Ranked again, pressure again: Clemson enters 2026 with more to prove

NCAA BASEBALL: JUN 01 Division I Regional - Kentucky vs Clemson | Icon Sportswire/GettyImagesNational recognition begins the 2026 season for Clemson baseball — and familiar questions. In its preseason Top 25, Baseball America ranked the Clemson Tigers No. 20, helping to put the Tigers in the country’s projected roster of contenders while reinforcing the reality that progress alone is no longer the standard. Clemson has maintained consistency under head coach Erik Bakich.

The Tigers won 45 games in 2025, climbed as high as No. 2 in the national polls during the regular season, and reached the ACC Tournament championship game. But their NCAA Tournament stay came to an abrupt end, continuing…