Life without Erik Bakich: Clemson ready to roll despite opening weekend absence

Erik Bakich will watch the first two games from his hotel room and be on the radio call.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Tue Feb 11 16:15:02 GMT-05:00 2025

CLEMSON - Clemson’s chase for Omaha starts with a unique twist.

Not only will the Tigers be opening up their season in a different venue, but they will also be without their leading man to kick off 2025.

Erik Bakich and Jack Leggett will be serving their two-game suspension for the Shriner's Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas, spanning from the ejections that took place against Florida in the Super Regional last June.

Clemson has its game plan ready for handling the opening frames of the season without its leading man, but Bakich has also figured out how he will spend his time during those two games.

His third season as the Tigers’ head coach will use the two-game absence to serve as the color commentator for Clemson’s opening games against Oklahoma State (noon ET Friday) and Arizona (noon ET Saturday).

While there has been a debate about whether he can get access to the field, Bakich will join the call from his hotel room, making for quite the broadcasting debut.

"I get to be on the radio. I can't get ejected on the radio," Bakich said with a smile Tuesday during interviews. "I'll be commentating to my best ability...I'll be on the radio and doing my very best. It's a weird kinda dumb rule that I can't even step foot in the stadium. But whatever, we'll make the best of it."

Bakich knows precisely how he will contribute to the season's opening two games, but how will things shake up with the coaching staff?

Nick Schnabel, Clemson’s assistant head coach, will serve as the Tigers’ acting head coach for the first two outings. Schnabel and Bakich have been working together for 13 years, and while Bakich won’t be there for the first two matchups, he has confidence in his group.

“The team’s in very good hands,” Bakich said. “He could’ve been a head coach a million times over. He’s turned down multiple head coaching jobs. As soon as he does take that jump, he will be one of the better head coaches in the country. I do feel really good about him running the team.”

Clemson has already had a trial run over the course of the preseason on what this coming weekend will look like without him.

Outfielder Tristan Bissetta relayed Bakich’s confidence about Schnabel holding the keys to the car temporarily, adding that the Tigers’ acting head coach could be the leading man anywhere in the country.

“This past weekend, we had a scrimmage, and EB (Erik Bakich) wasn’t even in the area,” Bissetta said. “Coach Schnabel has a ton of experience and could be a head coach anywhere. He’s a guy who can run a program. EB is always giving us the plan, and it is set, and we are going to go out there and play at the end of the day.”

As Clemson gears up for a run at the College World Series, the competition cranks up immediately. This roster seems confident in its ability to get the job done regardless of who’s in the dugout.