COACHES
Learn From Legends

Erik Bakich | Head Coach
Erik Bakich has made an immediate impact as Clemson’s 28th head coach in 2023. In his first season in Tigertown in 2023, Bakich (pronounced BACK-itch) led the Tigers to the league championship by going 4-0 in the ACC Tournament at Durham, N.C. It was Clemson’s first ACC title since 2016 and was a big reason it earned the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, the first time they hosted a regional since 2018 and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
In 2023, Clemson went from last place in the ACC in early April with a 2-8 record and finished with a 20-10 league mark, good for second place in the overall standings, thanks in large part to a 17-game winning streak, tied for fourth longest in school history, during the second half of the season. Including an undefeated ACC Tournament to capture its 16th ACC championship, Clemson was 24-10 against ACC squads and won 20 of its last 21 games against conference foes in 2023. The Tigers also won their last seven ACC series, their longest such streak during one season since 1994.
The Tigers, who had 24 come-from-behind wins and won 12 of their last 13 road games, finished the 2023 season with a 44-19 record, their best mark since 2018, and ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation by Baseball America in the final polls. Clemson, whose 44 wins tied for 11th most in the nation, played the nation’s ninth-toughest schedule, as it played 56 of its 63 games against teams with a .500 or better overall record.
Clemson hit .306 with a .400 on-base percentage in 2023, its best marks since 2011, and totaled 103 steals, most by the Tigers since 2013. Clemson also had a 4.30 ERA and set a school record for fielding percentage (.977). Clemson finished 19th in the nation in ERA and 22nd in batting average. The Tigers joined Virginia and Oral Roberts as the only teams to finish in the top 25 in the nation in those two categories.
Caden Grice, the winner of the 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player-of-the-Year Award, and Billy Amick earned first-team All-America honors. Grice, who was the No. 64 overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, became the first Tiger in history to either lead the team or tie for the team lead in wins and homers in a season. Amick and Cam Cannarella, the 2023 ACC Freshman-of-the-Year, were First-Team All-ACC selections. Amick (.413) became the first Tiger since Khalil Greene (.470) in 2002 to hit .400 in a season. Cannarella was named a first-team freshman All-American and led the ACC in batting average (.408) in conference games.
Bakich, who was named head coach at Clemson on June 16, 2022 by Director of Athletics Graham Neff, served as head coach at Michigan for 10 seasons from 2013-22, leading the Wolverines to the 2019 College World Series championship series. Bakich also served as a head coach at Maryland (2010-12) and as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt (2003-09) along with his one year as volunteer assistant coach at Clemson in 2002.
Bakich was the consensus national coach-of-the-year in 2019, when he led Michigan to an NCAA runner-up finish and a 50-22 record. It marked the first time since 1966 that a Big Ten Conference team reached the championship game of the College World Series.
He also led Michigan to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022, meaning five of his last seven teams (excluding 2020) advanced to the national tournament. Bakich guided the Wolverines to Big Ten Conference Tournament titles in 2015 and 2022 as well. He joined Rich Maloney as the only Michigan head coaches to win two Big Ten Conference titles over the previous 35 years.
Bakich is no stranger to the ACC, as he served three seasons as head coach at Maryland. In 2012, he led the Terrapins to a 32-24 record, a 15-win improvement from his first season in College Park.
Prior to his three years at Maryland, Bakich was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt under Head Coach Tim Corbin, who was an assistant coach at Clemson from 1994-02. Vanderbilt had a 276-157 record in his seven seasons (2003-09) in Nashville.
Bakich served as recruiting coordinator for the Commodores, helping sign some of the nation’s top recruits, including No. 1 overall draft pick David Price. All seven of his recruiting classes were ranked in the top 25, including the top-rated class in 2005 and the No. 2 class in 2008.
He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach under Head Coach Jack Leggett and alongside Corbin and Kevin O’Sullivan at Clemson in 2002, when he worked with the Tiger outfielders and infielders. The Tigers had a 54-17 record and advanced to the College World Series with the likes of national player of the year Khalil Greene, Jeff Baker and Michael Johnson, who combined for 77 home runs.
Bakich started his playing career at San Jose (Calif.) City College, then he transferred to East Carolina to play two seasons (1999,00) under late Head Coach Keith LeClair, whom Leggett coached when LeClair played at Western Carolina. The Pirates won back-to-back CAA titles and earned No. 1 seeds in NCAA Regionals both years and was named to the 1999 Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team. The outfielder hit .315 with 14 home runs, 27 doubles, 85 RBIs, 87 runs and 14 steals in two seasons.
