Audio By Carbonatix
The college baseball rivalry between South Carolina and Clemson has never been hotter. They played the first game of a three-game series on Friday and it was not short of shenanigans.
In the end, it was the Tigers who got the last laugh. The Gamecocks will have two opportunities to turn things around at a neutral site on Saturday and at home on Sunday.
Clemson and South Carolina are separated by less than 150 miles so the in-state rivalry is always intense in every sport. This year, however, the college baseball series in particular has an extra meaning. Former Tigers sluggers Nathan Hall and Nolan Nawrocki transferred across enemy lines to play for the Gamecocks during the offseason so there is more juice than ever!
"I'm sure it's going to be a hostile environment, but bring it on."
— Chaz R Frazier (@Chazf_tv) February 26, 2025
Former #Clemson Tigers now #Gamecock baseball players Nathan Hall & Nolan Nawrocki on what it will be like to wear Garnet and Black this time around for the state's biggest rivalry series. @abc_columbia pic.twitter.com/D0ISqRmADP
They went a combined 0-6 with 4Ks, 2BBs, 1 RBI (Sac-Fly) during a 5-3 loss in Game 1. Their former team made sure to let them know that they were unwelcome on more than one occasion.
Clemson starter Aidan Knaak got Nawrocki on a 3-2 count to get out of a potentially precarious situation during the top of the first inning. He immediately stared him down with his tongue out as they walked back to their respective dugouts.
Aidan Knaak Ks former Tiger Nolan Nawrocki and stares him down 👀
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) March 1, 2025
Clemson South Carolina is underwayyyy 🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/NRQC5mQTnk
Hall got a similar treatment not long thereafter. The Doug Kingsmore Stadium DJ played ’22’ by Taylor Swift after the South Carolina transfer struck out during his first at-bat. Hall used to wear No. 22 with his former program. It was a brilliant deep-cut troll.
Elsewhere at Kingsmore, Tigers fans gave the Gamecocks’ bullpen all it could handle. Changes to the stadium’s bullpen configuration makes it one of the most hostile environments in sports. I cannot imagine trying to think with a constant barrage of obscenities being thrown my way, let alone pitch.
Credit where it’s due, Clemson knew what it was doing when it made this change to the bullpen configuration. https://t.co/iK9r9RPOcw pic.twitter.com/zDH6lIBg5X
— Jack Veltri (@Jacktveltri) February 28, 2025
Clemson went on to win the game by two runs after sophomore Jarren Purify went deep during the seventh inning. He launched his bat to the moon!
Jarren Purify sent this bat to the moon pic.twitter.com/nmq5eEHfQ4
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) March 1, 2025
Needless to say, this three-game rivalry series is off to an electric start. South Carolina will have its first opportunity to get back on the right side at a neutral site on Saturday. A home game on Sunday could determine the outcome with a win.