DURHAM, N.C. – Despite falling behind early, the Clemson Tigers pounced on Georgia Tech starter Brady Jones in the third, capitalizing on a second chance granted by video review to score five runs and then cruising behind spectacular relief pitching from Jacob McGovern into Sunday’s ACC championship game with a 9-4 victory.
Clemson will face the winner of today’s game between Florida State and North Carolina in Sunday’s championship game at noon, which will be televised on ESPN2.
“We had great relief pitching by McGovern and what he did to hold down a very dangerous offense, Georgia Tech is a great offense, they can score in bunches and score in a hurry,” said Clemson head coach Erik Bakich.
Georgia Tech, the ACC regular season champion, wasted no time, getting on the board when cleanup hitter Alex Hernandez hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed Kent Schmidt to score from second when Clemson shortstop Andrew Ciufo made a poor throw trying to turn the double play at second. Hernandez scored to make it 2-0 when the next batter, Vahn Lackey, singled to right field, and Hernandez hustled home from second, beating the throw to the plate.
A solo homer by Drew Rogers in the second extended the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 3-0.
In the top of the third, the Tigers struck back, batting around and putting five runs on the board. After Andrew Ciufo led off the inning with a double, and he came in to score on Jarren Purify’s one-out single. Purify attempted to steal second, and was initially called out by second base umpire Brian Miller, but the call was overturned after a video review, giving Clemson a runner on second with one out.
After Collin Priest struck out — a ‘K’ that would’ve ended the inning had the out call on Purify not been overturned — a walk to Josh Paino and a fastball that hit Dominic Listi loaded the bases for Jacob Jarrell, who put the second pitch he saw from Brady Jones over the left field wall for a grand slam and a 5-3 Clemson lead.
“On the steal, if we get that out… Jarrell, who has killed us all year, he doesn’t have a chance to hit a grand slam,” said Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall following the game. “I mean, if we tag the guy out at second, none of that, they don’t get a five run inning there, they get one run. And it’s probably a totally different ballgame moving forward. But we didn’t, and to their credit, they took advantage of the mistake.
Georgia Tech added another in the fourth on an RBI single from Will Baker that scored Caleb Daniel to make it 5-4, but that was the last run they’d muster, with the Tigers bullpen getting 1 1/3 innings from Joe Allen and a stellar four-inning performance from Jacob McGovern, who allowed one hit and walked none, striking out three over four shutout innings to close out the win for Clemson.
“It’s easy knowing the defense I have behind me to make the plays,” McGovern said of his poise on the mound. “It’s easy to just go out and give it my best. And I know the guys behind me are gonna give it everything they have. So for me it’s easy. I just go about my business and trust that everybody else will go about theirs.”
McGovern never found himself in a jam, stifling the Georgia Tech lineup, with two of his three strikeouts coming against Yellow Jackets center fielder Drew Burress, their bonafide star, including a seventh-inning strikeout where Burress completely fanned on a 3-2 changeup.
“McGovern… He has three pitches, he has a really good change up and you gotta have a really good approach on him to hit,” said Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall following the game.
Clemson added four more runs in the late innings, including a ninth-inning solo homer from Collin Priest, to put some distance between themselves and the Yellow Jackets.
And while Georgia Tech’s ACC tournament is over, their season is not, as they are a shoo-in to the NCAA Tournament and a likely host of a regional, despite not winning their conference tournament.
“I don’t see any scenario that [Georgia Tech hosting a regional] doesn’t happen,” said Hall.” And people that are involved in the ACC would probably know more than me, but I can never remember a time when the regular season champion in the ACC did not host a regional.”
2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament Schedule
Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.
All times Eastern Daylight Time
Tuesday, May 20 – Games Broadcast on ACC Network
No. 16 California 12, No. 9 Miami 2
No. 12 Virginia Tech 7, No. 13 Stanford 4
No. 15 Pitt 13, No. 10 Louisville 11
No. 14 Boston College 5, No. 11 Notre Dame 4
Wednesday, May 20 – Games Broadcast on ACC Network
No. 16 California 14, No. 8 Wake Forest 12
No. 5 Clemson 6, No. 12 Virginia Tech 1
No. 7 Duke 4, No. 15 Pitt 3
No. 14 Boston College 12, No. 6 Virginia 8
Thursday, May 21 – Games Broadcast on ACC Network
No. 1 Georgia Tech 10, No. 16 California 2
No. 5 Clemson 7, No. 4 N.C. State 6
Friday, May 22 – Games Broadcast on ACC Network
No. 2 Florida State 14, No. 7 Duke 7
No. 3 North Carolina 7, No. 14 Boston College 2
Saturday, May 23 – Games Broadcast on ACC Network
1 p.m. – No. 1 Georgia Tech vs. No. 5 Clemson – Game 13
5 p.m. – No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 3 North Carolina – Game 14
Sunday, May 24 – Game Broadcast on ESPN2
Noon – No. 5 Clemson vs. TBD
Photo: Cam Cannarella hits a single to drive in Andrew Ciufo in the seventh inning of the Clemson Tigers 9-4 win against Georgia Tech in the ACC semifinal. (Photo courtesy of the ACC)
