The Clemson Tigers will begin their 2025 college baseball season on Friday without head coach Erik Bakich, who is serving a two-game suspension following last year’s Super Regional loss to Florida. Bakich plans to turn this temporary setback into an opportunity by trying his hand at radio broadcasting. During a media conversation on Tuesday, he revealed that instead of being present at the games, he will be commentating from his hotel room across the street on Clemson’s flagship station, 105.5 The Roar.
Bakich’s ejection last season during Game 2 of the Super Regional occurred when umpires reviewed a possible ejection of Clemson outfielder Alden Mathes due to a bat flip following a go-ahead home run. Bakich voiced his frustrations from the dugout during the review, resulting in his ejection, which many viewed as controversial.
Here is a video of the incident:
Followed by a lengthy delay due to an ejection. It was assumed to be for Mathes bat-flipping the HR; in the end, it was 2 Clemson coaches ejected.
“We gotta clean this up. Hopefully the NCAA is listening… If our game wants to be better, we gotta clean this up. Communication.” https://t.co/nmAaVOc6TL pic.twitter.com/VhDg52NQDn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2024
The NCAA faced criticism for not allowing Bakich to speak with the media post-game due to his ejection and subsequent suspension. This weekend, he is prohibited from even being in the stadium while Clemson competes in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown against Oklahoma State and Arizona. “I can’t get ejected on the radio,” Bakich quipped in a video posted on X by Clemson beat reporter Chapel Fowler. “So I will be commentating to the best of my ability with our folks on Clemson Athletic Network. It’s a weird kind of rule; I can’t even step foot in the stadium, but we’ll make the best of it.”
Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich, who is suspended from coaching the team’s first two games of 2025 after he was ejected in the Super Regional, says he’ll be on the @1055TheROAR radio broadcast instead: “Can’t get ejected from my hotel room” pic.twitter.com/bbz7QeJR1K
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) February 11, 2025
In Bakich’s absence, assistant coach Nick Schanbel will step in as acting head coach. Bakich expressed confidence in Schanbel, stating, “Nick Schanbel is our assistant head coach. He and I played together at East Carolina, and we’ve been together for 13 seasons. The team will be in very good hands. Our job as coaches is essentially to eliminate our job.” While it may be frustrating for Bakich to miss these two crucial games because of an incident from over eight months ago, he is at least able to explore a new experience. Bakich’s return to the dugout is set for Clemson’s final matchup in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown on Sunday against Ole Miss.
