Clemson beat Florida State 9-7 Monday afternoon to win the weekend series against Florida State. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — On a day when top-ranked Florida State clinched the ACC’s Atlantic Division Title, the Clemson Tigers more than likely secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament in two weeks.

The Tigers secured that bid thanks to a 9-7 victory in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Monday against the Seminoles, while also clinching the series. Clemson won Game 1 on Saturday, 7-2, and has now defeated the Seminoles in a weekend series three straight years, and has won seven of the last 10 meetings.

“We showed we can compete with the best of them out there,” Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer said. “We have the ability to make a run
in a playoff atmosphere. As long as we stay focused and keep our approach where it has been, I think we will have some decent success in the postseason.”

Florida State avoided being swept by taking the nightcap at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, 9-5. Clemson joined Florida as the only two teams to
beat FSU in a three-game series in 2012, and the Tigers are the only squad to beat Florida State in a weekend series all year.

“I think we proved we can play with anyone in the country,” Shaffer said. “They are number one in the country in a lot of polls. We played
pretty well in the first two games.”

Clemson (31-11, 16-11 ACC) played pretty well in all three, especially at the plate, where they scored 21 runs on 27 hits in the three
games combined. The Tigers also hit four home runs. They had three all year against ACC competition prior to the Florida State series.

“We hit the ball a little bit better this weekend,” Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said. “We made some decent adjustments. We had men on
base.”

In the first game Monday, Clemson took the series thanks to scoring nine runs in the first four innings. The Tigers got two hits and two
RBIs from right fielder Brad Felder and also got two RBIs from second baseman Steve Wilkerson when he smacked a double to left centerfield in the top of the second inning.

The Tigers scored five runs in the second inning to open up a 6-0 lead. Felder had an RBI single in the inning to give Clemson a 2-0 lead.
Wilkerson’s double made the score 4-0. The Tigers upped the lead to 5-0 thanks to an error from FSU catcher Stephen McGee, who threw the ball into left field while trying to catch Wilkerson on a double steal attempt with Thomas Brittle.

Brittle, who moved to third on the McGee error, later scored when McGibbon drew a bases loaded walk. After FSU cut the lead to 6-1, the
Tigers scored three more in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a Spencer Kieboom double to left field to plate two runs and then another RBI hit from Felder.

“We have had kind of a rollercoaster year (at the plate), but we have never doubted ourselves, the work that we put in or our ability,”
Shaffer said.

The second game Monday allowed the Seminoles (41-11, 22-5 ACC) to clinch the division. They now have a four-game lead over second-place
NC State with three games to play. They need just one win against the Wolfpack in the series finale to clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the ACC Tournament. The Tigers currently sit as the No. 5 seed as they head into the final weekend of ACC play.

Jason Stolz had a career game for Clemson in the nightcap, hitting a three-run bomb to score the game’s final runs in the bottom of the sixth, while also driving in another run with a double down the right field line in the bottom of the fourth inning.

“Everyone is swinging the bats well and everyone is feeling better,” Shaffer said. “Sometimes when the team isn’t swinging well things can
get tense and then the pitchers can feel extra pressure. It is one of those things where we want to try and produce as much as we can.”

Everyone is producing pretty well at the present time for the Tigers. Clemson has won 19 of its last 28 games, and now it’s in position to make another run in the postseason.

“I think we are playing better, which makes things look a little better,” Leggett said. “We have been playing well in the last month and
a half so hopefully we can take some confidence out of this weekend and be ready to play tomorrow night.”

Notes: Clemson honored its seniors and its fourth year players prior to Monday’s second game. They were Stolz, Felder, pitcher Kevin Brady, designated hitter Phil Pohl, pitcher David Haselden and pitcher Joseph Moorefield.

Leggett also said they have started Brady on a throwing schedule and hope to have him ready for the ACC Tournament, which starts on May
23.

Clemson will host Furman in its final home game of the year tonight and Haselden will get the start on the mound. First pitch is set for
6:30 p.m.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell and his Tigers will play Purdue in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. Photo by Rex Brown

CLEMSON — The Clemson men’s basketball team will take on Purdue at Littlejohn Coliseum on Wednesday, Nov. 28 in the 14th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The game will be nationally televised by ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.  Time and network designations will be determined at a later date.  The ACC won the first 10 challenges, while the Big Ten has won the last three.

All 12 games will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV.

Clemson has a 9-4 record in the history of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.  The Tigers have won six out of their last eight games in the event, including four straight as the road team.  Last season, the Tigers won their fourth straight on the road with a convincing 71-55 triumph at Iowa.  Clemson has also won at Penn State, Minnesota and Illinois during the four-game road winning streak in the challenge.  Clemson is 4-2 at home in the history of the event.

This will serve as the fifth meeting between the two schools, and third matchup in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.  It will also be the first game played between the head coaches, Clemson’s Brad Brownelland Purdue’s Matt Painter.  Brownell is 205-112 (.647) in 10 seasons, 38-27 (.585) in two years at Clemson.  Painter has a career record of 185-82 (.693) in eight seasons, 160-77 (.675) in seven years at Purdue.

Brownell, a native of the Hoosier State, has never faced Purdue in his coaching career.  His wife, Paula, earned her undergraduate degree from Purdue in 1991. Brownell grew up in Evansville, IN and played Division III basketball at DePauw University.

The first meeting between the two teams took place in 1971-72, with Clemson claiming a 72-66 win in overtime at home.  The two programs met again in 1973-74, where the Tigers won at Purdue and again in overtime, 81-80.  Clemson and Purdue have won a game apiece in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, with the Boilermakers winning at home, 76-64 in 2003, and the Tigers defeating an eventual NCAA Tournament team 61-58 in 2007.

Clemson will return two starters in 2012-13, senior forwards Devin Booker and Milton Jennings.  The Tigers will have 10 underclassmen among 12 scholarship players, five first-year freshmen and five sophomores.  The Tigers went 16-15 in 2011-12, Brownell’s second season, including 8-8 in the ACC.  It was the fifth consecutive season the Tiger program was at least .500 in conference play, a first in school history.

Purdue went 22-13 last season and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.  The Boilermakers lost three of their top four scorers, including All-Big Ten performer Robbie Hummel, to graduation.  Purdue has advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of the last six seasons.

2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 27
North Carolina at Indiana
NC State at Michigan
Minnesota at Florida State
Maryland at Northwestern
Iowa at Virginia Tech
Nebraska at Wake Forest

Wednesday, Nov. 28
Ohio State at Duke
Virginia at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Miami
Purdue at Clemson
Georgia Tech at Illinois
Boston College at Penn State

–Clemson Sports Inofrmation

Clemson's Spencer Kieboom had a three-run homer in the Tigers 7-2 victory over top-ranked Florida State Saturday night. Clemson hit three home runs in the win, its first over a number one-ranked team at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — It is no secret Doug Kingsmore Stadium has been keeping the baseball in play extraordinarily well this season. Heading into Saturday’s matchup with top-ranked Florida State, the Clemson baseball team had hit just 19 home runs in 31 games in its home park, leaving some to question the reason for the sudden downturn in power production.

A well-known pitchers’ paradise in college baseball, Doug Kingsmore Stadium is not necessarily a venue in which the ball is expected to leave the field of play very often. But this season’s dearth of home runs has been a cause of consternation for Tiger fans, players, and coaches alike.

Consider the FSU game, in 12 home ACC games, Clemson could only muster three home runs in its own ballpark. In fact, when right
fielder Brad Felder belted a solo shot to put the Tigers on the board with one out in the fifth inning, it erased a seven-game homerless stretch in home conference games.

“I decided I had been too tentative at the plate recently,” Felder said afterwards. “I wanted to go up there swinging at pitches, and that’s what I
did.”

Compare the home numbers to the nine homers the Tiger offense has amassed in 12 conference road games, and the evidence is clear that—while power is not the forte of this particular team—Clemson’s home venue is doing it no favors this season, for whatever reason.

Contrary to recent trends, Felder’s big fly to right field was only the beginning for the Tigers against FSU. Third baseman Richie Shaffer ripped a one-out shot off of the foul pole down the left field line to tie the score at 2-apiece in the sixth inning. Then later in the same inning, with two men on and a new pitcher in the game, catcher Spencer Kieboom hit a long fly to left center that went just over the outstretched glove of Seminole left fielder Jose Brizuela to give Clemson the lead for good at 5-2.

“It wasn’t like the ball was carrying a lot in batting practice. I didn’t see that,” Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett said. “We just put some good swings on it.”

“The wind really died down in the middle part of the game,” Kieboom said. “It’s weird. Sometimes here, the ball carries, and sometimes, it doesn’t. It was one of those games when it just carried.”

Apart from the sheer number of home runs, the seven-run output is indicative of an increase in offensive productivity from the Tigers. Only
twice in their last 12 games has the team been held under five runs, which is a positive development with the postseason quickly approaching.

“The guys have been working their tails off,” Shaffer said. “You can’t knock them for that. I think our offense is really starting to feel better.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts after a Tiger touchdown against North Carolina. Photo by Rex Brown.

The Clemson Athletic Ticket Office would like to remind all IPTAY members that the season ticket application deadline was Monday, May 7. Those who have not yet submitted their application are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Season ticket assignments will begin soon and once this process begins, seats that have not yet been renewed cannot be guaranteed. Applications are still available online at www.clemsontigers.com and may be submitted via mail and phone by calling 1-800-CLEMSON. The ticket office will continue to accept applications until Friday, May 18. Season tickets cannot be guaranteed if applications are submitted after this date.

Please contact the Clemson Athletic Ticket Office at cutixonline-L@clemson.edu or by calling 1-800-CLEMSON with any questions regarding season ticket applications.

There are several ways to pay the balance on your account, you can call us at 864-656-2115, donate online HERE, or by mailing in your payment to PO Box 1529 Clemson, SC 29633 (please include your IPTAY # on your check). If you have any questions concerning your account, please contact the IPTAY office at 864-656-2115.

