UNC no rest for weary Tigers

CLEMSON — Jack Leggett likens Clemson's recent struggles to thrashing around in the ocean against a set of waves that keep getting bigger.

"There hasn't been any coming up for air," the 15th-year Tigers baseball coach said Thursday. "Anytime you come up, there's another wave coming."

Saddled with a six-game losing streak, the program's longest since 1982, Clemson will try to reverse the tide starting tonight at 7:15 against the fourth-ranked team in the country. And North Carolina's pitching excellence doesn't exactly portend a dramatic revival.

Fresh off Wednesday night's 7-1 loss at South Carolina, Clemson (18-14, 6-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) returned to practice Thursday in hopes of regrouping for this weekend's series against the Tar Heels (26-7, 10-4).

The Tigers are seventh in the ACC standings, just ahead of Wake Forest (12-18, 5-9), Maryland (18-14, 5-10) and Boston College (16-14, 5-10). The top eight teams earn a spot in the ACC Tournament.

Clemson is in jeopardy of seeing its streak of 21 consecutive NCAA Tournaments — the third-longest in NCAA history — come to an end. But the Tigers say the present takes precedence over whatever might happen later.

Clemson's confidence is at a low point largely because of ineptitude at the plate. The Tigers have struck out 62 times in the past five games, an average of 1.37 per inning.

That doesn't bode well against the Tar Heels, who lead the nation in earned-run average (2.25). Tonight, UNC will start sophomore right-hander Alex White (5-2, 1.93 ERA) against junior righty D.J. Mitchell (3-2, 2.98 ERA).

Wednesday at South Carolina, Clemson went up 1-0 in the first when Hogan hit a solo homer. Kyle Parker and Jeff Schaus had back-to-back singles to start the second, but the Tigers mustered just two hits the rest of the way - including an inconsequential single by Wilson Boyd in the ninth.

Over the six-game losing streak, Clemson has hit five home runs, 28 singles, five doubles and no triples.

"Guys are pressing," catcher Doug Hogan said, "and doing something more than they should be trying to do."

Leggett has maintained all along that his team is close to turning a corner, and he thinks the current rut is more mental than anything else. He urged his players to relax before Thursday's practice and remember that this losing streak has come against impressive teams.

USC, which has taken three games from Clemson is ranked No. 15. Miami., which swept the Tigers last weekend, is No. 1.

And Georgia, which took two from Clemson last week, is No. 14.

"We just need to concern ourselves with the next game," said Leggett, who added he might shake up his batting order to gain a spark.

Johnson update

Sophomore outfielder Addison Johnson said redshirting is "definitely" an option for him. Johnson hasn't played this season because of an injury in his right wrist. Doctors have told him it's a stress fracture, coupled with some inflamed ligaments, but Johnson visited a hand doctor this week and took more X-rays just to be sure.

When asked to outline a best-case scenario, Johnson said: "I don't know, to be honest with you."

He said he'd be inclined to have surgery so he won't have to worry about the injury affecting him beyond this season.

"I just want to know for sure what's making it painful and what's causing the swelling," he said.

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the new Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/