Clemson dug deep and kept its cool while staving off elimination three times

CLEMSON — There were so many stories of Tiger resilience at the Clemson Regional, the tournament staff scrambled for an extra chair to accompany all the notable actors on the postgame stage Monday.

No matter how the Tigers fare at the Tempe (Ariz.) Super Regional, a best-of-three series against Arizona State that begins 9 p.m. Saturday, Jack Leggett said this team will be remembered, recalled specifically for its "measure of toughness."

By winning three straight elimination games to advance, the 2009 Clemson Tigers have become a unit Leggett will brag on in future lectures, a part of Clemson baseball lore.

"All those stories I tell every year," Leggett said. "This is going to be one of those stories."

Leggett compared this regional effort to the 1999 team, which lost its opening game at the Arkansas Regional and responded with four straight victories to advance.

They are postseason runs that cannot be solely accomplished with one arm or one bat.

To Leggett's left sat Chris Epps, once a seldom-used reserve who became a lineup fixture in April, sparking a stagnant offense. Epps earned regional MVP honors, smashing a key home run Monday.

"He kept his head in the game (throughout the season)," Leggett said. "He stayed focused and the game came along to him."

To Leggett's right was an emotion-filled Matt Vaughn.

The senior captain, pitching for the final time at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, allowed two unearned runs over 3 2/3 innings of relief, including a scoreless ninth that ignited the on-field frenzy.

Vaughn, who had offseason shoulder surgery, had given up the closer's role earlier in the season.

"It's probably the first time all year I got back to how I felt last year," Vaughn said of his performance. "It was my last game at home, it was do or die ... I didn't want to go out with a bad memory."

Kyle Parker was a late arrival, requiring the extra chair.

Parker had been benched for the starts of game four and five in the regional, and entered his game-winning at bat 1 for 10 in the first-stage of the NCAA Tournament.

Between Parker and Vaughn was Mike Freeman.

It was collective resilience in the seventh when three errors — errant throws by Matt Sanders and Ben Paulsen, a dropped fly ball by Jeff Schaus in left — could have led to an unraveling. Instead Vaughn remained cool and the defense, anchored by the steady Freeman throughout the regional, collected itself.

"There were a couple mistakes, which happen," Freeman said. "The big thing is how we responded. The inning could have spiraled out of control, they could have put up a big number."

On the extreme left of the stage was Paulsen, the voice that after falling into the loser's bracket Saturday night said the Tigers still had confidence to advance.

"We have been resilient all year," Paulsen said. "We have been tough, we have battled ... That's the biggest thing coach Leggett preaches is being tough."

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