The entire IPTAY Staff would like to thank you for your generous IPTAY donations this year. Because of people like you, we are able to fully fund all of our student-athlete scholarships and give them the best chance to excel on and off the field at Clemson University.

Clemson golf coach Larry Penley talks with senior McCuen Elmore during a tournament earlier this season. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Athletic programs do not establish high standards by making excuses once the postseason arrives.

Relegated to asking what-if questions after last season’s premature exit from the NCAA Tournament in the regional round, the Clemson golf team is looking to replace the bitter memories with proud ones as it prepares to take on all comers in its quest for a national crown.

Although the top five finishers advance past the initial round of competition, Penley knows having the expressed purpose to simply advance is not enough when a strong field of opponents includes national powers UCLA, Arkansas, and Texas A&M.

“Your goal every year is to contend for a national championship. You can’t contend if you’re not there,” Penley said. “If you go into it trying to be one of the top five schools, you’re going to set yourself up for failure.”

Penley admits this has not been the easiest season of his illustrious career because of some of the issues that have made finding a capable and consistent first five difficult. Crawford Reeves has dealt with injuries and has only competed in six matches. Corbin Mills has competed in the
Masters and the Heritage as an amateur, a personal honor for the junior but a stretch of two weeks in which the team had to attempt to function without its best player.

As a result, Penley has found it tough to judge his team’s performances over a long period of time. No matter what constraints public perception places on his bunch, Penley knows his unit is capable of more.

“There’s still a lot left on the table,” he said. “I’m not going to say we’ve underachieved, but I think there’s a whole lot more we can do, and it starts next week.”

Given the strength of the field, one could surmise that the Tigers might face an uphill battle to the national finals. However, the veteran coach Penley has seen Clemson play its best golf against prime competition throughout the season.

“I think that’ll help us,” he said of the difficulty of the task at hand. “I think the better the field, the better our guys will rise up to it. That’s exactly what we have to do.”

Assuming the Tigers get past this initial stage—something Penley is not willing to take for granted at all—there is the pervading sense within the program that special things could be in store once the format changes.

“We make a lot of birdies. We’d be a tough draw in a match play tournament,” Penley said. “I think we can definitely sneak up and beat a
lot of people.”

Clemson's McCuen Elmore has been a solid leader for the golf team this spring. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Every sports team has an elder statesman, someone the rest of the team can look to for a veteran perspective during both the
highs and lows of a season. For the Clemson golf team, the role is filled by graduate student McCuen Elmore.

Elmore, who says he shares the team leadership distinction with junior Corbin Mills, is the most experienced player in the five-man lineup the Tigers will take into the NCAA Tournament this week. He was there last season when he and his teammates felt the sting of coming up just short in the regional round, and he recalls it being a time in his life he never wants to repeat but does not mind remembering.

“That was more motivational than making it because we just expected to last year,” Elmore said about being eliminated earlier than
expected last season. “Then you don’t and your season’s over, and the tournament is still going on. I think there’s a lot of stuff we need to take
from last year.”

Elmore’s to-do list this postseason begins with erasing the bitter taste that still lingers in the mouths of the players that witnessed last season’s disappointing seventh-place regional finish that left them just shy of a bid to the national tournament. Whereas birdies were abundant on the
course last season, Elmore believes the golf course he and his teammates will encounter this week—the Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, KY—will play to their strengths.

“When you go to a course like that, it’s about grinding it out,” he said. ”Par is going to be a good score. When you look at the tournaments we’ve
won, the scores haven’t been very low. Hard courses suit us better.”

Elmore is more relaxed this time around because of the absence of academic pressures. He graduated in December, so those concerns have long since left his rear view mirror. Now that his teammates are also unencumbered by classroom chores, the ability to focus solely on golf will benefit the Tigers, he thinks.

“We’re basically living like pro golfers right now,” Elmore said. “We get up, play golf, do a little practice, then get up and do it all over again the next day. It makes it a lot less easier. There’s a lot less stress.”

After a stretch that both he and Penley described as a struggle to score and contribute to the team, Elmore needed to find his mojo heading into the NCAA Tournament at some point. He may have done just that last week, earning co-medalist honors at the first site of the U.S. Open Qualifier
outside of Atlanta. Elmore shot a 67 with eight birdies in the round, and Penley says such a performance may provide inspiration to his teammates.

“That’s a good sign,” Penley said. “It really ought to give his teammates a lot of confidence.”

If Elmore can give Clemson the kind of effort he displayed last week in the qualifier, chances are good that the Tigers will end up in the conversation for a national crown. Even if the on-course performance is not up to par, Elmore’s quiet leadership ability could still steady the squad as it prepares to make another charge toward a title.

Clemson's Keni Harrison was an NCAA indoor qualifier this season in the 60 hurdles. Photo by Rex Brown

It was not her best day as a hurdler, but it was a day that went a long way in Keni Harrison’srun to her first ACC Championship.

As she got out of her block to begin the 400-meter hurdles this past March at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, AZ, Harrison was a little slower than usual. She quickly fell behind because of it, causing an Arizona athlete to fly past her. Being this was her first collegiate race, she tried a little too hard in trying to catch up, causing her to hit the eighth hurdle.

“I remembered to tell myself to keep going,” the Clemson freshman said. “I didn’t know what Coach (Lawrence) Johnson was going to do to me, but I knew if I stopped, I was going to get in trouble. I just gave it my all and tried to finish it.”

Harrison ended up running a decent time, and her resiliency to finish the race meant a lot to her head coach.

“At first I was all over her,” Johnson said. “I was like, `Keni Harrison, you know better than that!’ Then I caught myself. I had to remind myself that this was her first collegiate 400-hurdle race. I said, `Dial it back Coach Johnson. Dial it back Johnson. Dial it back.’

“I had to tell her that it did not go good, but I tried to encourage her, and she has grown from that.”

Harrison grew into an ACC Champion in the 400-meter hurdles, and welcomed herself to the track world at the same time with an unforgettable overall performance. She finished second in the 100 hurdles that same afternoon, and then helped the 4×4 relay team conclude Clemson’s convincing sixth straight team championship with another gold medal.

“She has grown exponentially as an athlete, to be such a young freshman,” Johnson said. “She has been around a bunch of young hurdlers. She is a good kid, and she is one of those kids that always asks questions. She wants to learn. She wants to know how to do these things the right way.

“As a freshman, she has three more years here to try and be the best.”

And that’s what Harrison has focused on doing. With each race she has gotten better and better. During the indoor season, she qualified for the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships, setting the stage for her dominating performance at the ACC Outdoor Championships last month.

“Some races, I really don’t get out hard, but I finish strong,” Harrison said. “I think as the meets go on, especially the bigger meets, I think everything is going to click at the end and everything will turn out great.”

Harrison said she has been able to prosper this year because Johnson has been patient with her. Her coach said that is by design, because he knows she is still learning and isn’t as seasoned as some of his veteran athletes.

“I always remind myself that she is a youngster,” Johnson said. “She is going to get better over time and sometimes because she is maturing so fast, I forget she is a freshman and sometimes my expectations may be too big for her and her development right now.

“I think the more I learn about her and the more about what motivates her and what her strengths and weaknesses are, she is only going to get better.”

Harrison got better last Saturday at Clemson’s Bob PollockInvitational. She finished second in the 400-meter hurdles and also ran with 4×4 relay team. Saturday’s meet was just another day of training, as the hurdler tries to get better with the NCAA East Preliminary Round scheduled for May 24-26 in Jacksonville, FL.

“It has been a while since we have run, so we are focused on the intermediate hurdles today,” Johnson said. “We did run the short hurdles. We have done that all year. It has always been the short hurdles first. We have been looking at a lot of different things in practice, just tactical things.

“To see her come out on a tough day to run hurdles with it being hot and windy, she got some of those things done today.”

Hopefully, for Harrison, that work will land her in the NCAA Nationals in both events next month.

“Coach Johnson isn’t as aggressive with me as he is with the upperclassmen, and that has helped with my confidence,” Harrison said. “I’m just starting to understand everything and as the season goes on, he gets tougher and tougher, but he knows I can handle it more and more.

“I think at the end, I’m going to be where he needs me to be at.”

–Will Vandervort

Clemson tennis player Keri Wong receives her diploma just hours after she and the Tigers knocked off Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

ATHENS, GA — Though her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Arizona State’s Hannah James clinched Clemson’s 4-0 victory in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament Friday, Klara Vyskocilova was a little upset. She was upset because she had no idea her teammate, Josipa Bek, was one point from setting Clemson’s all-time record in total victories.

It wasn’t until after the match when Vyskocilova learned that Bek, who was head of ASU’s Michelle Brycki 40-30 with a 5-1 lead in the second set, needed a point to break Jody Trucks’ record of 223 career wins.

Bek, who also beat Brycki 6-4 in the first set, was not upset at all.

“We were going point for point there,” Bek said. “It was fun. But it was okay. It’s about winning the match and advancing. She finished and that’s a good thing.”

It was also a good thing that Bek at least tied Truck’s record thanks to she and teammate Keri Wong’s 8-6 doubles victory over Brycki and Joanna Smith of Arizona State. Truck held the record on her own for 28 years after setting the mark with 223 victories from 1980-84.

“That’s cool,” said Wong, who is third in school history with 220 overall wins. “Good for Jo. She deserves it. We haven’t had the kind of year we had hoped, but today we played as well as we have played in a long time.

“It was good to get that win for Jo and even better that we have moved on in the tournament.”

Bek’s victory was the icing on the cake for the senior, who graduated Friday, along with Wong and Nelly Ciolkowski, at 6:30 p.m. In one day, she helped her team win its 11th straight match in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, tie the all-time record for career victories and now graduate.

“It’s a good day,” Bek said with a smile. “It’s so weird to think about it. I’ll try to go celebrate, and enjoy today.”

