So, it’s time to find out just how much comeback the 2024 Clemson baseball team has in its heart. 

After Saturday’s 10-7 loss to Florida at home in Game 1 of NCAA Super Regional play, back-to-back wins are needed to advance to the College World Series. 

It’s plenty doable. Sunday starter Aidan Knaak has been the team’s ace all year. The freshman brings a 5-1 record and 2.96 ERA to the mound for the 2:30 p.m. start. With 103 strikeouts in 79 innings, he’s up for the task of making Gators sluggers swing and miss. 

Saturday’s game showed the margin for error against UF is small. Game 1 starter Tristan Smith looked strong for four innings, only to let the Gators open up a whupping as they began a seven-run fifth inning that gave them command of the game. When reliever Lucas Mahlstedt was ineffective, the damage was unrecoverable.

Jacob McGovern, another freshman, provided hope with four solid innings to finish the game. His ability to keep Florida’s powerful offense in check suggests Knaak can do the same. 

But he will need run support. 

The Tigers continued a late-season theme of stranding runners in scoring position. Granted, nobody gets them all across. But Clemson clearly needed to capitalize on its opportunities against a collection of Florida bats that proved more capable than the team’s 33-28 record implies. 

A Gators die-hard fan texted me in the third inning Saturday and said pitching has been their problem all year. 

Jac Caglianone has already made Tigers fans aware of how good of a hitter he is, obliterating his 32nd home run of the year and throwing his bat with a celebratory shout. Sunday he starts on the mound, bringing a 4.57 ERA and 5-2 record with 76 strikeouts in 67 innings.

Caglianone has given up only eight homers in 14 games, but he has handed out 46 walks — so as Daniel and I mentioned in our most recent podcast, Clemson hitters need to work the count and not swing at too many first pitches. Can’t just chase lofted home-run balls. That requires some mental balance to keep their edge going too, admittedly. 

Game 3 starters are TBD, as upbeat Eric Bakich in the home dugout and curmudgeonly Kevin O’Sullivan in the visiting dugout wait to see how their bullpen needs will unfold. 

Time to force the thought.