Tigers bring momentum into postseason tourneys

CLEMSON — A Clemson regional is looking more and more like a possibility.

With a weekend sweep of N.C. State, Clemson capped its regular season with a 39-17 record, holds a No. 19 ranking in the Baseball America poll, and perhaps most importantly, is the No. 7 RPI team.

Baseball America elevated Clemson to host status in its most recent projection, and Rivals and ESPN continue to have the Tigers hosting in their NCAA forecasts.

No matter what the Tigers do in the ACC Tournament beginning Wednesday in Durham, N.C., they are assured of being back in the national tournament. Still, getting in is one thing, making a postseason push is another and the Tigers have a much better chance to advance at home.

Since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1999, Clemson is 15-0 at home in NCAA regional play, and 6-1 at home in three home super regionals. The Tigers have hosted eight combined regionals and super regionals and advanced all eight times.

Conversely, since 1999 Clemson is .500 in road regional trips, winning at Fayetteville in 1999 and Myrtle Beach in 2007 and losing at Auburn (2003) and Athens, Ga. (2004)

The Tigers have lost all four super regional appearance away from Doug Kingsmore since 1999: Texas A&M (1999), Miami (2001), Baylor (2005) and Mississippi State (2007).

Clemson coach Jack Leggett knows the home history, and said prior to the N.C. State series he doesn't "really know'' of his club's hosting chances.

"I think our RPI is really good,'' Leggett said. "I think our strength of schedule is as good as anybody's in the country. I hope that becomes a factor because we play a really tough out-of-conference schedule.''

Clemson's RPI strength might be the most important factor in landing a host bid.

Since, 2001 teams that place in the top 16 of the RPI have earned 84 percent of the NCAA regional host bids.

Clemson should finish comfortably in that range.

Perhaps the ACC is too strong. Entering the weekend, six ACC teams were in the top 15 of RPI.

While North Carolina and Georgia Tech figure to be locks as hosts, Clemson is in position for a host spot along with Miami, Florida State and Virginia.

Since 2001, only the SEC has had as many as five teams host regionals in a given season. And of the 21 teams to finish in the top 16 of RPI and not host since 2001, 13 have been from either the SEC or ACC.

While Clemson has built an impressive resume and is performing well at the right time, it is still too early to call — especially with an ACC Tournament to play.

"There are a lot of (deserving) teams,'' said Brian Quinn, an NCAA Tournament committeee member. "It's still too early, still too many things left.''

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com and check out his Clemson blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/tiger_tracks.