Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class looks to provide an influx of talent to Monte Lee’s program, which is coming off its worst season in more than six decades.
The Tigers signed 19 players total, with 16 of those being high school prospects and three coming in via transfer.
2021 Recruiting Class:
INF Gavin Abrams (6-foot, 180) St. Johns, FLA: One of the top INF in the state of Florida. Left-handed hitter, with an open stance. Fast hands, with contact-oriented approach. Added strength should provide more pop in his bat. Really solid with the glove.
INF Billy Amick (6-foot, 190) Batesburg, SC: One of the Top-10 players in the state and arguably the best 3B in the state. Right-handed hitter with a natural ability to drive the ball. Very good defender, who can also play catcher.
RHP Billy Barlow (6-foot-2, 195) Little River, SC: One of the Top-5 players in the state and a Top-200 prospect overall. Was hitting 90 mph on the radar gun entering his sophomore season and has only added to that. Throws a four-seamer and a two-seamer, along with a slider that he’s developed in recent years and was the MyHorryNews.com Player of the Year in 2021. Struck out 105 hitters in 59.2 IP during his senior season and finished with a 1.17 ERA.
OF Tristan Bissetta (6-foot-2, 200) Greeneville, SC: One of the best OF prospects in the state, with a strong arm. Left-handed hitter who is very deliberate at the plate, using a closed-off stance. Great power potential.
INF Benjamin Blackwell (6-foot, 180) Fairfax, VA: The transfer from Dayton hit .349 as the Flyers SS in 2021. Hit six home runs with 31 RBI and had 10 stolen bases. Has two years of eligibility left.
C Caid Byrd (6-foot-1, 175) Socastee, SC: Hit .339 in the regular season for the Braves, with 20 RBI. Was named MVP of the Coastal Invitational Tournament back in March after hitting .444 with a .634 on-base percentage.
INF Tyler Corbitt (6-foot, 170) Columbia, SC: Transfer from The Citadel, who hit .376 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 23 games last season playing 2B for the Bulldogs. Has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
RHP Josh Davis (6-foot-1, 185) Goose Creek, SC: Was topping out at 89 mph during his junior season when he posted a 1.18 ERA, striking out 59 batters and walking just 12 in 71.1 IP.
RHP Jay Dill (6-foot-5, 225) Dayton, TN: Top-10 player in the state of Tennesee, with a fastball that tops out in the low to mid 90’s. Also has a curveball, slider and changeup in his repertoire.
RHP Reed Garris (6-foot-2, 185) Mount Pleasant, SC: Top-5 RHP in the state with a fastball topping out in the low 90’s. Also has good command of his breaking ball, which he throws in the 73-77 range. and his changeup, which comes in at 80-83 mph. Ironically, was a fan of the South Carolina Gamecocks growing up.
RHP Austin Gordon (6-foot-5, 185) Myrtle Beach, SC: Fastball that tops out around 90 mph. Had 1.01 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 53 IP as a senior. Allowed just 26 hits and 22 walks.
RHP Cal Herndon (5-foot-11, 170) Lexington, SC: Fastball topped out at 86 mph during his junior season, with a sharp breaking ball.
INF David Lewis (6-foot-3, 235) Travelers Rest, SC: One of the best 3B in the state. Right-handed hitter with pro power potential. Smooth fielder with very strong arm.
LHP Rocco Reid (6-foot, 175) Greeneville, SC: Arguably the top left-handed pitching prospect in the state. Fastball clocked as high as 92 mph. Quick, loose arm, with solid command of three pitches.
OF/INF Spencer Rich (6-foot-1, 195) Longmont, CO: Junior college transfer from Daytona State. Versatile player that hit an eye-popping .438 last season with 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Added 20 stolen bases and struck out 24 times in 112 at-bats. Has three years of eligibility remaining.
INF/OF Aries Samek (6-foot-2, 205) Teaneck, NJ: Arguably the best SS prospect in the state of New Jersey. Right-handed hitter, with a slightly open stance, and has shown a lot of pop in his bat. Great bat speed, shows a propensity to hit line drives to the middles parts of the field. Does a nice job adjusting his swing for pitches on the inside and outside halves of the plate. One of the top gets in this class.
RHP Casey Tallent (6-foot-2, 185) Hartwell, GA: Another big get in this class. Commands his fastball that tops out in the low 90’s and with plenty of room to add more bulk and get stronger. His slider might be his best pitch, but he also sports a pretty good changeup too.
OF Will Taylor (6-foot, 175) Irmo, SC: Could have potentially been a first-round pick in July’s MLB Draft. Top prospect in the state and the most recent Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina. Top-flight athlete that possesses game-changing speed and can hit to all fields. Exceptional defender. Also a member of the football team.
LHP/OF Camden Troyer (6-foot-1, 195) Greeneville, SC: One of the top-five left-handed pitching prospects in the state. Struck out 85 hitters in 47 IP during his senior season, while sporting a 2.08 ERA. Also hit over .450, while striking out just once. Potential two-way player.
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