Clemson Baseball: Starting Pitching Staff Preview

Clemson Starting RHP Aidan Knaak returns with a lot of eyes on him this season. (Photo Credit: Charles Mays-Tiger View Media)

It’s almost Baseball Season in Clemson, SC, and Tiger View Media will be taking a deep dive into our 2025 Squad in four different posts. First, we will start with our Tigers’ Pitching Staff. 

Projected Starting Pitchers:

Aidan Knaak- The Clemson Tigers and Coach Erik Bakich are coming into this season with one of the best pitchers in the ACC and even all of college baseball. Aidan Knaak burst onto the scene last season as a freshman, and throughout the year, he continued to get better and better. He posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.2 WHIP in 15 starts while striking out 108 batters from the right-hand side. Knaak only threw a fastball and change-up during his freshman campaign, and the coaching staff is hoping he develops a third pitch. His fastball sits at around 93-94 mph with top speeds at 96 mph. However, his go-to pitch is a disgusting change-up that caught many opposing players heading back to their own bench last season. While his first campaign in a Tiger uniform was terrific, there are still areas of improvement for Knaak coming into this season. He averaged only 5 ⅔ innings per game, which sometimes put Clemson in a position to rely on their bullpen too often. This season, Knaak needs to improve his ability to go longer during each of his starts. There is a lot of hope and expectation for the young star coming into this season as a Perfect Game Preseason All-American.

Ethan Darden- The junior from Rock Hill, SC, has had two very similar seasons with the Clemson Tigers. In both his freshman and sophomore seasons, Darden started the year as more of a long reliever. However, when the month of March hit, Darden transitioned into a weekend starter. With so many question marks within the Clemson pitching staff and how they will operate, it is expected that Darden will start the year as Clemson’s number two starter. In 38 appearances and 23 starts, the junior has posted a 5.31 ERA and 1.5 WHIP. The left-hander showcases an 89-90 mph fastball alongside an arsenal of pitches. Darden is very different from the Tigers’ ace as he pitches more to contact, which creates some streaky outings. Examples of his streaky production can be found when he allowed just 1 earned run in back-to-back outings against Notre Dame and N.C. State while pitching 15 total innings. Darden followed up those two performances with a 2-inning outing in which he allowed 5 earned runs to Pittsburgh. This season, Coach Bakich is hoping for some consistency within the junior in an unknown pitching staff. 

Third Weekend Spot?- The truth is, behind Knaak and Darden, Clemson does not have a proven collegiate commodity when it comes to another starting pitcher. There are little to no guys that have started more than 4 collegiate-level games on the Tigers’ roster after the two guys previously mentioned. This third weekend rotation spot will most likely change a couple of times to start the year against the non-conference opponents, but it will be interesting to see how Coach Bakich handles this situation. With that being said, there are a few names to watch for that third spot and potentially as a mid-week starter. 

Casey Tallent- Casey Tallent is a right-hander RS/junior who missed the entirety of last season due to an injury. Before his injury, Tallent had a 3.65 ERA and 1.5 WHIP coming out of the bullpen for the majority of his appearances. He has appeared in 31 games while starting in 2 of those, throwing for 44.1 innings. During his two starts, Tallent allowed just two earned runs; however, he did not pitch past the third inning in either game. It will be interesting to monitor the chances Tallent receives coming off an injury, and if Coach Bakich will give him an opportunity to start.

Joe Allen- The junior RHP from Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, has seen a significant amount of time during his first two years at Clemson. While Joe Allen had a little sophomore slump last season totaling a 6.35 ERA in just 12 appearances, his freshman season production may give him an opportunity to work his way into the rotation. Allen earned a 3.94 ERA and 1.6 WHIP throughout 17 appearances and 4 starts during his freshman campaign. Those four collegiate starts rank as the third most on this Clemson roster, making Joe Allen one of the most likely candidates to step into this role. In those four starts, Allen went a total of 10.2 innings while allowing 5 earned runs. Joe Allen needs to improve from his stats from last season during this year’s season to give him a chance at the rotation, but expect to see his name during the mid-week to start the year.

Michael Gillen- Michael Gillen is a junior transfer from Seton Hall University, and he is one of the best additions Coach Bakich made during the off-season. In 37 appearances with Seton Hall, Gillen has pitched a total of 65.2 innings while totaling a 1.51 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He has mainly worked as a bullpen guy and closer during his career; however, Clemson’s lack of experience with starting pitchers may cause Gillen to work into the rotation. Similarly to Austin Gordon last season, Michael Gillen may have to start some games at the beginning of the season while the Tigers figure things out before moving into a true bullpen/closer role. However, no matter what role he is placed in, he is destined to thrive in a Clemson uniform. As mentioned, he will most likely end up as Bakich’s closer, but do not be surprised to see him starting games early into the season. 

After Knaak and Darden, the starting pitchers are truly unknown, and our projected starting pitchers past those two could be entirely wrong. Coach Bakich was able to sign three high school prospects rated inside Perfect Game’s top-500 (high school and college) list: Talan Bell, T.P. Wentworth, and Dane Moehler. Bell and Wentworth are listed on Clemson’s roster as two-way players; both are left-handers that play outfield. Moehler is listed solely as RHP. Expect these guys to get early action within the mid-week and non-conference weekend series to prove if they have what it takes. Last season, Aidan Knaak proved his way into the starting rotation as a freshman, and it will be interesting to see if one of these high-rated recruits will be able to take over that current open spot on the weekends. If none of these guys do take that spot, expect them to be contributors out of the bullpen depending on their production. 

Clemson’s starting pitching rotation may be one of the weakest and most unknown position groups on the entire roster; however, Coach Bakich and Co. will find a way to make things work. There are many other returning players and freshmen that may get an opportunity to take the mound first that have not been mentioned, but it is expected that this group of guys will get the first look.