FULLERTON, Calif. \u2014 Clemson may have been the last team selected into the field of 64 for this week\u2019s NCAA Baseball Tournament, but it doesn\u2019t mean the Tigers are happy just to be in it.
\nClemson head coach Jack Leggett says the Tigers did not travel nearly 2,000 miles to lose the Fullerton Regional.
\n\u201cWe are not out here to just take a trip. We are out here to win,\u201d Leggett said to TCI following Thursday\u2019s practice at Goodwin Field at Cal State Fullerton. \u201cI think everyone has the same frame of mind. The players are out here to prove we have a really good program. I think we will be one of those teams that will be tough to beat.\u201d
\nClemson (32-27) will open up the Fullerton Regional against Arizona State at 6 p.m. (EST) on Friday. Like the Tigers, ASU comes to California looking to win the regional as well. Head coach Tracy Smith even went so far to say the Sun Devils were going to win the whole (NCAA Tournament) on social media when the selections were announced on Monday.
\n\u201cWe are excited about being here. It is a long way away from home, but at the same time, the kids are excited about seeing a new venue,\u201d Leggett said.
\nArizona State (34-21) is the second seed in the regional, while host Cal State Fullerton (34-22) is the No. 1 seed. Pepperdine (30-27) is the No. 4 seed and will play the Titans in Game 2 at 10 p.m. (EST) on Friday. Clemson, ASU, Cal-State Fullerton and Pepperdine have combined for 143 NCAA Tournament appearances, the most of any regional.
\nBesides Clemson, the other three teams in the regional have all won a national championship.
\n\u201cThere are good teams here in this tournament when you talk about Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton and Pepperdine,\u201d Leggett said. \u201cThey are all playing well right now and they all have strong programs.
\n\u201cOur kids are ready for the challenge. They are excited about being out here and they are excited about trying to play their best baseball of the year right now.\u201d
\nThe Tigers enter the tournament as winners in eight of their last 11 games, which include victories over No. 3 overall seed Louisville and ACC Tournament Champion Florida State. Clemson actually went to Tallahassee and swept the Seminoles to end the regular season.
\nThough the Tigers are nearly 2,000 miles away from Doug Kingsmore Stadium, they actually welcome the long road trip, and why not. Clemson is 17-13 away from home this year.
\n\u201cWe are all focused,\u201d Clemson second baseman Tyler Krieger said. \u201cWe all understand what\u2019s at stake out here. This is tournament time. Good players start rising to the top this time of the year and we need some guys to step up. We all know who they are and we expect to play our best baseball.
\n\u201cThis is a great opportunity for us and we look forward to it.\u201d
\nAnd like Leggett says, they are here to win it.
\n\u201cThere are a lot of people that would like to be in our shoes right now so we are going to try to represent the ACC and represent Clemson well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n