DURHAM, N.C. \u2014 The only things Clemson\u2019s baseball team is guaranteed right now are two games in the 2015 ACC Baseball Tournament.
\nTo make it possibly three more, including Sunday\u2019s ACC Championship game, the Tigers need to beat third-ranked Louisville at 3 p.m. on Thursday and then North Carolina on Friday. Lose anyone of them and the ACC Championship Game isn\u2019t the only thing they are going to miss.
\nClemson could also miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 and for just the second time since 1987 with a defeat. Coming into the tournament, Baseball American and DIBaseball.com had the Tigers as one of the last five teams to make the field. A couple of wins in the ACC Tournament they said will guarantee the Tigers a spot in the Big Dance. Two or three losses and the season is more than likely over.
\nIn other words, it\u2019s do-or-die time for Clemson.
\n\u201cWe have a lot to play for. We will be ready to play tomorrow,\u201d Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said following Wednesday\u2019s 3-1 loss to Florida State. \u201cIt is an important ballgame for us playing against the No. 1 seed in our conference, whose had a great year. There should not be any reason why we should not be ready to play for sure.\u201d
\nThere is one reason, Louisville\u2019s ace Kyle Funkhouser. The first-team All-ACC pitcher posted a 7-4 record with a 2.99 ERA in the regular season. He is expected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft.
\n\u201cIt is all about understanding the challenge,\u201d Clemson right fielder Steven Duggar said. \u201cWe are going to see Funkhouser tomorrow night and we all understand what kind of pitcher that guy is so we have to get a good night sleep and come out ready to play tomorrow.\u201d
\nFunkhouser will be playing for something, too. Clemson embarrassed the Cardinals ace\u2019 in Clemson on May 2 as they roughed him up for five runs off seven hits in a 9-1 victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Funkhouser did not have his best day and went just six innings and struck out just two batters.
\nThe Tigers (31-26) are coming off their worst performance at the plate since being shut out by Georgia on April 21. Since then they have scored at least two runs in every game before Wednesday and nine times have scored seven runs or more.
\n\u201cWe still have been playing well. We were just a step short today and you have to give (FSU) credit,\u201d Leggett said. \u201cI thought they pitched very well today and did a really good job. They did not make very many mistakes. The mistake they did make, we had an opportunity to take advantage of it but we didn\u2019t.\u201d
\nClemson will have to take advantage of every opportunity against the Cardinals, especially if they want to keep playing past the ACC Tournament.<\/p>\n