Clemson Baseball: Remembering Khalil Greene

Former Clemson baseball player Khalil Greene is one of the most revered athletes in Clemson history, and one of the best players college baseball has ever seen.

If you have followed Clemson baseball very much over the years, Khalil Greene is a name you are familiar with. Greene, from Key West, started every game but one for the Tigers from 1999-2002, and was one of the best players college baseball has ever seen. 

He had a storied career, earning himself a spot in the prestigious Clemson Ring of Honor, as well as having his name permanently etched upon the outfield wall in Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

As a freshman in 1999, Greene started every game but one at third base, hitting .358, with 98 hits, 8 home runs and 69 RBI. The 98 hits set a freshman record, and after the team won the Arkansas Regional, he was a unanimous selection to the All Regional Team.

As a sophomore, he hit .364, with 5 home runs and 64 RBI. He had an OBP of .470 and hit .444 with runners in scoring position, which led the team.

He was a second team All-ACC selection and made the All-ACC Tournament team. 

As a junior, he moved over to shortstop, setting a school record for fielding percentage at the position at .965. After hitting .303 with 12 home runs and 52 RBI, Greene was selected in the 14th round of the MLB Draft.

Unhappy with where he was taken, Greene decided to return to Clemson for his senior season and would go on to turn in one of the most dominating seasons ever seen from a college athlete. In any sport.

Greene hit .470, with 27 home runs and 91 RBI. He had 33 doubles, a SLG of .552, and an OBP of .552. He reached base in 66 of the teams 67 games, and his .967 fielding percentage broke the record he set a season earlier.

Fittingly, in his final at bat in Doug Kingsmore Stadium, he hit a home run.

He was named ACC Player of the Year, and Collegiate Baseball's Player of the Year. He won the Dick Howser Trophy, the Rotary Smith Award, and the Golden Spikes Award. 

Greene would go on to be drafted by San Diego with the 13th pick in the 2002 draft. By September of the next year, he was on the big league club. 

In 2010, and at the age of 29, Greene walked away from the sport after his struggles with social anxiety started to affect his play on the field. 

He is currently living a private life in Greer, South Carolina, with his wife and two daughters. 

While you won't find Greene throwing out the first pitch at home games, or even returning for a friendly homecoming, he will always have a home on the outfield wall that Tigers fans can enjoy every day at the ballpark.