DURHAM, N.C. \u2014 It would have been easy for Clemson to call it quits on May 12 when they fell behind Furman 10-0 through two innings at Greenville\u2019s Fluor Field.
\nThe Tigers were supposedly on their last leg. The season was over and a loss to the Paladins would have been it. There was no way Clemson was making the NCAA Tournament if it lost that game. But Chris Okey hit a three-run home run and the Tigers scored in each of the last seven innings in route to a 23-15 victory.
\n\u201cYou can look at it that we are down 10-0 in the second inning to Furman or you can look at it as this is an awesome opportunity to come back and maybe turn our season around and that\u2019s exactly what we did,\u201d second baseman Tyler Krieger said.
\nThe Tigers (32-26) followed the Furman win with a three-game sweep at No. 8 Florida State last week and then beat third-ranked Louisville, 7-2, in the ACC Tournament on Thursday. Clemson smacked Louisville ace, Kyle Funkhouser, for seven runs on 10 hits, while starter Zack Erwin dominated the Cardinals in eight innings of work, which included a season-high 11 strikeouts.
\n\u201cWe are honestly having fun playing baseball. Our talent is coming out,\u201d Krieger said. \u201cWe are letting instincts take over. We are just going to ride this thing out.\u201d
\nThe Tigers ride is likely to continue in an NCAA Regional next week thanks to Thursday\u2019s win. But they will like to keep things going with another win over North Carolina on Friday.
\nSince falling to 24-24 after a loss to Wofford on May 5, Clemson has won 8 of its last 10 games. Inside those 10 wins, the Tigers have beat 18th-ranked College of Charleston, No. 8 Florida State three times and No. 3 Louisville.
\nFollowing Wednesday\u2019s loss to Florida State, again no one gave them a chance to beat ACC Regular Season Champion Louisville. But once again, the Tigers were not about to pack it in.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for a long period of time and the Clemson baseball program I know always plays tough, always plays hard,\u201d Leggett said. \u201cWe sometimes play better with our back against the wall and when we\u2019ve got something to prove, a little chip on our shoulder.
\n\u201cI\u2019m proud of our kids. I\u2019ve always felt very confident in what we\u2019re capable of doing and what kind of team we have, but we\u2019ll always play tough and we\u2019ll always come to play and that\u2019s something I have always been proud of over the years.\u201d
\nAnd Leggett is proud of this year\u2019s team, who could have easily given up in the Furman game. But like they have all year, they battled back and are in position to extend the season even longer.
\n\u201cThis team is not going to pack it in,\u201d Krieger said. \u201cWe are never going to pack it in. Every time we have a chance to play baseball it is an awesome opportunity to put this jersey on and represent a great school and program, the history and past players. I don\u2019t know how you can pack it in because this is Clemson University and we play at a high level.
\n\u201cYou can say (the Furman game) is the turning point in our season, but I\u2019m happy with the way we have all come together here. I love my teammates and I\u2019m excited to see where we go.\u201d<\/p>\n