Clemson, S.C. — Clemson baseball defeated Coastal Carolina 5-1 on Friday in an exhibition at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, giving Tigers fans an early look at several freshmen.
Freshman Louis Hernandez Jr. delivered the first big hit, a bases-loaded double into right-center that scored two runs and put Clemson ahead 2-0. The Tigers added more in a three-run second inning that proved enough.
Right-hander Carson Adomnik struck out three Coastal Carolina hitters in a clean relief inning. Adomnik arrived from South Paulding High School in Douglasville, Georgia, as a top-50 Georgia prospect in the 2026 class.
Hernandez, a six-foot-five Florida product from Lake Mary High School, ranked among the top 100 nationally in the 2026 class and was among Clemson’s highest-rated signees after Blake Bryant signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Head coach Erik Bakich split his roster across the exhibition slate and said the freshman group has a high ceiling, with some players already pushing older teammates for playing time.
Pelicans Ballpark is home to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Friday’s game was one of two scheduled exhibitions for the Tigers on the Grand Strand.