Clemson head coach Nancy Harris says it has been a joy to watch Bek succeed, especially this year after she has fought back through some difficult adversity.

“I have to say that seeing Jo tie this record is one of the more special events in my whole life,” Harris said. “I cannot tell you how big that is to me. If she is not the greatest, she is one of the greatest players to have ever played at Clemson.

“She has come through a lot of adversity this year, and today she played unbelievable tennis. She played great tennis. She is doing all the things she wants to do with the ball. She was really exciting to watch. She is such a great player. She is very dangerous and I think she proved that today.”

After Friday’s Arizona State match, the three Tigers joined their families and made the 73-mile trek back to Clemson for graduation. When it was over, they all got back in the van and were back in Athens by 11 p.m.

“It makes for a long day, but it is all worth it,” Wong said.

Clemson guard T.J. Sapp is driven to become a better player in 2012-'13. Photo by Rex Brown

By Philip Sikes

CLEMSON —  Clemson’s five scholarship freshmen combined to average 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in an average of 56 total minutes per game. For the Tigers to show improvement in 2011-12, Head Coach Brad Brownellknows this group’s development is arguably the program’s biggest storyline in the offseason.

“They can’t just be good enough to play, they have to be good enough to help us win,” said the Clemson mentor, who recently completed his second season in charge of the men’s basketball program.  “There’s a big difference in just playing in a game, and being a big part of the reason that you win a game.  They have to come to work this offseason with the idea that they’ve going to be productive players.”

One of those players that Brownell was referring to was Florida native T.J. Sapp, who had as much of an up-and-down season as any of his five rookies.  Sapp played in all but one game, with nine starts, and averaged over 16 minutes per outing. He averaged 3.6 points per game and was third on the team with 24 three-point goals.

He was a key factor early in the season in several Tiger victories. He scored 11 points in the season opener against Gardner-Webb and followed with a seven-point, six-rebound outing at The Citadel.  In 22 minutes against Iowa in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Sapp made 5-of-9 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from three-point distance, for a total of 13 points as the Tigers earned a convincing road win.  After a nine-point effort at Hawaii, he responded on New Year’s Day with another 13-point performance, this time as Clemson rallied from a second half deficit to beat East Tennessee State.

Sapp believes the extra work required in college compared to high school probably played a factor down the stretch of the ACC regular season.

“There’s so much more to college ball,” he said.  “You’re going against the best of the best. You’re not used to it, so you’ve got to get your body used to it.  You have to make sure you’re doing whatever it takes on and off the court. It’s a long season, and your body tends to wear down.  You have to take care of yourself so your body doesn’t burn out, so you can compete to the best of your ability for the team.”

Sapp enrolled at 180 pounds and, according to Brownell, may have physically worn down over the course of the season.  The goal this offseason is for Sapp to increase his weight to 195 by the start of fall workouts, so that he will maintain a playing weight of at least 190 during the season.

“T.J. lost weight during the season, and it affected him,” Brownell said.  “He needs better leg strength, and he needs to add seven to 10 pounds.  If he does that, it will help his shooting, because he can be pretty good in that area for us.  He can make shots, especially when he’s in shape and not tired.”

Sapp, who is already up to 191 pounds, has spent nearly all his time during individual skill workouts the last two weeks trying to improve three things: shooting, ball-handling and finishing stronger at the rim.  He also has spent time trying to find ways to score coming off screens.

With the graduation of guards Tanner Smith and Andre Young, he has a strong sense of urgency to improve his point guard skills to help classmate Rod Halland incoming freshmen Adonis Filer and Jordan Roper share primary ball-handling duties.

“Ball-handling will be a big key for me this offseason,” Sapp said. “When I came in, I thought I’d play with the ball in my hand a little bit more.  My role will probably change a little bit next season, but I’m working hard and doing whatever it takes to prepare for next year.”

Clemson's Josipa Bek closes out a fairy tale career by setting the school record for career wins. Photo by Dawson Powers

By Will Vandervort

ATHENS, GA — Though her team lost 4-3 to No. 6 Georgia in the second round of the NCAA Tennis Tournament Saturday at the Dan Magil Tennis Complex in Athens, GA, Nancy Harris said watching Josipa Bek was like watching the final chapter of a fairy tale movie.

After falling behind 3-1 in the third and final set to Georgia’s Nadja Gilchrist at No. 2 singles, Bek rallied to win the final five games to take the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. The win allowed Bek, who fell one point shy in Friday’s win over Arizona State, to set Clemson’s all-time record for total victories at 224.

“The way Jo closed her final match, it’s like a fairy tale,” Harris said. “Her year was so challenging for her and to come in here and finish with the all-time wins (record), while putting us within reach of possibly winning the match and moving us on to the Sweet 16, that is something she always did for Clemson.

“She has always put us in position to win big things over her four years at Clemson. That’s the kind of player she is, and that is the kind of person she is. She was true to herself today.”

Bek isn’t one to boast about her accomplishments. She says she came to Clemson to help the Tigers win championships. Though she did not care about personal records, the senior owns a lot of them.

Besides her record for career wins, she also owns the record of most career three-set victories (32), most tiebreakers won (19), doubles victories (119), doubles wins in a season (40) and most double wins by a tandem in a one year (34). She also ranks in the top 10 all-time in five other categories.

The record she broke on Saturday was set in 1984 by Jody Trucks, who lettered at Clemson from 1980-’84.

“I did not really think about the record,” Bek said. “I did not expect for any of this to happen when I came to Clemson. I just tried to play. I just tried to play the best I could today and give us a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.”

The Tigers (16-10) nearly rallied to beat Georgia, who took a 3-0 lead after getting the doubles point and victories at flights one and two in the singles matches. But after Romi Kolzer defeated Lilly Kimbell 7-5, 7-5 in flight six, Bek rallied to win the third set. The senior was down a break, 3-1, in the final set, but broke back to tie the score at 3-3 and then took over the match with forehand winners and a couple of aces.

“That win for her was unbelievable,” Harris said. “I’m just so proud of her. I’m proud of the kind of person she is. She is the true meaning of a champion. A champion to me is not just a great tennis player, but it’s a person that embodies all those qualities. You know? Appreciation, grace, poise, spirit, fight, commitment and has a pure love for the game.

“She has all of those things.”

Bek’s career isn’t quite over at Clemson. She will join fellow senior and doubles teammate Keri Wong in the NCAA Doubles Tournament which will begin in Athens in two weeks. Last year, Bek and Wong teamed up to advance to the NCAA Finals.

“I will try to represent Clemson the best that I can for a few more matches with Keri in the individuals,” Bek said. “I wish I could go back and play singles, but representing Clemson in the doubles is going to be fun. I look forward to it.”

And Clemson does too.

“Nobody has accomplished what Jo has accomplished at Clemson,” Harris said. “She has set a whole new bar for us and has left us a strong legacy. She has shown what can be accomplished at Clemson, and hopefully she can accomplish a few more things.”

It is the first selection for Mills, who leads the team with a 70.96 stroke average this season, which is on pace to be the fourth-best figure in Clemson history.

Mills has 13 under-par rounds, including eight rounds in the 60s, helping the Tigers to an NCAA Tournament bid for the 31st consecutive year. Clemson begins tournament play May 17 in Bowling Green, Ky.

Mills won the US Public Links Championship last summer to qualify for the 2012 Masters.  He also played in the 2012 RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour.

Clemson third-basemen Richie Shaffer hit a walk off homerun in the 10th inning to give the Tigers the victory over Tennessee Tech at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — The bomb Richie Shaffer hit in the bottom of the 10th inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday might still be in the air.

The Clemson third baseman’s walk-off home run completed a wild comeback as the Tigers rallied from six runs down to beat Tennessee Tech, 9-8.

Clemson kept chipping away until it tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Joe Costigan and Steve Wilkerson scored on a wild pitch by the Golden Eagles’ Cullen Park. His pitch bounced in front of home plate and over catcher Ben Burgess’ head to the backstop. But the ball somehow got stuck between the wall and the netting behind home plate, allowing Costigan to score from third base and Wilkerson to come all the way home from second.

It was a wild way to tie the game, but Shaffer said at this point, when every game matters the most, the Tigers will take it.

“We know we do not have any more room for error,” the junior said. “We know we have to win these games. That is just the way it is. You have to find a way to do it, whether that is a wild pitch that scores two runs to tie the game up or something else.

“Any possible way you can get the job done, you have to find that way and make the ball bounce your way.”

The ball has bounced Clemson’s way a lot in the last few weeks. The Tigers, who might have lost a game like Tuesday’s a few months back, are now finding ways to scratch out victories.

Last Friday, they used a wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning to beat the College of Charleston. They scored three runs in the top of the ninth to win at Maryland on April 20 and got a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 12th on April 13 to beat N.C. State.

Clemson has won 14 of its last 19 games.

“We have been playing pretty good in the last month, overall,” Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said.

It did not start off well for the Tigers (29-20) on Tuesday. Tennessee Tech used five hits in the first inning to rough up starter Mike Kent, including a grand slam from Zephan Guyear to take a 5-0 lead.

Clemson rallied to cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the frame as Shaffer and Jon McGibbon both got RBI singles.

“The great thing was we grinded hard from the very beginning,” Leggett said. “It did not start well for us. It was not going too well all the way through the sixth inning when we got ourselves back in the game. So it was a grind from the very beginning.

“So I’m proud of the kids and how they held their composure and kept on working their way back in it.”

Tennessee Tech (19-28) answered the Tigers’ small rally with two runs in the top of third inning and then got a solo home run from Zach Stephens, his 17th of the season, in the fourth to make the score 8-2.

But Clemson slowly started chipping away, scoring one run in the bottom of the fourth and then getting an RBI single from Thomas Brittle, who extended his hitting streak to 22 games, in the sixth inning to pull within four runs.

