Clemson baseball falls to Notre Dame, season ends in ACC Tournament

Clemson baseball’s disappointing 2026 season officially came to a close Tuesday as Notre Dame held off the Tigers for a 5-4 win in the opening round of the ACC Tournament at Truist Field in Charlotte. The loss ended any remaining NCAA Tournament hopes for the 15th-seeded Tigers , who needed an ACC title run to reach the postseason after a rough regular season. Instead, Clemson wrapped up the year at 31-26 overall and dropped six of its final eight games.

For the first time since Erik Bakich arrived in Clemson, the Tigers will not be headed to a regional. Clemson’s 10-20 ACC record was the worst conference finish in school history, continuing a dramatic slide after the team opened the season 15-1. Notre Dame jumped ahead almost immediately when leadoff hitter Drew Berkland sent the second pitch of the afternoon over the wall in right field for a solo homer.

Clemson answered in the third inning. Tyler Lichtenberger tied the game with a leadoff blast to right before Tryston McCladdie delivered an RBI triple later in the frame to briefly move the Tigers in front 2-1. That momentum disappeared quickly.

The Irish responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, including a game-tying homer from Bino Watters and an RBI double off the bat of Jayce Lee to reclaim the lead. Notre Dame starter Jake Radel once again frustrated Clemson’s lineup. After shutting the Tigers out earlier this season, the left-hander delivered another strong performance by allowing only two runs while striking out eight over 6.