Coastal Carolina strengthened its case for a top-eight national seed with a 5-3 win over No. 9 Clemson on Tuesday, thrilling a record crowd at Springs Brooks Stadium. The No. 14 Chanticleers, now 38-11 overall and 20-4 in the Sun Belt, never trailed, showcasing clutch hitting, sharp relief pitching, and standout defense.
The Tigers’ recent struggles continued with the loss, further clouding their postseason outlook as Coastal continues to surge toward the NCAA tournament’s top tier of national seeds.
Coastal Carolina’s Postseason Push Gains Momentum With 5-3 Win Over Clemson
Coastal Carolina delivered another postseason-worthy performance Tuesday night, defeating No. 9 Clemson 5-3 before a record-setting crowd of 5,300 at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The Chanticleers, now 38-11 and ranked No. 8 by Baseball America, completed the season sweep of Clemson following a previous 8-2 road victory on March 25. Victory has fueled the speculations and talks about Carolina being a top No.8 national seed.
Should we start talking about Coastal Carolina being a top 8 national seed?
Down to #12 in the RPI after the big win against Clemson tonight 😬
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 7, 2025
The Chants jumped ahead early and never relinquished the lead, limiting Clemson to six hits. Freshman right-hander Luke Jones set the tone, while four relievers locked down the Tigers, who entered averaging more than seven runs per game.
“We’ve talked about the pitching since Day 1. They’ve been phenomenal,” said head coach Kevin Schnall. “We’ve rode them very hard all year and those guys have responded in a really positive way and tonight was no different.”
Clemson, now 37-13 and down to No. 12 in Baseball America’s rankings, went 6-for-32 at the plate and struck out nine times. Tryston McCladdie tallied half of the Tigers’ hits, while first baseman Luke Gaffney provided an RBI single in the ninth.
Clemson’s pitching struggled with command, hitting four batters and allowing three pitchers to give up runs across eight innings.
Coastal has now won eight straight and 15 of its last 17 games. The Chants are also 12-0 in their last Sun Belt contests, standing 20-4 in league play and leading No. 21 Southern Miss by two games. At home, they’ve been nearly unbeatable, boasting a 21-3 record.
Statistically, Coastal leads the NCAA in hit-by-pitches and owns a team ERA of 3.46—nearly three runs better than last season’s figure. Offensively, Sebastian Alexander leads the way with 21 stolen bases and 40 RBIs.
With the latest win, Coastal Carolina climbed to No. 12 in the RPI and strengthened its argument for a top-eight national seed.
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“The Springs Brooks Stadium effect was huge,” Schnall added. “It’s the reason why we’re (21-3) at home right now.”
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