Clemson Tigers Baseball Maintains Highly-Regarded Recruiting Class in New Rankings

The Clemson Tigers have 15 prep players coming to campus and one service believes that’s more than enough to keep the class highly-ranked.

Jun 1, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Erik Bakich and outfielder Cam Cannarella (10) celebrate after defeating the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Now that the tumult of the MLB Draft and professional signing season is behind everyone, college baseball programs around the country are welcoming their new classes.

The Clemson Tigers have one of the best in the country according to Perfect Game.

The site locked in its Class of 2024 rankings after seeing which prep players were drafted and, more importantly, which ones opted to sign and start their pro careers. Even with just 15 prep players signing with the Tigers, they had the No. 14 class in the country.

The Tigers finished with 83 points in Perfect Game’s ranking system, including are based on PgCrossChecker's national high school player rankings. Points are awarded for each recruit based on their high school rankings and updated after college commitments. Higher-ranked recruits are awarded more points.

The Tennessee Volunteers, the defending national champions, were No. 1 with 166 points.

Clemson was helped by the fact that 10 of their players were in Perfect Game’s Top 500 Fresh Arrivals on Campus rankings, which were released earlier this week.

The Tigers only had one Top 100 player, though, which was outfielder and left-handed pitcher Talan Bell, who played for Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Fla. He was the No. 10 overall player.

This group of prep recruits joins a holdover roster brimming with talent and a quality transfer class as Clemson seeks to get back to the College World Series.

Clemson went 44-16 last season winning the Atlantic Division title in the ACC and claimed the No. 6 overall seed in the country in the NCAA Tournament.  The Tigers lost to Florida in the Super Regional, leaving them a couple of wins shy of reaching their first MCWS since 2010.

The Tigers were one of the most active teams in the transfer portal, but their biggest returnee is outfielder Cam Cannarella, who played most of last season with an injury and should be healthy for 2025. He is considered one of the top prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft. 

Tigers head coach Erik Bakich signed a long-term extension in the offseason.

The rest of the Clemson prep recruits that were part of the Top 500 and, by extension, boosted Clemson’s class ranking included outfielder and left-handed pitcher TP Wentworth (No. 106), outfielder and first baseman Owen Anchors (No. 182), infielder Austin Jacobs (No. 199), left-handed pitcher Brendon Bennett (No. 266), infielder Josh Castellani (No. 279), right-handed pitcher Anthony Wilkie (No. 290), right-handed pitcher Dane Moehler (No. 365), right-handed pitcher Chayce Kieck (No. 416) and Treion McFarland (No. 473).

The rest of the recruiting class, per Clemson, included infielder/right-handed pitcher Dion Brown, catcher Steele Burd, right-handed pitcher Cannon Feazell, infielder/catcher Luke Gaffney, right-handed pitcher Michael Gillen, right-handed pitcher Luke Kissenberth, left-handed pitcher Hudson Lee, outfielder Dominic Listi, infielder Josh Paino, infielder Collin Priest and infielder/outfielder Briggs Sullivan.