OXFORD | Mat Clark awaits Ole Miss Saturday in the winner’s bracket.
The Clemson ace took a perfect game into the eighth and a no-hitter into the ninth in his most recent start, an ACC Tournament win against Louisville last week. The Tigers held Clark for a potential matchup with the Rebels, and that paid off with an 8-4 victory versus No. 2 seed Illinois to open the Oxford Regional.
Clark, a 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore, didn’t start for Clemson at the beginning of the year but compiled a 2.84 ERA and has been a bit of a savior for the Tigers’ postseason hopes since mid-March. The fastball is in the mid-80s, and he’s struck out 59 and walked 20 in 69.2 innings.
Clark has gone at least six innings in seven of his 10 starts and has allowed only one earned run in his last 14.2 innings. He’s given up 18 extra bases hits.
“We call him Maty-ice for a reason,” said Clemson shortstop Logan Davidson said to the Post & Courier. “Nothing seems to bother him. Sometimes you are like, ‘how is this guy getting outs because he’s throwing 83 mile-per-hour.’ But he throws barrels, cutters, change-ups, he’s a crafty lefty. He just goes out there and gets outs for us. He’s fun to play behind.’”
Clark allowed three or fewer runs in 11 of his 13 appearances this season. Florida State got to him for five run-in 3.1innings, and two weeks later, on April 27, Georgia Tech put up four runs in 4.2 innings.
Ole Miss counters with its own pleasant-surprise lefty. Doug Nikhazy, who held Texas A&M scoreless in eight innings last week in the SEC Tournament, stabilized the Rebels’ rotation behind Will Ethridge.
Nikhazy faces a Clemson order at 6 p.m. that has a team-wide .886 OPS versus left-handers.
Ole Miss saved its bullpen thanks to the 16-2 rout of Jacksonville State. Both starters will have reinforcements ready.
“We certainly have a number of options we can use behind Mat but hopefully Mat can get us deep into the ballgame and we can shrink the innings on the back end,” Clemson coach Monte Lee said.
Clemson has its top four bullpen arms available in Carson Spiers, Sam Weatherly, Holt Jones and Owen Griffith.
