Clemson Baseball Flashback: Tyler Colvin Makes History

In the opening game of the 2006 Super Regional, Tyler Colvin made history for the Clemson baseball program.

Courtesy of Clemson Athletics

June 9, 2006....

After cruising through a home regional by winning three straight over UNC-Asheville, Elon, and Mississippi State, the Clemson baseball team was set to host Oral Roberts in the Super Regional round. The Tigers were the number one overall seed and considered one of the favorites to win it it all. 

The Golden Eagles (41-14) had just won a regional for the first time in program history and came into Doug Kingsmore Stadium looking to keep the momentum going against Jack Leggett's Tigers (50-14).

Multiple times in the first game of the best of three series, it looked like that's exactly what Oral Roberts would do.

In the top of the second, Oral Roberts would get a three-run homer from Travis DeBondt, giving them a 4-1 lead, and ending the day early for the Tigers best starting pitcher, Jason Berken. 

The Tigers would tie it up in the bottom of the second, and eventually take a 7-5 lead into the ninth. With closer Daniel Moskos on the hill after pitching a scoreless eighth, things looked good for Clemson.

However, the Golden Eagles would get to Moskos for three runs in the ninth, taking an 8-7 lead, and leaving a packed house at Doug Kingsmore shell-shocked. 

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Herman Demmink singled up the middle for the Tigers. Brad Chalk then beat out a bunt, and Marquez Smith grounded a shot deep in the hole at short for Clemson’s third straight hit, and loading the bases for Tyler Colvin. The rest, as they say, is history.

Colvin's walk-off grand slam gave the Tigers an 11-8 win in game one and was the first walk-off grand slam in Clemson history. 

"I was just going up there to try and hit the ball hard," Colvin said afterwards, "and hopefully find a hole. Luckily, I just hit it over the fence. It was pretty exciting, that was my first walk-off hit.”

Clemson would go onto win game two 6-5, winning the best of three series and advancing to the College World Series. The Tigers knocked off Georgia Tech 8-4 in their opening game in Omaha, before dropping their next two against North Carolina and UC-Irvine. 

Clemson finished the season 53-16 (24-6 ACC) and ranked fifth in most of the major polls.