That set things up for the bottom of the seventh, an inning which saw the Tigers get three hits, including a two-run hit by Costigan through the right side and then the wild pitch from Park, which allowed Costigan and Brittle to come home, tying the game at 8-8.

“I don’t think I have really seen anything like that before,” Shaffer said. “That’s a pretty rare sight.”

What happened in the bottom of the 10th inning was rare, too. Shaffer’s solo shot, which carried over the stadium, against the wind in left field, was Clemson’s first walk-off home run since 2009. It came on the first pitch from reliever Jacob McWhirter, who had just entered the game in relief of Park.

“I was trying to see something up, and put a good swing on it,” Shaffer said.

And he did.

The Tigers will take the next three days off before hosting top-ranked Florida State at Doug Kingsmore Stadium this weekend for a three-game series, which starts Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

—

Clemson 9, Tennessee Tech 8 (10 innings)

TT            502 100 000 0 — 8 17 2

CU            200 101 400 1 — 9 14 1

Pitching

WP — Haselden (3-1), 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

LP — McWhirter (0-4), 0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Hitting

TT — Abraham, 2-5, R; Stephens, 1-5, HR, 2 R; Burgess, 4-6, 2 R; Guyear, 4-5, GS HR; Hayes 2-4, RBI

CU — Wilkerson, 3-5, 2 R, RBI; Shaffer, 3-6, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R; McGibbon, 2-4, R, RBI; Costigan, 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI

Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer throws to first base during the Tigers’ 4-2 loss to College of Charleston, Monday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — No one is perfect, and that now includes Clemson’s record over the College of Charleston on the baseball diamond.

Thanks to three errors Monday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, the Cougars beat Clemson for the first time in 24 meetings with a 4-2 victory. The series dates back to 1899.

“We did not come with our ‘A’ game on defense,” Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said. “We gave up a needless run in the first and a couple of needless runs in the fourth inning. … We gave up some needless runs in a close ballgame, and that cannot happen.”

The College of Charleston scored what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the fourth when third baseman Brandon Glazer scored on a failed steal attempt by teammate Tyler Jackson. Earlier Glazer advanced to third base on a fielding error from Clemson second baseman Steve Wilkerson.

“They are a good ball club,” Leggett said. “They played well, and they played some really good defense today.”

The Cougars defense allowed pitcher Matt Pegler to earn his eighth win of the season, while Clemson starter Jonathan Meyer suffered his fourth loss. But the defeat can’t be blamed on the Tigers’ starter.

Two of College of Charleston’s runs were unearned, including its first in the top of the first inning, when right fielder Brad Felder misplayed the ball on a Daniel Aldrich double.

The bumble allowed Bradley Goodson to come all the way from first to give the College of Charleston a 1-0 lead.

“That is what is frustrating about this team,” Leggett said. “We were coming off what I think was one of our best efforts of the season, and then we came back today and we did not have the same approach for some reason.

“When we let up just a little bit, we are not the team we need to me.”

Clemson (28-20) rallied in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead when Wilkerson doubled to right centerfield with two outs, scoring Jason Stolz to tie the game. After Thomas Brittle drew a walk, the second of the inning thrown by Pegler, Richie Shaffer brought Wilkerson home with base hit to right field that just got over the outstretched arms of Gunnar Heidt at second base.

But the Tigers’ lead was short lived as Aldrich homered to right field to tie the score in the top of the fourth inning, and then Glazer, who reached with a two-out hit to right, later scored to give College of Charleston the lead for good.

The Tigers finished the game with six hits, with Wilkerson and Phil Pohl leading the way with two hits each. Brittle extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a base hit to right field in the bottom of the eighth, and Shaffer had the two-out, run-scoring single in the third to round out Clemson’s hitting.

“We got behind the eight-ball because of the errors early, and then we could never quite get things going,” Leggett said. “We were scrambling from behind the whole time, and we had to pitch with men on base to keep ourselves above water.

“We did not play a good enough ballgame to win today.”

The Cougars (32-15) added an insurance run in the sixth inning to avoid the three-game sweep. Despite the loss, Clemson won the three-game series 2-1, as the Tigers have now won five of their last six weekend series.

Also, despite injuries to weekend starter Kevin Brady and reliever Matt Campbell, Clemson’s pitching held up pretty well against a College of Charleston team that now has 50 home runs this season.

The Cougars, who had won 10 of their previous 12 games prior to the series, scored only 10 runs in the series. They were averaging 6.1 runs per game coming in.

“We pitched pretty well,” Leggett said. “They are a good offensive team. They have some threats in the lineup and some strong hitters. They are a good baseball team. There is a reason why they have won (32) ballgames so far.

“We played well in the first two games, but we did not play well enough to win today. They deserved to win today, and we didn’t.”

—

College of Charleston 4, Clemson 2

CoC            100 201 000 — 4 8 0

CU            002 000 000 — 2 6 3

Pitching

WP — Pegler (8-2), 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

LP — Meyer (2-4), 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

S — Owings (2), 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Hitting

CofC — Goodson, 2-5; Aldrich, 2-3, 2B, HR; Harding, 2-4, RBI

CU — Wilkerson, 2-4, 2B, RBI, R; Pohl, 2-4

Clemson's K.J. McDaniels made some big plays this past winter, but he knows he needs to be consistent next season if Clemson wants to return to the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Rex Brown

By Phil Sikes

CLEMSON — The final two games of Clemson’s men’s basketball season were pretty much a microcosm of the way it went in 2011-12 for freshman swingman K.J. McDaniels.

In 22 minutes at Florida State, he had 16 points, seven offensive rebounds, four steals, two blocked shots, and countless highlight-reel plays.  In seven minutes against Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament, he did not score a point or grab a rebound as Clemson’s season came to an abrupt end.

It’s that type of up-and-down performance from game to game that Head Coach Brad Brownelland his staff look to eliminate as the Tigers progress through individual skill workouts this spring and summer.

“Our freshman, now sophomores in our system, have all gotten their feet wet and gained some experience, but now they’ve got to become productive players,” said Brownell, who is able to spend two hours (three 40-minute sessions) per week instructing each player through workouts.

Productivity varied during McDaniels’ freshman season.  He scored double figures five times, more than any of his classmates.  He also failed to score in 10 games.

What McDaniels lacked in consistency, he was able to make up for with his athleticism.  He had 20 dunks, second-most on the Tiger team in 2011-12, despite playing just 10 minutes per game.  Forty-five percent of his made field goals came on dunks, by far the highest ratio on the team.

He made an impact on a number of games.  Against UTEP in the Diamond Head Classic, he played 21 minutes off the bench and hit two threes and a pair of dunks and finished with a team-high 13 points.  At Miami, he scored 11 points in just 17 minutes.  His biggest contribution may have come in the loss at Virginia Tech, where he earned the start and played 28 minutes.  He responded with a 14-point, five blocked shot performance.  His five blocks were a single-game high by any ACC freshman in 2011-12.

With performances such as those, McDaniels knows he won’t be able to use the element of surprise with his opponents.

“I’ll move higher on the scouting report (next season),” said McDaniels, who averaged 3.9 points per game last season.  “Hopefully, I can be a weapon for the team.”

For McDaniels to be a weapon, he’ll need to continue to show improvement in a number of areas.  For starters, Brownell has him working out four times a week with the team’s strength coach, Darric Honnold, to gain weight and improve his durability.

“I have to get a little bigger,” he said.  “At the beginning of last season I was 190 pounds, but I was closer to 200 by the end.  The goal is to get to at least 215 pounds.  It will be tough, but I’ll be able to do it.”

Brownell would also like to see the athletic McDaniels continue to develop his skills as a basketball player.  One of the things he has worked on this week in particular has been separating himself from defenders and creating an open shot off the dribble.

“He’s not always explosive in the half court, in terms of getting by defenders,” Brownell said.  “First-step quickness, both offensively and defensively, is a big part of what we will continue to address with him.”

The Tiger coach said he must also address some intangible areas of his game, such as playing through fatigue, and leadership.  McDaniels and his sophomore classmates must become more vocal if a young 2012-13 Clemson team is to reach its potential.

“I expect a lot of our class,” he said.  “We can take things we learned from the seniors, especially Tanner (Smith) and Andre (Young), and pass it on to the incoming freshmen.  Each of us can take initiative to be leaders.”

A great way to give your graduate a gift that will last for many years to come is to purchase an engraved brick in their name. This is a permanent way to celebrate and honor your high school or college graduate. Bricks can include any personalized message that you would like, and can be purchased for $250 for IPTAY members or $390 for non-members. Bricks can be placed at Memorial Stadium, Littlejohn Coliseum, Doug Kingsmore Stadium, or the Rock Norman Track & Field Complex. For more information or to order a brick, contact Julia Stump at stump@clemson.edu or 864-656-2608, or visit http://www.clemsontigers.com/iptay/bricks.htm.

For a high school graduate, purchasing a membership to the IPTAY Collegiate Club is a great gift. The club is open to all Clemson fans ages 18-22. They do not have to be attending Clemson University to join. As a member of the Collegiate Club, they will receive weekly Clemson emails, a Collegiate Club t-shirt, discounts at Clemson area businesses, and much more. The cost is $40 for one year, or $130 for a 4-year membership. For more information about the Collegiate Club, contact Julia Stump or visit http://www.clemsontigers.com/iptay/collegiate-club.html.

For a Clemson University graduate, you can give a membership to the IPTAY Young Alumni (YA) Program. The YA Program offers Clemson graduates a way to stay connected with their University at a discounted rate. The first year of the tiered program offers a 90% discount on the IPTAY donation and a 20% discount on all football and basketball season tickets. For more information on the YA Program, contact Lindsey Leonard at lsweval@clemson.edu or 864-656-2975, or visit http://www.clemsontigers.com/sports/iptay/spec-rel/020410aac.html.

Congratulations to your graduate and let us know if you would like more information about any of these great gift options! Go Tigers!

