Welcome to Tiger Town: A Look Inside the 2025 Clemson Softball Regional

Clemson Softball's Alex Brown & Aby Vieira are excited to get going.

Alex Brown & Aby Vieira (Video Courtesy of Clemson Athletics)

For the third time in program history, postseason softball is coming to McWhorter Stadium. After winning the 2025 ACC Championship, Clemson Softball has been named the No. 11 national seed and will host Kentucky, Northwestern, and USC Upstate in what promises to be a thrilling regional showdown in the foothills of South Carolina.

Let’s dive into the storylines, stats, and stars of the teams coming to Tiger Town this weekend.

Clemson: Home Turf, High Hopes

There’s a certain magic around this 2025 Clemson team.

Winners of the ACC title and holding a current 44-12 overall record, the Tigers have rewritten the program record books this season — smashing marks in hits (493), runs (406), RBIs (372), doubles (94), walks (234), total bases (849), and home runs (80). Sophomore Kylee Johnson’s two-run blast sealed Clemson’s first conference crown over Florida State and sent a message: this squad is built for more.

They enter the regional with a .329 team batting average, a powerful .566 slugging percentage, and an on-base clip of .426. And it’s not just one or two hitters doing the damage. Veterans like Alex Brown (74 hits), Maddie Moore (71), Julia Knowler (56), and Aby Vieira (54) lead a lineup that’s deep and dangerous — with a big boost from the freshman class as well, who have accounted for 163 hits of their own.

The Tigers’ arms have been solid, too. A team ERA of 2.67 across 365 innings with 248 strikeouts gives Clemson a balanced attack heading into the postseason. They've outscored opponents by a whopping 406-180 margin.

Clemson’s postseason résumé is growing quickly. This is the program’s fifth tournament appearance in six years, and the third time hosting. When they host, they go far — advancing to Super Regionals in both 2022 (Stillwater) and 2023 (Norman).

And now, they start this year’s journey with a familiar face…

USC Upstate: Dangerous and Overlooked

Clemson fans may remember the name. USC Upstate and the Tigers last met in the 2024 Tuscaloosa Regional, a game Clemson won 8-0 in six innings. But don’t be fooled by that past result — the Spartans are no slouch.

USC Upstate rolls into the regional fresh off another Big South Tournament title and a 39-14 record. They’ve now won back-to-back conference championships, and this season featured a historic run — including a No. 1 national ranking in batting average back in February.

This team is fast (150 stolen bases, top-10 in NCAA) and furious at the plate with a .344 batting average, .510 slugging, and .930 OPS. The spark plug? Freshman phenom Sophia Kardatzke, who leads the team with a .393 batting average, 15 homers, and 55 RBIs. She’s already racked up First-Team All-Conference, All-Freshman honors, and Co-Freshman of the Year.

In the circle, they lean heavily on two in-state arms. Sierra Maness, from Woodruff, SC, (21-7, 1.97 ERA) and Maddie Drerup, from Fort Mill, SC, (14-3, 3.04 ERA) have combined for over 270 innings this season. Drerup just earned Tournament MVP honors in the Big South Championship after locking down two wins.

The Tigers and Spartans open play Friday at 4:30 p.m. on ACC Network. And while Clemson has the edge on paper, USC Upstate brings plenty of fight to the field.

Kentucky:  Familiar Foe with Something to Prove

Before Clemson could even get their 2025 season rolling, they ran into the Wildcats at the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational — a 7-6 loss that still lingers.

Kentucky, now 29-26 overall and 7-17 in SEC play, enters the regional looking for revenge of their own after a quick SEC Tournament exit at the hands of Georgia — a team Clemson defeated earlier this year.

The Wildcats can swing it. Allie Blum, a freshman, leads the team with a .331 average and .995 OPS. But the big bat is Peyton Plotts, a sophomore slugger with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs to go along with a 1.117 OPS.

Pitching is more of a mixed bag. Their staff ERA is 3.93, but Sarah Haendiges, a redshirt junior and Oregon State transfer, has been a steadying force (10-5, 2.63 ERA).

Kentucky opens the regional against Northwestern on Friday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+, and if they win, a rematch with Clemson could possibly be just around the corner.

Northwestern: Veteran Grit with a History of Going Deep

The Wildcats are no strangers to postseason play. This marks their 23rd NCAA appearance and their seventh straight trip under the Drohan coaching duo. They’ve advanced to Super Regionals in three of the last five tournaments and made the Women’s College World Series as recently as 2022.

Northwestern brings a 29-18-1 record to Clemson, finishing 16-6 in Big Ten play, and picking up big RPI wins over Duke, Mississippi State, and UCLA. This team has been tested.

Freshman Kaylie Avvisato (.355 AVG, .939 OPS) leads the charge offensively, while junior Kansas Robinson brings the pop (8 HR, 38 RBIs). Pitching-wise, Lauren Boyd (2.57 ERA, 14-4) is the ace, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors with 104 strikeouts in 109 innings.

This is Northwestern’s second trip ever to Clemson, but the first time in postseason play. They’ll be hungry after a disappointing first-round exit in the Big Ten Tournament — and no doubt remember dropping both games to the Tigers back in the 2023 ACC/Big Ten Challenge at McWhorter Stadium where Clemson would win both games over the Wildcats. 

The Road to OKC Starts Here

The format is simple: a four-team, double-elimination tournament, with the winner to face the Austin Regional champ — host No. 6 seed Texas — in the Super Regionals.

But the path? That’s far more complicated.

With four very different teams — a high-powered host in Clemson, a blue-collar Big South champ in Upstate, a battle-tested Big Ten regular in Northwestern, and a hungry SEC squad in Kentucky — the 2025 Clemson Regional promises drama, fireworks, and softball at its finest.

Strap in, Tiger fans. The road to Oklahoma City starts through McWhorter Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

Regional Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Friday, May 16

Game 1: Kentucky vs. Northwestern — 2:00 PM (ESPN+)

Game 2: Clemson vs. USC Upstate — 4:30 PM (ACC Network)

Saturday & Sunday

Double-elimination bracket play continues with times TBD based on results.

Stay tuned as Tiger View Media will be on-site giving you the latest and best news from Mcwhorter Stadium for the Clemson Regional.