Clemson right-handed pitcher Joe Allen sat down with World Baseball Network to talk about the 2025 and 2026 seasons with the Clemson Tigers.
In 2025, Allen had a 5-0 record and a 1.84 ERA in 29 1/3 innings of work. Over that same stretch, he also had 32 strikeouts.
The right-hander talked about his big year with Clemson last season. A new pitch in his arsenal was key to his success.
“The biggest thing for me was developing a new pitch — a gyro slider,” Allen stated. “It was all Coach [Jimmy] Belanger, our pitching coach. He came up with the idea about three weeks before the season, and that became the pitch I threw the most. He helped me a lot with that.”
The Clemson Tigers finished the 2025 season 45-18 overall. They also had an 18-12 record in ACC play.
For the third-straight season, the Tigers hosted a regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. However, two losses against the West Virginia Mountaineers and Kentucky Wildcats knocked them out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament in regional play.
Allen talked about this result at the end of the season and how disappointing it was for Clemson.
“In my three years here, now going into my fourth, this program has taken huge steps with Coach [Erik] Bakich,” Allen said. “That disappointment shows how far we’ve come — we expect more now. Losing a home regional is tough. You’re one pitch away from moving on, and that’s the game of baseball.”
Nonetheless, the Tigers have a loaded pitching staff for the 2026 season. The right-hander dove into different pitchers that baseball fans should watch out for.
“This pitching staff is really deep,” Allen told World Baseball Network. “We’ve got a lot of talent. Aidan Knaak is the best Friday night starter in the country. I’d put him against anyone. Returning guys like Drew Titsworth, Jacob McGovern, and Nathan Dvorsky out of the pen are strong. New guys like Hayden Simmerson, a D-II transfer, have great stuff. Ariston Veasey from Alabama has an electric fastball. Freshmen like Danny Nelson from Hershey, Pennsylvania, are legit, too. And Dane Moehler is coming back from Tommy John. The depth really stood out this fall.”
Allen talked about what it was like playing for Clemson’s head coach, Erik Bakich. Along with lots of wins, he has brought exciting things into the Clemson program, such as playing the Savannah Bananas.
“The energy and passion you see from him in interviews and social media is only a tenth of what we get every day,” Allen said regarding Bakich. “He trains with us, he’s passionate, and he just wants us to have fun.”
Allen also appreciates playing the Bananas in the fall, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
“It’s so different from what we do every day,” Allen stated when talking about the Bananas. “We got to meet their players, see their trick plays, and watch the pregame performances. There’s always something happening — a pitch on one side, a backflip in the crowd on the other.”
Heading into the 2026 college baseball season, Clemson is looking to make its first trip to the College World Series since 2010.
As a veteran, Allen’s goal for 2026 is to “be the guy younger players can fall back on,” while the team aims to take the next step toward Omaha.
NCAA News: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Clemson pitchers Joe Allen (24) and Drew Titsworth (00) pump each other up during an NCAA regional baseball game against USC Upstate on Friday, May 30, 2025, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
