Maybe it\u2019s a good sign. Maybe it is just coincidence. Either way, Clemson should feel right at home when it takes to the field in Friday\u2019s NCAA (Fullerton) Regional at Goodwin Field.
\nWhy?
\nThe Tigers will be playing in Orange County \u2013 Orange County, California that is.
\n\u201cIt will be cool,\u201d Clemson second baseman Tyler Krieger said.
\nIt\u2019s also a homecoming of sorts for Krieger who lived in Orange County before moving to Johns Creek, Georgia in high school.
\n\u201cIt will be fun to see some family, but a different feel for these guys,\u201d Krieger said. \u201cA lot of people (on the team) have not been out west and I\u2019m really excited about the opportunity we have in front of us. It is going to be a fun tournament.\u201d
\nIt should be a fun tournament, especially considering it is filled three of the bigger names in college baseball history. It\u2019s almost like a mini-College World Series.
\nCal State Fullerton has made 16 CWS appearances over the years, while Arizona State has been to 22. Clemson has been to 12 overall. All three rank in the top 11 all-time in CWS appearances.
\nThe Tigers, the three-seed in the Fullerton Regional, will play No. 2 seed Arizona State on Friday at 6 p.m. eastern standard time.
\n\u201cThere is great history in this regional with some of these teams. We are going out west which is something different,\u201d Krieger said. \u201cIt is something a lot of guys on this team have not done so that is a cool opportunity for a lot of our guys.
\n\u201cAnytime you get an opportunity, no matter where you go and who you play in the tournament, it is going to be a good team. You just have to be up to the challenge and I think we will be.\u201d
\nWhen the Tigers (32-27) take on Arizona State, it will mark the first time in a while they are not making an uphill climb. Since mid-season, when Clemson struggled to a 14-14 start, it seems like they have been playing for their tournament lives every week.
\n\u201cIt is a clean slate. Everybody is on an even playing field,\u201d Krieger said. \u201cEverybody has the same opportunity and we are hot at the same time. We like our chances. We just have to play with some poise and have some guys click and step up for us.\u201d
\nClemson enters the NCAA Tournament playing as well as anyone. It has won eight of its last 11 games, which includes victories over No. 3 overall seed Louisville and ACC Tournament Champion Florida State.
\n\u201cIt was an exciting time for our team to see (our name) on the bracket,\u201d Clemson head coach Jack Leggett said. \u201cYou can tell they were excited about getting another opportunity to play. They deserve it. I\u2019m very proud to be their coach. They have worked hard for Clemson. They worked hard for this baseball program and they have worked hard for each other.
\n\u201cWe have had our backs up against the wall a lot through the course of the season, but we have come out fighting every time and it is something we will always do. I\u2019m proud of how hard they have worked and how they finished at the end.\u201d
\nAnd now they get to see if they can keep it going in Orange County.
\n\u201cThis is Clemson University and it is our expectation every year to make the tournament and then make a run in the tournament. People come to school for this opportunity. You don\u2019t act surprised when you have an opportunity like this because this is what you work for at the beginning of the year.
\n\u201cWe worked this spring and we learned from our ups and downs to get us to this point and we just have to continue to progress.\u201d<\/p>\n