Male:    Jonathan Meyer

Sport:    Baseball

Year:      Junior

Major: Management

Hometown:  San Diego, CA

Favorite Professor:  James Wilson

Favorite Class:  ELE 301

Athletic Highlight:  Meyer pitched 9.0 scoreless innings over two relief appearances this past week.  He also allowed just five hits and two walks with four strikeouts while recording a 1-0 record and .172 opponents’ batting average.  He pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief in Clemson’s 3-2 win over Charleston Southern on Tuesday.  Then in the series-finale at Maryland on Saturday, he entered the game with the Tigers trailing 2-1 in the third inning and pitched the final 7.0 innings to earn the win in Clemson’s 7-2 victory.  He allowed just four hits, no runs, and no walks with two strikeouts, as he only threw 70 pitches (53 strikes).  On the season, he is 2-2 with one save, a 3.64 ERA, and 29 strikeouts against 10 walks in 42.0 innings pitched over 18 appearances (four starts).

Female:                  Bridgette Owens

Sport:    Women’s Track

Year:      Sophomore

Major: PRTM

Hometown:   Oak Park, Michigan

Favorite Professor:  Stephanie Southworth

Favorite Class:  SOC 201

Athletic Highlight:  At the ACC championships this weekend, Bridgette won the 100m Hurdles (her 1^st individual ACC title), ran the lead-off leg of the winning 4×100 relay, placed 4^th in the 200m dash and 6^th in the 100m dash. Owens’ hurdle time currently ranks her 3^rd in the NCAA.

Clemson's Spencer Kieboom, No. 22, high-fives teammate Phil Pohl in last week's game against Coastal Carolina. Kieboom was named ACC Player of the Week. Photo by Dawson Powers

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Clemson junior catcher Spencer Kieboom has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week.

Playing near his hometown of  Marietta, Ga., Kieboom went 10-for-15 (.667) with one homer, one double, seven  RBI, and four runs to lead the Tigers to a series win at Georgia Tech over the weekend.  He totaled at least two hits in all three games at Georgia Tech and  raised his batting average 47 points (.230 to .277) in the series. On Saturday, he went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, double, and a career-high five RBIs in  Clemson’s 13-7 win.  Then on Sunday, he went 5-for-5, as he totaled a career-high five hits and became the first Tiger to tally five hits in a game in 2012.

He also accumulated two RBIs and a run in the Tigers’ 11-8 win in the series-finale.  On the week, Kieboom was 11-for-20 (.550) with eight RBIs, while he also tallied at least one hit and one run in all four games.  On the season, he is hitting .277 with two homers, five doubles, 22 RBIs, 19 runs, and 17 strikeouts against only 10 walks in 41 games (39 starts).

Clemson offensive tackle Landon Walker signed with the Cincinnati Bengals Monday. Photo by Rex Brown

CLEMSON — Six members of Clemson’s 2011 ACC Championship team signed free agent contracts with NFL teams as of Monday afternoon. The following list is in addition to the four former Tigers who were drafted Friday and Saturday.

The list of signees includes linemen Landon Walker with the Cincinnati Bengals, Antoine McClain with the Baltimore Ravens, Rennie Moore with the Houston Texas and Kourtnei Brown with the San Francisco 49ers.

Punter Dawson Zimmerman has signed with the Atlanta Falcons and fullback Chad Diehl has signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Zimmerman finished his career sixth in school history in punting average, while Diehl played in 57 games, a school record.

Starting offensive tackle Philip Price also could sign with a team this week as well.

Walker played more snaps than any other Clemson player in history with over 3100 plays, while McClain was a three-year starter in the offensive line.

Moore did not start until this season, but had 10 tackles for loss, second on the team. Brown scored two touchdowns on returns in the win over North Carolina, a first for a Clemson lineman since the 1950s.

Hunter Harrington returns a back-hand winner in a match against Virginia Tech last month. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Men’s tennis coach Chuck McCuen made it a point this season to challenge his team with a rigorous schedule and numerous
individual challenges. While the Tigers fell short of reaching the NCAA Tournament, there were tangible signs that McCuen’s strategy helped to grow the program in important ways.

“We were at that point in the process of the team’s development that they had to start seeing those highly-ranked teams day in and day out in order to know what to aspire to,” he said. “I think we did a good job with that.”

Clemson finished seventh in the ACC this season, which is an improvement from the past few seasons. In addition, there were a number of 4-3
matches that did not go in the Tigers’ favor. The final match of the season, a close loss to Wake Forest, was one of those back-and-forth affairs.

In the aftermath, McCuen said his team did not even talk for 24 hours. The sting of defeat has begun to resonate throughout the program, and
McCuen knows what it will take for his team to avoid such an empty feeling in the future.

“It should be a huge motivator for them,” he said. “We have to work a little harder in the summer. We have to condition a little bit harder
and work on a few more skills. We’re a very good team who’s literally points away from being a top 25 program.”

Among the players who rose to the occasion this season was junior Yannick Maden, who was recently named to the All-ACC Team. McCuen says
that Maden’s impact on the program can certainly be measured in his on-the-court play, but the leadership he provided was also critical to the
team’s growth this season.

“Tons of credit go to him,” McCuen said. “He’s such a great player, both on and off the court. He was one of our co-captains, and he did such a great job in that role also.”

Although the Clemson men’s tennis program is not where the coaching staff and the student-athletes would like for it to be, there is a buzz around what is happening in Tigertown.

McCuen is encouraged by the way that more and more elite recruits have responded to his phone calls over the past couple of years, and he says that recent success enjoyed by individuals like Maden—as well as better results experienced by the collective unit—have only increased interest in the Tigers.

As the talent continues to stockpile for McCuen, the program continues to move forward. With a handful of players already committed to
sticking around for summer school and training on campus, the groundwork has been laid to continue the program’s ascent next season. McCuen hopes that the combination of talent and determination will ultimately result in bigger and better things for the Tigers.

“This team cares deeply about winning and losing and doing the right things and competing at the highest level,” he said. “They are going
to do all of the extra things to get to the next level.”

Brandon Thompson was the 93^rd pick of the entire draft, as he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round. Clemson’s three-year starter at defensive tackle was the first Tiger taken by the Bengals since Donald Broomfield in 1999.   Coty Sensabaugh was the 115^th pick of the draft by the Tennessee Titans, where he will join former Clemson teammate Jamie Harper. The native of Kingsport, TN is the first Clemson player drafted by a team in his home state since Chris Clemons was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2010.

•With four players drafted this year it marked the fourth consecutive year Clemson has had at least four players selected in the NFL draft.  This is the first time that has happened since the 1982-85 era and just the second time in history. Clemson has had 19 players drafted over the last four years, the most in a four-year period since the 1990-93 era when 20 were selected.  The Clemson record for a four-year period is 31 (1982-85).

•Only Alabama had more picks than Clemson among the first 115 players taken in the  2012 NFL draft.  The Crimson Tide had five, followed by Clemson, Stanford, LSU, Illinois, Oklahoma and Miami (FL)with four apiece.

•Since Dabo Swinney became Clemson’s head coach the Tigers have had 19 players drafted, as stated above the most in a four-year period since the 1990-93 era when there were 20.  Clemson and Miami have the most players drafted over the last four year with 19 apiece.  North Carolina is third with 18 and Virginia Tech is fourth with 12.

Clemson is the only ACC school to have at least four players drafted each of the last four years. Clemson had four drafted in the 2009 draft, five in 2010, six in 2011 and four this year.

•Clemson had three top 100 picks this year, the second straight year Clemson has had three top 100 picks, but just the second time since 1993.  Being a top 100 selection is a good sign for these three Tigers, as 53 of the last 56 Clemson players taken within the
first 100 picks of the draft have gone on to play in the NFL. One of the players who has not, is  Jarvis Jenkins a rookie last year with Washington who was injured in the preseason and has not had an opportunity to play yet.

Players Can Improve When They Get to College

•Two of Clemson’s four NFL draft picks were considered two-star players coming out of high school by various recruiting services.  Andre Branch, taken 38^th in the draft, and Coty Sensabaugh, taken 115^th, were both two-star players, while Brandon Thompson and Dwayne Allen were four-star players.

•Branch’s number-38 selection is the best by a former two-star player from Clemson.  Branch and Sensabaugh are the third and fourth two-star players out of high school to get drafted from Clemson since 2002 signee classes.  The others are Barry Richardson and Kavell Conner.  Richardson has been a starter in Kansas City and Conner led Indianapolis in tackles last year.

•Of the last 27 Clemson players to get drafted three were five-stars, 12 were four-stars, eight were three-stars and four were two-stars.

•Clemson had nine players ranked among the top 100 in the nation according to ESPN.com in 2008. Seven of the nine have completed their careers and Branch (a member of the 2007 recruiting class)  has been taken higher in the draft than all seven who have finished so far.   Branch was the 38^th pick of the 2012 draft, higher than former teammates Da’Quan Bowers (51^st pick), Dwayne Allen (64^th), Brandon Thompson (93^rd), and Jamie Harper (130^th). Others ranked in the top 100 of that 2008 recruiting class were Kyle Parker and Spencer Adams who have gone on to other sports.  (Parker was a first round pick in baseball, Adams an All-American on Clemson’s current track team).  Teammate Antoine McClain has signed a free agent contract.  Andre Ellington and Xavier Brewer are still in school.

•Clemson was one of four programs to produce two two-star players who were drafted within the first 115 players this year.  Boise State (with two first-rounders), Utah State and Louisiana Lafayette were the other schools with two two-star players who were drafted within the first 115 selections of this year’s draft.

•Rivals.com provided a list of star rankings for the 2012 NFL draftees. Four of the draftees  within the first 115 picks had no stars, 25
had just two stars, 36 had three stars, 41 had four stars and nine were five stars.  Only 12 of the top 50 players in the draft were ranked as top 100 players out of high school by Rivals.com.

