Tigers reached disappointing end, but solid core of success remains

CLEMSON — Early Monday morning, Arizona State’s players dogpiled on the infield of Packard Stadium.

Mere feet away, their Clemson counterparts were dealing with the reality of a season which had met a disappointing end.

The Tigers’ bounce-back 2009 campaign ran into a huge roadblock in the desert, thanks to Arizona State’s dominating pitching and clutch hitting that swept an NCAA super regional, capped off by an 8-2 win that wrapped up early Monday morning — East Coast time.

The 2009 campaign ended two games short of every season’s ultimate goal — a trip to Omaha and the College World Series — but a 44-23 record and super regional berth must be classified as a step forward for Jack Leggett’s program, considering 2008 ended with Clemson out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 22 years.

Here’s the really good news: it looks like a mere springboard towards an impressive 2010.

Barring a surprise or two in the Major League amateur draft, which begins tonight with the first three rounds and continues Wednesday and Thursday, much of 2009’s core should return next spring.

Only two Tigers appear near-certainties to depart: junior first baseman Ben Paulsen and freshman left-handed starter Chris Dwyer.

Paulsen, the son of associate head coach Tom Riginos, developed into a complete player this season. He led the team in home runs, RBI and batting average and is rated as one of the top five first basemen available. He is projected by Baseball America as a third to fourth-round pick.

Paulsen said he is open to returning for his senior season, but he’ll have the most leverage this summer.

Dwyer, a 21-year-old draft-eligible freshman, is rated by Baseball America as a second-round pick and the 11th-best left-hander available. He struggled with inconsistency — like Sunday night, when he threw four shutout innings but collapsed to allow five runs in the fifth — but dominating efforts like a 10-strikeout, complete-game effort against Miami tantalize MLB teams.

Redshirt sophomore starter/reliever Graham Stoneburner is rated by BA as a fifth to sixth-round selection.

Clemson signed 10 players last fall, and only two appear probable high draft picks.

Mauldin right-hander Madison Younginer is rated by BA as a supplemental first-round selection; he has a fastball which reaches the mid-90s and a powerful breaking ball, although scouts have had trouble evaluating him since he’s been used as a reliever instead of a starter.

Charlotte infielder/pitcher Richie Shaffer could also be a high draft pick; BA rates him as the No. 27 high school player in America.

Beyond that, however, Clemson’s core appears intact. Second baseman and co-captain Mike Freeman is a junior, but not a likely high draft pick. Jason Stolz appears ready to step into a full-time role at first base after sharing time this season with Matt Sanders, and Brad Miller was a solid presence in his first season at shortstop.

In the outfield, left fielder Jeff Schaus emerged as one of the ACC’s best hitters as a sophomore, and fourth-year junior Wilson Boyd was among the ACC’s hottest batters down the stretch. Sophomore Kyle Parker slumped down the stretch following a freshman All-America season, but moments like his two-run single that won the Clemson regional show his huge potential.

Catcher John Nester eventually emerged from a platoon with Phil Pohl and could stand to improve his defense, but showed strong RBI and power potential in the season’s second half.

And don’t forget reserve outfielders Addison Johnson and Chris Epps; Johnson is one of the team’s best defenders, and Epps thrived as Clemson’s leadoff man over the final six weeks of the season.

Dwyer’s departure would hurt, and so will that of senior Trey Delk, a steady starter. But freshman Scott Weismann appears ready to join Casey Harman — who was dominant down the stretch — as top-of-the rotation fixtures.

Seniors Matt Vaughn and Ryan Hinson were maligned at times, but their veteran bullpen presence will be missed; if junior Tomas Cruz is not drafted, he could emerge as an end-of-the-game stopper.

Clemson needs end-of-game success to advance to Omaha next season. Consider this; Sunday’s defeat dropped the Tigers to 0-5 all-time in super regionals away from Doug Kingsmore Stadium; Clemson is 2-10 combined in those series. The Tigers are 3-0 in home super regionals.

A few more wins could have made the difference between a No. 1 regional seed and national seed, which gives super regional home-field advantage.

Leggett and Co. will surely look at late-game blown leads against Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia and Georgia Tech and wince; he told reporters Monday morning that every game is important to determine such advantages.

The good news? The Tigers will have plenty of returning faces who felt that pain first-hand this spring.