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As the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament kicks off on Friday, all eyes turn to the Clemson Regional, where the top-seeded Tigers find themselves walking a statistical tightrope.
While Clemson earned a coveted national seed, their postseason profile suggests a team built more on balance and grit than overpowering dominance—a setup that could either anchor them through a gauntlet or leave them vulnerable to an early exit.
The Tigers’ offensive identity is hard to pin down. They don’t lead the pack in home runs or batting average, but their discipline at the plate sets them apart. Clemson walks at a top-15 national rate (14.1%) and owns a .409 on-base percentage, creating pressure even when the bats aren’t red-hot.
Their 71 home runs and .452 slugging percentage are middle-of-the-road, but the Tigers excel at grinding out quality at-bats, often forcing pitchers into uncomfortable zones.
Still, that strikeout rate—22.4%—could prove costly, especially against elite arms in this regional. And while Clemson’s pitching staff can miss bats (23.9% strikeout rate, top-30 nationally), a 5.07 ERA and 5.85 FIP show how dangerous contact can be against this group. When the ball is put in play, the damage tends to add up quickly.
This makes for a fascinating dynamic in the Clemson Regional, which may be the most balanced and unpredictable in the entire field. No. 2 seed West Virginia is a model of consistency with a top-25 ERA and a punchy offense that rarely strikes out.
Kentucky brings one of the weakest offenses in the tournament, but pairs it with a top-45 pitching staff that keeps games close. Meanwhile, USC Upstate arrives as a dangerous four-seed with a loaded offense and serious home run power.
That means every pitch in Clemson will matter—and the Tigers, despite their flaws, have proven they can handle that kind of pressure. What they lack in star power or statistical flash, they make up for with composure and competitive maturity.
But in a regional shaped by parity, Clemson’s ability to stay clean on the mound and cash in on offensive opportunities will be the difference between survival and disappointment. They’ve been steady all year. Now, they’ll need to be something more.
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Why Roman Harper left Tuscaloosa feeling confident about Alabama in 2025
Former Alabama defensive back and ESPN’s SEC Network college Football analyst, Roman Harper is confident in the Crimson Tide ahead of the 2025 season. Harper was back in Tuscaloosa earlier this week, and he got to spend some time around Tide players and coaches. He left feeling good about where Alabama was as a program ahead of year two under Kalen DeBoer. “Kalen DeBoer in year two is going to be better,” Harper told “The Next Round” on Thursday. “He has proven that. I think Ryan Grub coming in on the offensive side, he is a really good play caller. Because calling plays is a talent… and you are just better when you’re in a system for a second year, defensively.” The chemistry in Alabama football’s locker room has been a consistent talking point early in fall camp. Harper noticed some differences on that front during his time in Tuscaloosa. “Tim Kennan was another guy, a fifth-year guy, been on both regimes and where they are at now he talks about it’s just different,” Harper said. “Guys are able to talk to each other. Nobody’s getting all in their emotions or anything. They’re calling each other out, but it is not really calling each other out when I am holding you accountable because I am depending on you. You are depending on me.” Positive news continue to pour out of Alabama’s fall camp.
Mock Trade Has Knicks Acquiring Former NBA Champion, Rising Center From Jazz
The New York Knicks have made some key additions to their roster this offseason as they try to make a run at the NBA Finals next season. Of course, the Knicks are coming off an impressive season that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. With their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby returning next season, the Knicks will likely enter next season as one of the favorites to come out of the weakened East. New York also upgraded their bench this offseason by signing Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele and they still have one roster spot open. While the Knicks are expected to use their final roster spot on a veteran in free agency, Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Raman recently released a mock trade that would see them add three key players from the Utah Jazz, including a former champion and rising center. Knicks predicted to land Walker Kessler, Kevin Love from Jazz In the trade, the Knicks would send Mitchell Robinson, Pacome Dadiet and a 2026 first-round pick to the Jazz for Walker Kessler, Kevin Love and Svi Mykhailiuk. New York would also send Tyler Kolek to the Atlanta Hawks, who are the third team in this deal. For the Knicks, this trade would allow them to add even more talent to their bench while also moving on from Robinson who has been a solid player for them but has also struggled with injuries. Of course, the headline of this trade for the Knicks is Kessler, whom they have targeted over the past few seasons. Kessler is a great defender and inside scorer who has continued to work on his mid-range and three-point shots. The young center would be a great addition to the Knicks’ bench as a replacement for Robinson and New York could also pair him and Towns in the starting lineup if needed. New York would also land another veteran in Love who has championship experience and would provide them with a solid shooting big man off the bench. While this trade would likely work out well for the Knicks, it is likely that the Jazz would want a much larger trade package for them to move on from Kessler.
