Slumping Parker benched

CLEMSON — Lamenting his lineup's lack of production against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Clemson coach Jack Leggett benched one of the team's leading sluggers for Sunday night's game against the Cowboys.

With OSU electing to throw right-hander Tyler Blandford, Leggett subbed Kyle Parker, who has 12 home runs and leads the team with 50 strikeouts, for Addison Johnson. In the Tigers' earlier win over Tennessee Tech, Parker was demoted from the fifth to sixth position in the lineup.

Leggett started Johnson in center, giving him another left-handed bat in the lineup and improved the defense, shifting Boyd to Parker's spot in right.

Young guns

Though the Tigers entered the Clemson Regional sixth in the country in ERA, Scott Weismann showed against Tennessee Tech on Sunday the staff also has dynamic potential next season.

Weismann threw eight shutout innings, allowing four hits and three walks to keep the Tigers alive in the postseason.

Weismann, once labeled closer of the future, was selected over Chris Dwyer to start the first game Sunday. Leggett had said Dwyer would start against Tech on Saturday night, but changed starters after reviewing Tech's right-handed heavy lineup.

Weismann tallied just two strikeouts but said that was due to trying to pitch late into the game.

Weismann had good command of his low 90s fastball, and nearly became the first Clemson pitcher to throw a postseason shutout since 2005, when Josh Cribb shut out the College of Charleston in the Clemson Regional.

Weismann threw 106 pitches.

The performance followed sophomore Casey Harman's quality start against Oklahoma State on Saturday, when the lefty kept the Cowboys scoreless over the first six innings.

If Dwyer returns — he figures to be drafted in the early rounds of the June draft — Clemson could have a dynamic weekend rotation. Weismann said he will likely "make a few more starts next season'' after being recruited to be used primarily as a reliever.

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com and check out his

Clemson blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/tiger_tracks