Former Clemson star Seth Beer Surprises Grice

Gives Tigers’ standout some good advice

CLEMSON, S.C. — Though his team had just scored 19 runs, Caden Grice was sitting in the dugout and feeling a little down after going 1-for-4 with three strikeouts in the Clemson victory Saturday night.

That is when a visitor walked into the dugout at Doug Kingsmore Stadium and surprised him. That visitor was former National Player of the Year and Clemson star Seth Beer.

“We talked, like I said, for probably an hour,” Grice said following Sunday’s 5-4 win over Indiana in Game 3 of the weekend series. “Everything he said was kind of spot on to the things I have been thinking about. Obviously, he is a great ballplayer and is someone who knows the game and has been around the game a lot.

“I thought I would take that advice because, why wouldn’t you? I think it worked really well and I will continue to keep doing it.”

It did work well.

On Sunday, Grice helped finish off Indiana in a three-game sweep with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, including a monster shot to right field in the bottom of the thirteenth that carried 413 feet and out of the ballpark. The home run somewhat resembled some of the shots Beer sent out of the stadium during his playing days at Clemson.

“I picked his brain a little bit. He kind of helped me out on a lot of stuff I have been struggling with,” Grice said. “He just told me to stick to my plan and seeing the ball up, hitting it backside, and just trying to drive in runs and not try to do too much.

“Ultimately, I ran into one. So, it all worked out.”

Beer played at Clemson from 2016-’18. He not only helped the Tigers win the 2016 ACC Championship, but he was named the recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy, which is given to the best player in college baseball each year.

Considered one of the best players in Clemson history, Beer had a .321 batting average to go along with 56 home runs and 177 RBIs. He also drew 180 walks, including 35 intentional walks.

Beer finished his Clemson career first in program history in slugging percentage (.648), first in walks per at-bat (one every 3.59 at-bats), tied for second in walks and fourth in homers and fifth in slugging percentage.

He was also the second three-time All-American in Tiger history, joining Rusty Adkins (1965-’67), and the fourth two-time, first-team All-American in school history. Beer was also a three-time All-ACC selection.

After his Clemson career was over, Beer was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft (No. 28 overall) by the Houston Astros. He is now a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That is why it meant so much to Grice when Beer came into the dugout following Saturday’s game.

“It meant the world. He did not have to,” said Grice, who had never not talked to Beer prior to Saturday night. “He could have just gone home. He came and found me and told me all that stuff. It meant the world. It really did.”