Green Bay Packers’ Xavier McKinney Gets Honest After Big Injury News
The Green Bay Packers are gearing up for their preseason opener against the New York Jets. Unfortunately, they are not going to have one of their best defensive players available to play in the game even if they wanted him to. Xavier McKinney has been ruled out for the rest of training camp and all three preseason games due to a calf injury. After signing a big four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers last offseason in NFL free agency, McKinney put together a big first year in the green and gold. He took on a major leadership role and was a dynamic playmaker in the secondary. In order to compete for a Super Bowl, Green Bay will need him healthy. Following the news of his injury, McKinney spoke out about the situation. Green Bay Packers’ Xavier McKinney Gets Honest After Big Injury News As shared by ESPN, McKinney shared his gratefulness for the injury being caught before it got worse. He also offered some comforting words for Packers fans. “Obviously glad that we caught it when we caught it, so just kind of trying to take it slow and then the build-up, obviously,” McKinney said. “But I’ll be ready when it’s time to go, for sure.” During the 2024 season with Green Bay, McKinney played in all 17 regular season games. He racked up 88 total tackles to go along with a sack, a fumble recovery, eight interceptions, and 11 defended passes. Those numbers show just how big of an impact McKinney makes for the defense. Jeff Hafley was spoiled in his debut season as the team’s defensive coordinator by having him patrolling the final layer of his unit. Hopefully, McKinney will be able to recovery quickly and get back to 100 percent by Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. He sounds confident that he’ll be able to do just that.
'Clearly separated himself': Why one QB is winning Browns' competition
Recent reports have indicated that veteran Joe Flacco holds a significant lead in the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition over Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. For an article published on Wednesday, Lance Reisland of the Cleveland Plain Dealer explained why Flacco "has clearly separated himself from the quarterback competition" heading into the Browns' preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday. "His performance is rooted in elite mechanical consistency in his footwork, balance and ability to transfer weight efficiently through his throws," Reisland said about Flacco. "These traits have allowed him to remain composed under pressure, stay on time through full field progression reads, and consistently deliver accurate passes at all three levels of the field." During the 2023 season, Flacco won four of five starts while playing under head coach Kevin Stefanski to guide the Browns to a playoff berth. None of Cleveland's other active quarterbacks has ever taken a meaningful in-game snap in Stefanski's offense. Gabriel seemingly won't be ready for regular-season action anytime soon, and Pickett missed a handful of practice days while dealing with a hamstring injury. Sanders reportedly will start against Carolina, but he's Cleveland's fourth option at the position. Even if he looks like a revelation on Friday night, all signs point to Stefanski going with Flacco for Cleveland's Week 1 game against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. As of Wednesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -265 betting favorite to get the nod for the Cincinnati matchup. "Flacco’s blend of polish, poise and veteran field-command paired with his ability to operate from under center or in shotgun, against pressure or in structure, makes him the clear best option to start Week 1," Reisland continued. "He’s executing with rhythm and timing, manipulating coverages and elevating the offense every time he’s under center. He looks fully prepared to lead this team on day one." While that doesn't necessarily mean Flacco will start when Cleveland faces the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 on Sept. 14, it appears the Browns' QB1 gig is his to lose.
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