Players Drafted by ACC Schools Last Four Years

     School                           2009          2010       2011       2012          Total

     Clemson                               4                 5              6              4               19

Miami (FL)                            1                 4              8              6               19

North Carolina                      5                 2              9              2               18

Virginia Tech                        1                 5              3              3               12

Florida State                         1                 3              3              4               11

Wake Forest                         4                 2              0              4               10

Georgia Tech                        4                 4              1              1               10

NC State                                 2                 2              1              5               10

Maryland                               5                 2              2              0                 9

Virginia                                  4                 1              1              1                 7

Boston College                      2                 1              1              1                 5

Duke                                      0                 0              0              0                 0

“Asthma is one of those things that I’ve got to continue to fight through,” he said.  “With the medications I’ve taken, it’s gotten a lot better.  I did breathing treatments all year long, and now I’m able to go through our workouts due to being mentally stronger.

“The most important thing for me is to continue my conditioning. I’ve gained strength and toned down by about five pounds working with Darric (Honnold).  The way Coach Brownell wants me to play, I can’t wear down.  That’s the biggest key.”

The way Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownellwants Sullivan to play is to use his versatility in his motion offense through effectively driving the ball from the high post and extending his shooting range.

“We’ll continue to work on Bernard’s understanding of the game,” Brownell said.  “He was so far behind last season that it took him a long time, into the second semester, to figure out what we were trying to do.  He’ll have a better understanding this spring and summer as we conduct individual workouts.  Then it boils down to increasing his shooting range, and having him become more of a factor on the perimeter.”

At 6-foot-7, Sullivan is often labeled “undersized” at the power forward position.  In front of him on the depth chart is rising senior Milton Jennings, who has two inches on the younger Sullivan.

Despite the height disadvantage, Sullivan showed flashes of his capabilities in the post this past season as he played in 28 of 31 games.  He played the fewest minutes of the freshman class, logging just 7.5 minutes per game.  But in ACC play, he shot 50 percent from the floor and had his best game of the season at Virginia Tech with seven points and four rebounds as he attempted to rally the Tigers in the final minutes from a double-digit deficit.

“Me playing the four spot, there are a lot of different things I can do,” said Sullivan, who received the team’s Strength Award at season’s end for consistent dedication in the weight room.  “It’s not just one thing.  I have to see what the defense is doing.”

One of the things he worked on during individual skill workouts in April was setting good screens and popping off of them to get into his shot quicker. The former four-star prospect out of Davidson Day School has range out to about 15 feet, and should be able increase his workload behind Jennings in 2012-13.

“Bernard is a pretty powerful player and jumper,” Brownell said. “He has good weight and good leg strength.  Because of his asthma, he wears out quicker and can’t catch his breath as quick as some of us. As he gets older and learns how to handle it, it will get better.”

Sullivan knows one of the keys to Clemson’s success in 2012-13 will be the improvement he and his classmates make from a conditioning and skill development standpoint.

“It’s not about playing, it’s about producing,” he said.  “I’m not spelling anyone anymore, it’s my job to come off the bench and produce.  That’s a huge step.  I have to do things to help the team win, so that will be a little bit of an adjustment.”

Based on the battle he’s had throughout his life to overcome a breathing problem, it’s an adjustment Sullivan will embrace with a positive attitude and work ethic that is second to none.

—Philip Sikes

With the May 7 deadline for season ticket and parking applications quickly approaching, the Clemson Athletic Ticket Office would like to remind all IPTAY members that applications have been mailed and are available online at www.clemsontigers.com. Those who order online can save on the order fee as well as be entered into the weekly drawings for a head coach Dabo Swinney autographed mini football, and entered into the grand prize drawing to meet Coach Swinney at a selected home football game.

The Season Ticket and Parking Assignment Process

Season ticket and parking applications are mailed to every IPTAY donor who has pledged and donated for the 2012 IPTAY year by February 15. The Clemson Athletic Ticket Office processes applications until the May 7 deadline. All requests for ticket and parking relocations and additions/drops are entered with each order. The best way to attempt to obtain seats in a particular area is to make the request on the season ticket application. Once the seat assignment process begins, changes are made based on availability at the priority of each IPTAY member requesting a change.

It is important to keep in mind that since the implementation of the 2008 IPTAY Seat Equity Plan, the majority of seats in Memorial Stadium have a minimum per seat IPTAY donation attached to them. A request for a seat change into an area of greater per seat donation can only be granted, if available, to those IPTAY members that qualify based on their current donation. There are two critical things to remember regarding seat allocations and the Seat Equity Plan; first, many IPTAY members contribute more than what the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan requires to maintain their seats, and second, the number of IPTAY members that qualify for what many consider better or superior seats greatly outnumber the supply of seats in those particular areas.

The season ticket assignment process begins in June following the June 15 IPTAY deadline. At this time, all IPTAY members who wish to remain in their current seats are reallocated as long as the current IPTAY donation matches or exceeds the seat equity value of the seats. Seat changes and additions are done based on IPTAY priority, that is, by giving level and priority points within each level from high to low, starting with the highest level and working downward. During this extensive process, every request is read and seat changes, as requested, are accommodated if the seats are available. Requests should be made prior to the May 7 deadline. It is critical to keep in mind that not every request can be accommodated. Every request is valued for the needs and expectations expressed and all are considered, however, the IPTAY and Athletic Ticket Offices have a system in place that makes the process as fair as possible.

The task of allocating and assigning season tickets is a comprehensive one that presents a common set of questions to be addressed. For example, many IPTAY members request to obtain particular seats that they know will come available. When seats come available, they must be reassigned based on the priority seating process and cannot simply be given to someone who knows they will be available. In addition, it is very rare that groups of seats greater than two open up, which is difficult for those that request groups of four, six, or eight seats together. Though the IPTAY and Athletic Ticket Office staff are glad to meet with members, face-to-face meetings will not provide an advantage in the seat assignment process. The priority assignment process is strictly adhered to in an effort to provide an equal opportunity for all IPTAY members to receive their requested location.

Parking assignments begin at the same time as season ticket assignments, after the June 15 IPTAY deadline. Parking is assigned in the same manner of priority, and assigned based on availability and the request at each priority level. Parking requests should be made prior to the May 7 deadline.

The season ticket and parking assignment process is usually complete by mid-July. The Clemson Athletic Ticket Office is unable to release any seat or parking locations until the process is totally complete.

Please contact the Clemson Athletic Ticket Office at cutixonline-L@clemson.edu or by calling 1-800-CLEMSON with any questions regarding season ticket applications.

Steve Wilkerson had three hits and two RBIs in the Tigers' 11-8 victory over Georgia Tech Sunday in Atlanta. Clemson won the series 2-1, its first series win in Atlanta since 1996. Photo by Dawson Powers

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Sometimes, even the best players have off days. That’s exactly what happened this weekend in Atlanta. But when that happens, it does not mean the best player has to be quiet.

Despite a three-game series that saw Clemson’s best hitter, Richie Shaffer, go 2-for-16, the Tigers rallied around him in taking two straight games to win its first series at Georgia Tech since 1996.

“As much as I try to do that and try to be consistent on and off the field, it is going to help the team out.”

Clemson (26-19, 14-10 ACC) did not need much help in Atlanta. The Tigers outscored Georgia Tech 29-21 in the three-game series to snap their seven-series losing streak at Russ Chandler Stadium. Clemson totaled 44 hits, including four doubles, a triple and five home runs in the three games.

Winning the series keeps Clemson in firm position to be a top-four seed in next month’s ACC Tournament, while also strengthening its
NCAA Tournament hopes. Currently, the Tigers sit in fourth place overall in the standings, third in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, with two conference series remaining – at home vs. Florida State, May 12-14, and then at Wake Forest, May 17-19.

Clemson has a half-game lead over Virginia for fourth place with Miami being a game and a half back of fourth.

“It’s crutch time right now,” Shaffer said. “We kind of dug ourselves into a hole, but it’s not to say we cannot dig ourselves out. I think we are kind of in the middle of the pack right now in the ACC so we have some work to do.”

Spencer Kieboom led the Tigers at the plate. Playing near his hometown of Marietta, GA, Kieboom finished the series 10-for-15 with a home
run, a double and seven RBIs. Brad Felder went 6-for-11 with a home run, double and six RBIs.

On Sunday, Kieboom went 5-for-5 with two RBIs in leading Clemson to an 11-8 victory. The Tigers overall had a season-high 18 hits on the
afternoon, including three hits and two RBIs from Steve Wilkerson. Jay Baum, Jon McGibbon and Felder each had two hits, while every Tiger starter had at least one hit.

After grabbing a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Clemson scored one run in the second and then five in the fourth inning to grab a 7-0
lead. After Georgia Tech rallied with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and then cut the lead to 7-6 with two runs in the sixth inning, the Tigers responded with two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to put the game away.

Clemson will take this week off for exams before hosting the College of Charleston for a weekend series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium beginning Saturday. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Clemson soccer coach Mike Noonan admits that this year’s spring season did not exactly go according to his best-laid plans. Photo by Tyler Smith

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Clemson soccer coach Mike Noonan admits that this year’s spring season did not exactly go according to his best-laid plans.
Injuries to some key players left him without a consistent starting lineup, but there was still plenty to be gleaned from the time spent on the pitch.

“After I’ve had some time to reflect on it, I think the cup is half-full,” Noonan said. “It gives us a little bit more depth and variety with some people that can play in multiple places to give us some cover.”

of the time, he is looking for such abstract improvement out of his team throughout the offseason.

“A lot of times, what you’re looking for is a willingness to compete, a willingness to fight, a willingness to work on areas of your game that might not be as comfortable for you,” Noonan said. “I think the guys responded well to that.”

