Clemson Baseball Coach Criticizes Rival South Carolina After Series Win

Clemson's Erik Bakich took a subtle jab at South Carolina following his team's bounce-back victory.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich was not pleased with how his team's series opener against rival South Carolina played out, despite the Tigers suffering their first loss of the 2026 season. After Clemson evened the series with a 4-1 win on Saturday, Bakich made some pointed comments about his team's approach compared to how South Carolina celebrated their victory the previous day.

Why it matters

The Clemson-South Carolina baseball rivalry is one of the biggest in college sports, and the two coaches have a history of trading good-natured barbs. Bakich's remarks highlight the intensity of the matchup and the high stakes involved as the two programs battle for in-state supremacy.

The details

In the series opener, South Carolina right-hander Josh Gunther shut out Clemson 7-0, holding the Tigers to just three hits and striking out 10. After the game, Bakich took issue with how South Carolina celebrated the victory, saying Clemson wouldn't "celebrate out of control like we just won the World Series after one win." The next day, Clemson evened the series with a 4-1 win behind a complete-game performance from left-hander Michael Sharman, prompting Bakich to praise his team's response.

  • The series opener took place on Friday, February 28, 2026.
  • Clemson evened the series with a 4-1 win on Saturday, March 1, 2026.
  • The rubber match of the series is scheduled for Sunday, March 2, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET.

The players

Erik Bakich

The fourth-year head coach of the Clemson Tigers baseball team.

Josh Gunther

The South Carolina right-hander who shut out Clemson 7-0 in the series opener.

Michael Sharman

The Clemson left-hander who pitched a complete game in the Tigers' 4-1 win over South Carolina on Saturday.

Paul Mainieri

The former LSU Tigers head coach who is now the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

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What they’re saying

“We've got another big one tomorrow, which is why we don't celebrate out of control like we just won the World Series after one win. We've still got a lot to play for and it's a big one (Sunday).”

— Erik Bakich, Clemson Baseball Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

“Being in the midlands is a lot better than being in the Upstate, I can promise you that.”

— Paul Mainieri, South Carolina Baseball Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

“It's just one game. Nothing's been clinched. mean, as great as (Sharman) pitched, we've still got a lot to play for We've still got a big day (Sunday). But it was the exact response that we were hoping for. Even in the box, our competitiveness at the plate was much better. We played very good defense. Had a little uh-oh there in the ninth, but we needed an outlier performance and Michael Sharman delivered that exactly today. Nobody was expecting a 78-pitch, complete game, 67 strikes, zero three-ball counts, 86 percent strikes. Just incredible. We weren't expecting that but we're certainly happy that he delivered.”

— Erik Bakich, Clemson Baseball Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

The rubber match of the Clemson-South Carolina series is scheduled for Sunday, March 2, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

The takeaway

The heated Clemson-South Carolina baseball rivalry continues, with the two coaches exchanging subtle jabs and the teams battling for in-state supremacy. Clemson's response after their series-opening loss shows the intensity of this matchup, as the Tigers look to clinch the series victory on Sunday.