When Clemson Baseball starts its season in Dallas next year, they will do so without Erik Bakich.
The Tigers will begin the season on February 14th in the Shriners Baseball Classic in Dallas, but due to getting ejected in the Super Regional loss to Florida last season, Bakich is set to serve a two-game suspension to start the season.
Bakich was ejected in the 13th inning in the season-ending loss to the Gators, as he argued with umpires while huddled to discuss a possible ejection of outfielder Alden Mathes due to him flipping his bat after a home run. While Mathes ultimately remained in the game, Bakich was tossed for leaving the dugout, as was assistant Jack Leggett.
Bakich revealed on Wednesday that while the suspension was appealed, it was not successful.
“We tried it but it didn’t go anywhere,” Bakich said. “It was like taking a shot and getting blocked immediately. I will take my medicine and sit out the first two.”
While Bakich may not be in the dugout for the first two games, the Tigers do have a plan in place to help minimize the loss of the head coach. Assistant head coach Nick Schnabel will step in to fill that void.
Bakich and Schnabel have been coaching together for many years now and the head coach is more than confident in the abilities of his top assistant.
“We’ve got Nick Schnabel. He and I have been together 13 years now,” Bakich said. “He could have been a head coach a million times over. He has turned down a lot of good jobs and is one of the best assistant coaches in baseball. It’s not just me that thinks that. He was national assistant coach of the year in 2019.”
The Tigers are also fortunate to have one of the more respected pitching coaches in the country on the staff, as well, in Jimmy Belanger. Between the two, Bakich fully believes his team is in good hands.
“Then obviously Jimmy Belanger is widely regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in the country,” Bakich added. “So we will be in good hands. Plus the rest of our staff, so I don’t worry about that at all.”
“I also trust our players. Our job sometimes as coaches is to eliminate our job. If we do what we need to do in training, then that is where the players… it would be about them.”
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