One of the biggest goals for Noonan this spring was to eradicate the mentality that his team is good enough to simply show up at the stadium and intimidate opponents en route to victory. Noonan says successfully learning this lesson could help complete the program’s transformation back into a national contender, but he also knows that it is easier said than done to motivate a group to play a lesser opponent when ACC foes litter the slate.

“We can get up for big-name teams. We showed that last year,” Noonan said. “But your season generally hinges on the teams that are very good teams, but may not have the history and tradition in big conferences.”

Still, there were some physical tests for the shorthanded Tigers this spring. Noonan was glad that his team preferred to focus on honing
skill rather than getting sucked into a slugfest.

“We had a couple of matches where teams wanted a bar fight, and we gave them a soccer game,” he said. “I thought that when our guys did
that, it was really good.”

Noonan was also happy that his team was able to better bridge the communication gap that has plagued it, at times, over the past two
seasons.

“That was a huge issue throughout the whole spring,” he said. “Cody (Mizell) has to improve on that as the goalkeeper and a very significant member of the team, and the redshirt freshmen have to work on that.”

But perhaps the biggest change that began to take shape over the spring season was the establishment of an accountability system that is designed to take the Clemson program to the next level of achievement.

“It wasn’t okay to make a mistake and learn from it,” Noonan said. “If you make a mistake that you’ve been trained not to make, then you’re
going to be held accountable for it.”

Luckily for Noonan, in spite of the injuries and the personnel changes that forced him to take a different course of action this spring, each day has brought fewer and fewer of those mistakes—a positive sign heading into the 2012 campaign.

Rising senior Sandra Adeleye made strides toward enhancing her leadership credentials over the spring. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Every coach says that spring practice is incredibly important to the future of a particular program. But there are degrees of
importance placed on the offseason based on the makeup of the team going through drills and competition.

A team that loses a large group of seniors or awaits a large group of incoming freshmen views the offseason with a different perspective. But with a veteran group coming back next season, Clemson volleyball coach Jolene Hoover had a clear objective when her squad took the court this spring.

The Tigers’ win-first mentality is slightly different than the mindset that they have taken into the past few offseasons, when injury, attrition, graduation, and mass recruiting made lasting group advancement nearly impossible until the full squad came together each fall. But now things
have changed, increasing the expectation level for the Tigers heading into the summer break.

“When you’re labeled ‘young’, sometimes the players have to break through that label and put some more on their shoulders,” Hoover said.
“Hopefully we were able to do that this spring in those couple of situations where we were successful.”

The Tigers went undefeated in the spring, notching victories over Furman, Georgia, and South Carolina. The team was able to come from behind
numerous times during each match, and two of the three matches—against the Bulldogs and the Gamecocks—were five-set thrillers. Hoover says that the difficult victories signify a toughness that her team will need when it re-convenes in August.

One of many bright spots for the Tigers, according to Hoover, was the improved play of freshman Karis Watson. The rising sophomore from Rock Hill played in only seven matches last season, but Hoover believes that she is now prepared to become a major contributor in a deep rotation up
front for the Tigers.

“I think she improved quite a bit,” Hoover said. “That was probably the person who saw the most gains. A lot of times, you see that with freshmen. The freshman spring is really big for them.”

Another one of the gains Hoover saw over the spring season came in the area of leadership development. She specifically referenced rising
senior Sandra Adeleye and rising junior Mo Simmons, both of whom made strides toward enhancing their leadership credentials over the spring. The pool of candidates for captaincy is large and vast with so many multi-year veterans coming back, so the summer months could tell a great deal about who will fill those crucial roles next season.

“Once they take ownership in their team instead of me pushing them, then it’s kind of like intrinsic motivation,” Hoover said. “They want to do it for themselves, for their team, for each other, for their goals. That’s more powerful than if it’s my goals.”

Maddy Elder, a prolific scorer for much of her career, saw more action in the trenches during the spring, and the reviews were glowing. Photo by Kenny Fey

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — The Clemson women’s soccer program is beginning to take on the persona of Head Coach Eddie Radwanski.

An attacking player throughout his career, Radwanski has made his mark in the coaching profession as an advocate for strong defense. The veteran head coach, now preparing for his second season at the helm of the Tigers, feels that his team made quality progress over the spring season by looking inward for ways to improve.

Radwanski hopes his team has reached that goal, at least, after facing a rigorous spring schedule designed to test his team’s moxie. Overall, the coach was pleased with what he saw, particularly in the face of some tweaks designed to best maximize the talent on the roster next season.

“We changed a few things tactically,” Radwanski said. “To the group’s credit, we made really good strides with it. We had a number of pretty good performances.”

Perhaps a turning point for the Tigers came at the end of the spring against defending SEC Champion Auburn. It went beyond Clemson’s 4-0 victory; in fact, more than simply appreciating the outcome, Radwanski was most proud of what his team demonstrated to him that it had learned throughout the match.

“The whole spring came together during that match because the overall defending, from the goalkeeping all the way up to the front line, was united,” he said. “I think it was one of those light bulb moments that went off for a number of players.”

Radwanski highlighted a number of tangible areas of improvement in his team over the spring. He mentioned the play of the forwards as a collective group as an area where he saw good things. The improvement at the point of attack has allowed Radwanski to expand the role of Maddy Elder. A prolific scorer for much of her career, Elder saw more action in the trenches during the spring, and the reviews were glowing.

“She did a lot of the dirty work, which I didn’t know that she would want to do,” Radwanski said. “But she committed to do it, and she really helped the team.”

Still, it comes down to defense. As Radwanski focuses on building his kind of team—one player at a time—he knows that improvement will ultimately come when the Tigers commit to defending first, which will open up opportunities all over the field.

“We will evolve into a team that will defend well together as an 11, and we will attack as well,” Radwanski said. “When you get your teams to those levels, that’s when you become dangerous.”

When Radwanski looks at his 2012 team, a mixture of improved returners and talented newcomers, he will see a squad that he feels is better equipped to achieve success in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He also knows that the Tigers know a little more about how to do it his way.

Clemson defenisve tackle Brandon Thompson tackles Virginia Tech running back David Wilson last October. Thompson was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Bengals Friday night. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Brandon Thompson will trade his orange and purple Clemson colors for orange and black in the NFL after the Cincinnati Bengals
drafted the former Clemson defensive tackle in the third round Friday night with the 93^rd overall pick.

Thompson was the third of four Clemson players to be drafted over the weekend in the 2012 NFL Draft. Defensive end Andre Branch went No. 38 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while tight end Dwayne Allen was selected with the 63^rd pick Friday night by the Indianapolis Colts.

Defensive back Coty Sensabaugh was take in the fourth round on Saturday with No. 115 pick by the Tennessee Titans.

As for Thompson, the Bengals were excited to see him sitting there at No. 93 as he will help sure up a defensive front that struggled to stop
traditional running teams, in particular AFC North rival Baltimore.

“He (Thompson) is more of our ‘tilt-tackle’ type, and a guy that will be more of an inside player,” Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis said. “He’s a solid and strong — strong as an ox. So he really will help us on run downs and give us some more depth in there with Domata (Peko).

“We’re excited about him and what he’ll bring to the table.”

The Bengals, who finished third in the AFC North to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, were impressed with Thompson’s strength when they saw him at the NFL Combine last February.

“When you’re talking about Brandon Thompson, you’re talking about a guy that did 36 benches at the combine,” defensive line coach John
Hayes said. “This is a strong, strong guy and has a good understanding of playing the run game and can push the pocket.

“He’ll add to the room and is the type of guy that is very bright and will be able to catch on to what we’re doing.”

Thompson, Branch and Allen were taken within the first 100 selections of the NFL draft, the second straight year Clemson has had three top 100 picks, but just the second time since 1993. Being a top 100 selection is a good sign for these three Tigers, as 53 of the last 56 Clemson players taken within the first 100 picks of the draft have gone on to play in the NFL.

One of the players who have not – former defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins, a rookie last year with Washington, who was injured in the preseason
and has not had an opportunity to play yet.

Thompson, who was a second-team All-ACC performer at defensive tackle, is the first Clemson player taken by the Bengals since 1999 when Donald Broomfield was taken in the seventh round.

With the selection of Branch and Thompson, Clemson’s 2010 defense, which ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total defense, has had six players drafted.

Coty Sensabaugh became the Tigers best shutdown corner last season in his only season as a starter. Senesabugh was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Though Kingsport, TN is a long ways from Nashville, being picked in the fourth round of Saturday’s 2012 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, gave former Clemson cornerback Coty Sensabaugh a sense of being back home.

“It was great news because I’m from Tennessee. It’s just a blessing,” said the Kingsport native. “I’m just happy to be able to participate in the NFL Draft, but being drafted and staying local—I don’t even know what to say. Words can’t even describe it.

“I don’t know what to say.”

The Titans choose Sensabaugh with the No. 115 pick in the draft, filling a need in the secondary the squad needed to address. By being picked by
Tennessee, Sensabaugh will be reunited with former Clemson teammate Jamie Harper, who the Titans chose in the third round of last year’s draft.

“The kid is extremely bright,” Tennessee secondary coach Brett Maxie said. “Clemson does a lot of things defensively in terms of adjustments. In
talking to him at the combine, he did an outstanding job of telling us exactly what they did from a schematic standpoint.”

It also did not hurt that Sensabaugh showed in his one season as a starter he could be a shutdown corner. The 5-foot-11, 189-pound defensive back always drew the toughest assignment in the secondary in 2011, and held former South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery, who was drafted by Chicago in the second round, to one catch.

“You don’t have to worry about putting him in one spot,” Tennessee head coach Mike Munchak said. “The fact that he is such a smart football
player, you are not as worried about moving the guy around because he can handle it.

“He has already done it and been a good football player in a good system. That excites us about getting a guy right now in the fourth that can
come in and help us in that way on defense. I know these guys are excited about getting with him. We all felt good that he is the one to jump on, and there he was. We feel that we got a really good football player.”

