedt then got two outs in the top of the ninth before WVU’s Sam White hit a clutch RBI double to right center field to drive in the go-ahead run (6-5).
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West Virginia added three more runs in the inning, including two when Joe Allen (who replaced Mahlstedt) hit two straight batters with pitches while the bases were loaded. Clemson had to turn to another pitcher, B.J. Bailey, to get out of the inning.
Trailing by four runs, Clemson made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. After recording two outs, the Tigers loaded the bases and walked in a runner, which prompted West Virginia to make a pitching change with the score 9-6.
But Tigers first baseman Jack Crighton struck out swinging with the bases loaded to send Clemson into the situation it wanted to avoid at its home regional.
Clemson must beat No. 3 seed Kentucky at noon on Sunday, then beat West Virginia two times in a row on Sunday night and Monday to advance to the super regional round.
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“We know what’s on the line here,” Clemson shortstop Andrew Ciufo said. “But like Coach Bakich said, it’s been done before. … All confidence in the guys on this roster.”
Clemson senior Lucas Mahlstedt (47) reacts after getting out of the game during the top of the ninth inning at the NCAA baseball Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Game recap
West Virginia starting pitcher Jack Kartsonas retired nine straight batters to start the game, and he wound up shutting out the Tigers through five innings.
Combine that with Tigers ace pitcher Aidan Knaak allowing three runs in the top of the first inning, and Clemson was in an immediate 3-0 hole against WVU.
After Clemson had a goose egg on offense for five innings, Cam Cannarella hit a two-run home run down the left field in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 4-2 — and finally give a crowd of 6,475 something to cheer about.
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Jack Crighton and Jacob Jarrell kept the good times rolling with an RBI double and sac fly RBI, respectively, to tie the game 4-4. West Virginia made two pitching changes in that inning as its 4-0 lead evaporated.
Cannarella’s RBI double then put Clemson on top 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Tigers loaded the bases and had a chance for more runs, but WVU turned a double play to strand two runners and end the seventh down one run.
Clemson catcher Jacob Jarrell (9) waits for a throws while West Virginia senior Jace Rinehart (0) scores during the top of the first inning at the NCAA baseball Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Garris pitched 1.2 strong innings for Clemson in relief of Aidan Knaak before the Tigers brought in standout reliever Mahlstedt to close out West Virginia. Mahlstedt allowed a game-tying run (5-5) for the second game in a row.
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Bakich said postgame that Garris, who was coming off an injury, was supposed to only pitch one inning but the staff decided to extend him into the eighth.
“It was already a situation where he was already over-extended,” Bakich said. “It didn’t work out. Obviously, everybody will say you should’ve left him in, but I just didn’t feel like it was a smart move. … I’ve gotta point the thumb on that one.”
Mahlstedt ultimately allowed five hits and four earned runs. West Virginia racked up 15 total hits against five Clemson pitchers, including eight against starter Knaak.
Bakich said the Tigers will start true freshman Talan Bell (3.98 ERA in eight appearances) against Kentucky and it’ll be all hands on deck from there.
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“Everybody just believe and stay positive,” Bakich said. “That’s what we’re gonna do. … We’re gonna have to go one at a time and fight our butts off to do this.”
2025 Clemson baseball regional schedule
All games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson
Friday, May 30
Game 1: No. 2 West Virginia 4, No. 3 Kentucky 3
Game 2: No. 1 Clemson 7, No. 4 USC Upstate 3
Saturday, May 31
Game 3: No. 3 Kentucky 7, No. 4 USC Upstate 3
Game 4: No. 2 West Virginia 9, No. 1 Clemson 6
Sunday, June 1
Game 5: No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Clemson, noon (TBD)
Game 6: No. 2 West Virginia vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m. (TBD)
Monday, June 2
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser
