Clemson Takes Palmetto Series Over South Carolina

Tigers rally with two weekend wins to claim victory in college baseball rivalry

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Clemson Tigers have emerged victorious over their in-state rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks, taking two out of three games to claim the 2026 Palmetto Series. After dropping the series opener, Clemson bounced back with dominant pitching performances to even the series and then clinch the victory in the rubber match.

Why it matters

The Clemson-South Carolina baseball rivalry is one of the best in college sports, and this year's edition continued the intense competition between the two programs. Clemson's series win extends their recent dominance in the rivalry, having now won three straight Palmetto Series titles under head coach Erik Bakich.

The details

In the series opener, South Carolina jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and cruised to a 7-0 shutout win. But Clemson responded on Saturday with a complete game gem from senior lefty Michael Sharman, who led the Tigers to a 4-1 victory. In the rubber match, Clemson rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, taking the lead for good with a 5-run 3rd and 4th inning outburst on their way to a 7-2 triumph.

  • The series opener was played late Friday night at Founders Park in Columbia after a lengthy rain delay.
  • The Saturday 'neutral site' game was held at Segra Park.
  • The series finale took place on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The players

Clemson Tigers

The Clemson baseball team, who have now won three straight Palmetto Series titles over their in-state rivals.

South Carolina Gamecocks

The University of South Carolina baseball team, who were looking to end Clemson's recent dominance in the rivalry.

Erik Bakich

The head coach of the Clemson Tigers, who has led his team to an 8-3 record against South Carolina since taking over the program in 2023.

Michael Sharman

The Clemson senior lefthander who delivered a dominant complete game performance in the Tigers' Saturday victory.

Josh Gunther

The South Carolina junior righthander who put together an outstanding outing in the Gamecocks' series-opening win.

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What they’re saying

“I hope they had fun on Friday night.”

— Erik Bakich, Clemson Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

Clemson will return to play on Wednesday against Michigan State, while South Carolina will host USC Upstate on the same night.

The takeaway

Clemson's continued success in the Palmetto Series rivalry under coach Erik Bakich demonstrates the program's ability to consistently compete at a high level, even as the in-state competition remains fierce. This year's series win further cements the Tigers' status as one of the top college baseball teams in the country.