They also got a fast one. Sensabaugh ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds. Even with that though, Sensabaugh says his knowledge of the game as
his best attribute, and Munchak said that will allow the Titans multiple options on defense.

Sensabaugh spent the first three years at Clemson backing up players like Marcus Gilchrist and Byron Maxwell, both of whom are in the NFL.
He primarily was used as a nickel back in those seasons, but last year he played on the outside and showed his smarts, while becoming the kind of corner the Tigers could rely on.

He finished last season with 13 passes broken up, a key interception in Clemson’s victory over Auburn and recorded 40 tackles.

“The first three years, he was primarily their inside guy at nickel,” Maxie said. “This past season, he was a full-time outside defender. He was very valuable to that program, in terms of a guy who was very bright, who could play inside and outside. They had so many great players to
play outside, and he was a great one, they had to find a way to get him on the field quickly.”

Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen was drafted No. 63 overall in Friday's third round of the NFL Draft. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — When he got the telephone call just before the Indianapolis Colts were to make their 64^th pick as part of Friday night’s 2012 NFL Draft, Dwayne Allen was a little surprised. The Colts had already chosen former Stanford tight end Coby Fleener in the second round, so needing another tight end seemed a little crazy at first. Then the former Clemson All-American had his conversation with Indianapolis Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians.

“I was very surprised, but after talking to the coaching staff and the offensive coordinator, not surprised at all because the offense calls for two tight ends that are dynamic and can do different things,” Allen said. “I’m just happy to be a Colt. … I’m just excited about (the chance) to be a part of a foundation of rebuilding a team.”

Allen is sort of used to rebuilding. He was part of a Clemson team that won the school its first ACC Championship in football in 20 years, this after the Tigers were 6-7 the year before. Allen also rebuilt himself during his time at Clemson. After some early struggles with playing time, which caused a few spats with the coaching staff, he rededicated himself in becoming a better player and teammate. The result was one Clemson record after another, while winning the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end. Mackey, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was a former Colt player, who helped the then Baltimore Colts win Super Bowl V over the Dallas Cowboys.

Now with Fleener and former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (the first overall pick of the draft) Allen will have the opportunity to live out a dream he has had ever since he started playing football in the ninth grade.

“(Luck) has been touted as the top quarterback in the draft and in all of college football, so I’m ecstatic to catch passes from him,” Allen said. “I’ve been able to watch some of his games and see how much he loves the tight end, so hopefully that love transitions to the NFL game.

Allen hauled in 93 passes to tie the Clemson reception record by a tight end in his three years playing. He was able to do so while starting 33 of 41 contests, including 27 straight.

“I’m a complete tight end, a guy who can not only help out in the run game, but stretch the field on a consistent basis,” he said. “I’m a guy
who’s been proven to move the chains on third-and- short, third-and-long and a guy who’s just a leader, a tight end who is a great leader and going forward with such a young team.

“Hopefully I can get in, work my tail off and become one of those leaders.”

This past season, Allen became the 11^th recipient of the John Mackey Award which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding tight end. He had 50 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns in 2011, the third straight season he increased his reception and yardage totals.

This past winter, Allen joined a list of prominent Mackey Award winners. D.J. Williams of Arkansas won the award in 2010, and successful
predecessors who gained the honor and have gone on to NFL success include Aaron Hernandez, Fred Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Heath Miller, Kellen Winslow and Daniel Graham.

Former Colts’ tight end Dallas Clark is another past winner of the award. He won the honor in 2002 after his senior season at Iowa, the third year the award was given. He was the top draft pick by Indianapolis in 2003. Clark set the club positional records in receptions and touchdowns, while his yards ranked second to Mackey’s Colts record (5,126) for tight ends.

Mackey joined the Colts in 1963 as a second-round pick and played with the club through 1971. He had 320 receptions with the Colts for 38
scores. Mackey passed away on July 6, 2011.

“It was a tremendous honor,” said Allen. “Being named the nation’s top tight end was definitely one of my goals that I wrote down before
the season, but the funny thing about my goals is I don’t write my goals down until I get done putting in the body of work in the weight room, conditioning and route running before the season. Whenever that is done, I write down my goals and I put John Mackey on there and I was happy to win it.”

Allen will join former teammate Kavell Conner on the Colts team this coming year. Conner, a seventh round pick in 2010, led the Colts in tackles last year.

—The Indianapolis Colts contributed to this story

Clemson defenisve end Andre Branch celebrates a sack against Auburn last September. Branch was selected as the No. 38 pick Friday night in the 2012 NFL Draft. Photo by Rex Brown

CLEMSON — Andre Branch does not feel like he can be blocked, and at times last year he proved that.

The former Clemson star ended his college career with 10.5 sacks in 2011 to lead the ACC, while helping the Tigers win their first ACC Championship since 1991.

“I feel like I can’t be blocked one-on-one,” Branch said to Jacksonville.com Saturday. “I know (the Jacksonville Jaguars) have a great defense and they needed a pass-rusher. I’m going to be that pass-rusher.”

That’s why Jacksonville went out and got him. The Jaguars took the former Clemson defensive end with the 38^th pick in Friday’s second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Besides his 10.5 sacks, Branch finished the 2011 season second on the Clemson team with 89 tackles, while also getting 17 quarterback pressures.

“He’s a player that we had a consensus on out of the ACC,” Jaguars director of player personnel Terry McDonough said. “Double-digit sack guy, he fits what we do schematically. We’re a 4-3 defense. We have a need at right end. It’s no secret we have a need for someone who can rush the passer.”

The Jaguars have only one proven player at defensive end returning this season so Branch will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact at right end this season.  A lot will depend on how well injured pass-rushers Aaron Kampman, John Chick and Austen Lane recover from injuries that ended their 2011 season.

Branch will have a chance to work his way into the rotation because Jacksonville is desperate to fix a pass rush that has been in the bottom quarter of the league for the last four years. Branch isn’t expected to start right away, but the Jaguars are counting on him to eventually be an impact player at a position that needs a significant upgrade.

“From what I watched, he had a great motor and was relentless,” Jacksonville defensive line coach Joe Cullen said. “He could hurt tacklers with speed and had the ability to drop his shoulder and get to the quarterback.

“A guy like Jason Pierre-Paul is more powerful, but (Branch) has a chance to get stronger and grow. He’s a guy that’s not going to back down from anybody.”

Branch is the first former Tiger drafted by the Jaguars, who have been in the NFL since 1995. He is also the first Clemson player taken with the 38^th pick of the draft since Levon Kirkland was the 38^th pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers on April 26, 1992.

One big change to parking for the 2012 season is the reopening of Lot 22 behind Lee Hall.  Now that this project has been completed, IPTAY will once again assign close to 200 AREA parking spaces in this paved lot to donors giving at least $700 and ordering a minimum of 2 season tickets.

IPTAY football donor parking is assigned and evaluated each year to fairly align each donor’s current giving level and priority points with their parking location.  As an IPTAY donor at the $350 level and above (and at least 2 season tickets) you are assigned a parking space to use when you come to a football game.  You are grouped together with other donors at your 2012 giving level and ranked according to your priority point total.  Each year we start with the donors at our highest level and work our way down to the newest donors at the $350 level with the fewest points to make each parking assignment.  The chart below will hopefully give you a good estimation of where you can expect to be assigned.  If you would like to upgrade your IPTAY giving level to help secure a better parking space this Fall please call our office at 1-800-CLEMSON and we will be glad to discuss your options.

Questions to consider when requesting parking:

1)      Numbered of area parking?  You must contribute at least $1400 to be eligible for numbered parking.

2)      Can I park with friends/relatives?  We will try and accommodate all groups requesting to park together; keeping in mind that you will be assigned by the donor in your group with the lowest level and priority point total.

3)      Can I purchase additional parking passes from IPTAY?  There are 2 ways to be assigned additional passes: 1) increase your IPTAY level and/or 2) order more than 6 season tickets.

4)      I am giving at the same level as 2011; am I guaranteed to keep my space? We try and keep everyone that has maintained their level in the same space/lot. However, if demand increases and donors have increased their giving then reassignments are possible.

Click here to see the 2012 IPTAY Parking Map

ESPN is holding a nationwide vote to let fans decide the winning campus.  The winning school will be featured in a College GameDay ad that will run on the ESPN family of networks this fall.

Voting is open to all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools across the country.  The school that gets the most votes wins, so we have to make sure that school is Clemson!

Voting begins tomorrow, May 1, 12:00 PM ET.  The voting will last for 10 days and will end on May 10, at 11:59 PM ET. Individuals can vote once a day every day, so be sure and set your reminders and spread the word to bring College GameDay to Clemson!

Fans can vote at the following sites GameDayVote.com, m.GameDayVote.com on mobile devices, as well as on their facebook page at facebook.com/collegegameday

IPTAY YA Application

Sarah Egan, a sophomore on the rowing team, lead the program this year at Central Elementary School. Egan found student-athletes every week to go read to children in fourth and fifth grade classes at Central Elementary. Throughout the year, there were about six student-athletes who regularly helped out and developed relationships with these classes. According to Egan, “the kids were all very excited every time a reader came in, and even asked if we were doing T.I.G.E.R! Read with them again next year!” Because of the relationship Clemson Athletics developed with Central Elementary, Central Elementary was the beneficiary of the ACC Connections partnership. All of the books for the program were donated to the classes from the Atlantic Coast Conference.  Central Elementary Principal, Idasa Cobb, and reading specialist, Deegie McGill were honored at the ACC Rowing Championships last Saturday, April 21, 2012.

Next year Egan will continue to lead the program, but will be working with students at Blue Ridge Elementary School. “I enjoyed being a part of T.I.G.E.R! Read this year, and can’t wait to make the program event better next year!” said Egan. As with all of the Be a T.I.G.E.R! components, the student-athletes are always thinking of new and creative ways to relate to the children. Each year we are able to accomplish bigger and better things.