Clemson Baseball: Bullpen Preview

RHP Lucas Mahlstedt pitched 2.0 innings and allowed only one hit in a 14-12 win over Florida State on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, SC. Photo By: Charles Mays - Tiger View Media

As we at Tiger View Media move across and preview every aspect of the Clemson Baseball Roster, it is time to take a deep dive into the Tiger’s Bullpen.

Projected Key Guys:

Reed Garris: The Graduate RHP leads the way for top guys coming out of Coach Bakich’s Bullpen. Garris struggled a little last year posting an ERA of 5.55, but his career ERA sits at 3.67 throughout 54 total innings. He features mostly a hard throwing fastball that may leave him susceptible to home runs, but his experience as a Clemson Reliever will carry him into his final season. Garris has mainly been featured as a Middle Reliever/Set-up man in his career, so it is for him to continue playing that role during this upcoming season.

Lucas Mahlstetd: After transferring from Wofford two seasons ago, Lucas Mahlstetd quickly became one of the premiere pitchers within Clemson’s Bullpen. The RHP has one of the funkiest deliveries on the roster as his sidearm/submarine style confuses a lot of batters. He is primarily a ground ball inducing pitcher as he only throws a 86-88 mph fastball with a couple knee bending pitches. Last season, Mahlstetd posted an ERA of 4.72 while pitching 53.1 innings in 28 appearances. He got a lot of his chances relieving Starting Pitcher Aidan Knaak, and expect Coach Bakich to continue this strategy to mix up opposing batters’ timings. Mahlstetd will most likely reprise his role as a Middle/Long Reliever.

Jacob McGovern: The left-handed Sophomore broke onto the scene late into his Freshman campaign and was vital in Clemson’s run to the Super Regionals. McGovern finished the year with an impressive 1.96 ERA through 18.1 innings and 11 appearances. The hometown kid from Seneca, SC features a slow 84-87 fastball, but his premiere pitch is a long developing curve-ball that caught many opposing batters looking. It is unclear how and where McGovern will be featured within this Bullpen, but many fans are excited to see more of the young ballplayer entering his second season. 

Michael Gillen: Michael Gillen is a former Seton Hall Pirate that decided to make a move to Clemson, SC in the offseason. Gillen was mentioned as a possible Starting Pitcher; however, it is more likely he assumes his role as the Tiger’s Closer. Gillen was First-Team All Conference last season with an ERA of 2.31 across 39 innings. In his career, Gillen has a 1.51 ERA on 65.2 innings along with 3 saves. The big right-hander features a 92-95 mph fastball, change-up, and curve that has caused a lot of discomfort for opposing teams so far in his career. The Tigers lost their primary Closer, Austin Gordon, to the MLB Draft this past off-season, and Michael Gillen is a prime player to replace the hard-throwing Gordon. Whether or not Gillen is the Closer or even a Starting Pitcher, expect the Transfer to be a huge impact player for this roster. 

Drew Titsworth: Titsworth is a fellow Sophomore, like Jacob McGovern, but unlike McGovern, Titsworth saw a lot of his opportunities early into the season rather than later. As a Freshman, he posted an ERA of 3.15 throughout 20 innings and 19 appearances. Titsworth adjusted his arm angle as the season progressed, and moved his arm slot from over the top to more of a three-quarters angle. The Sophomore throws a 91-95 mph fastball along with a change-up and curveball as his secondary pitches. Titsworth majorly depends on his fastball to blow opposing players away, but it will be interesting to see how he has developed since last season. Expect to see Titsworth as a Middle Reliever with a possibility at the Closer spot. 

Justin LeGuernic- The 6’4 Sophomore left-hander from Dix, Hills, NY is hoping to increase his role after his Freshman campaign. As a Freshman, LeGuernic saw action in 9 games with 1 start as he pitched 6.2 Innings with a 6.75 ERA. While his numbers from last season do not jump off the page, LeGuernic was ranked with the top-75 Sophomores in the nation in the preseason according to Perfect Game USA at 68th. The expectations are high for the young athlete, but it is very likely he gets his opportunity on the mound in any role. Expect LeGuernic to start a couple of contests, but it is most likely for the left-hander to end up in the Bullpen.

Outside of these key guys, there will be a lot of other players not mentioned that will contribute to Coach Bakich’s Bullpen as well. Freshman names to look out for are Talen Bell, Dane Moehler, and T.P. Wentworth. All three of these young stars were rated within the top-500 prospects for last year's MLB Draft, but they decided to play College Baseball instead. These guys were also mentioned as potential starters for the Tigers depending on their early performances, but that will be completely up to Coach Bakich. The Clemson Tigers have a lot of question marks within their entire pitching staff, so predicting contributors in certain roles will not always be correct. There may even be some talents on the roster that were not mentioned in either this post or the post previewing the starting pitching staff, but it is very possible for any Pitcher on this roster to contribute. The 2025 Clemson Tigers have a lot to prove within their Pitching Staff coming into this season, and they have all the talent in the world to do so.