As stated in this space recently, starting pitching is the biggest question mark for Clemson's baseball team as it tries to make something special of its season.
You have to think Jack Leggett and pitching coach Dan Pepicelli aren't yet completely comfortable with the situation -- how can you be when Kevin Brady is on the shelf, and might not return this season? -- but there have been some positive developments of late.
For much of the season, the starting pitchers struggled mightily to produce lengthy appearances. When your starters are regularly departing in the second, third and fourth innings, it mucks things up and puts considerable stress on your staff.
Through the first 27 games (a 15-12 record), Clemson's pitchers totaled just five starts that lasted at least six innings.
Through the nine games since, the Tigers have totaled six starts of at least six innings. Two of them came in last weekend's sweep at Boston College (7 innings from Jonathan Meyer, and 6 from Dominic Leone). Two have come from Justin Sarratt in the last two midweek games (7 against Presbyterian, 6 against Georgia).
Still plenty of questions about this team's pitching. When you're closing out the month of April and you still haven't totally solidified a weekend rotation, it makes you a bit nervous. And a lot could hinge on whether Alex Frederick can consistently close out games.
But the increasing number of lengthy starts is a good sign, no doubt.
-- Looks like the NCAA is cracking down on football players who slack off academically during the fall semester.
Because fall-semester grades aren't posted until after the regular season, in most cases, football players have been able to let things slide in the fall and then recover during the spring and summer.
It's not going to be as easy with new legislation that requires football players to pass nine credit hours during the fall semester, up from the previous standard of six credit hours.
Any player who fails to pass those nine credit hours will be suspended for the first four games of the following season.
My first thought on this, from a Clemson perspective, is whoa. Football coaches here are already dealing with rising academic standards that make it harder to keep kids eligible. You have to think this legislation makes it even more difficult.
-- Last, and most certainly not least, comes some thoroughly heartwarming news from the Brookover family.
Finn Brookover is the 2-year-old daughter of Bob and Corey Brookover. Bob is a Clemson grad, a PRTM professor at the school, and a really nice guy.
Bob and Corey had already been through enough hell after Finn was born prematurely and spent months in the NICU.
Everything was great until recently, when a routine visit to the doctor revealed an abnormally large liver. Then came the knee-buckling revelation that Finn had a rare form of cancer in her liver. She was destined for surgery and chemo, and that was that.
The folks down at MUSC successfully removed the tumor last week, and that in itself was great news.
A few days later came news that gives me goosebumps as I sit here typing it:
The tumor was benign. No cancer. No chemo.
"Keep up the prayers, thoughts, and good vibes because we just got the pathology report," Bob reported via Facebook. "Looks like Finn's tumor is an extremely rare and benign hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma (the liver doctors had to look it up). Still needs some more study and consult with onocologists but hopefully won't need any further treatment."
The family is back in Clemson now, and all is well. Finn is smiling and laughing and eating ice cream and doing stuff a 2-year-old little girl should be doing.
Amazing.
LW
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