Bakich and Assistant Head Coach Nick Schnabel both wear jersey #23 to honor LeClair, who wore that jersey number as a head coach at East Carolina. LeClair passed away in 2006 after a battle with ALS.
Bakich graduated from East Carolina in 2000 with a degree in exercise & sport science. He then played two years (2000,01) professionally in multiple independent leagues. After his playing career, Bakich returned to East Carolina, where he served as an assistant strength & conditioning coach for one year.
He was born Erik Michael Bakich on Nov. 27, 1977 in San Jose, Calif. He graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose in 1996. He and his wife, Jiffy, have two sons, Colt and Beau, and a daughter, Tempie.

Nick Schnabel | Asst. Head Coach
Nick Schnabel is in his second year with the Tiger program as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator in 2024. Schnabel (pronounced SHNAHB-ull), who was named to the staff on June 27, 2022 and works with the infielders, coached alongside Bakich during his tenure at Michigan from 2013-22 and was named national assistant coach-of-the-year by ABCA in 2019.
As recruiting coordinator at Clemson, he has played a big part in signing nationally ranked recruiting classes. The Tigers’ 2023 signing class (2024 newcomers excluding transfers) was rated No. 11 in the nation by Baseball America.
In his first season in Tigertown in 2023, Schnabel coached the Tigers to the league championship by going 4-0 in the ACC Tournament at Durham, N.C. It was a big reason they earned the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Clemson went from last place in the ACC in early April with a 2-8 record and finished with a 20-10 league mark, good for second place in the overall standings, thanks in large part to a 17-game winning streak.
The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 44-19 record, their best mark since 2018, and ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation by Baseball America in the final polls. Clemson hit .306, 22nd highest in the nation, with a .400 on-base percentage in 2023, its best marks since 2011, and totaled 103 steals, most by Clemson since 2013. The Tigers set a school record for fielding percentage (.977) as well.
Caden Grice, the winner of the 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player-of-the-Year Award, and Billy Amick earned first-team All-America honors. Grice, who was the No. 64 overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, became the first Tiger in history to either lead the team or tie for the team lead in wins and homers in a season. Amick and Cam Cannarella, the 2023 ACC Freshman-of-the-Year, were First-Team All-ACC selections. Amick (.413) became the first Tiger since Khalil Greene (.470) in 2002 to hit .400 in a season. Cannarella was named a first-team freshman All-American and led the ACC in batting average (.408) in conference games.
Schnabel served as recruiting coordinator as well as working with the Wolverine infielders and hitters during his tenure in Ann Arbor. His 2018 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 in the nation by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, one of the highest rankings in program history and Big Ten Conference history.
Many of those players were instrumental in the 2019 team’s 50-22 record and an NCAA runner-up finish in the championship series of the College World Series, as Michigan came just one win shy of the national title. Schnabel was also a key part of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2015, the first Big Ten Conference Tournament championship during his time at Michigan.
The 2022 team won the Big Ten Conference Tournament title and played in the Louisville Regional, advancing to the championship game. The 2021 Michigan team also made an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The 2020 team was poised for a successful season as well before it was cut short. Following that season, four Wolverines were drafted in the five-round draft, including three hitters under Schnabel’s tutelage, Jordan Nwogu (third round), Jesse Franklin (third round) and Jack Blomgren (fifth round).
Schnabel served three seasons (2010-12) at his alma mater, East Carolina, as hitting instructor, infield coach and recruiting coordinator. He also was hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator at Liberty (2008,09) and served as hitting instructor at Army West Point (2006,07).
In 2005, he was an assistant coach at Chipola (Fla.) College after he began his coaching career as the volunteer assistant coach at East Carolina in 2004, when the Pirates totaled 51 wins and advanced to the Columbia (S.C.) Super Regional.
He played alongside Bakich at East Carolina in 1999 and 2000 under late Head Coach Keith LeClair. Schnabel was a First-Team All-CAA selection and CAA Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 1999. During both seasons, the Pirates won league titles and were No. 1 seeds in NCAA Regionals. In his two years in Greenville, he hit .333 with five homers, 29 doubles, 58 RBIs, 106 runs and 19 steals in 120 games.
Schnabel and Bakich both wear jersey #23 to honor LeClair, who wore that jersey number as a head coach at East Carolina. LeClair passed away in 2006 after a battle with ALS.
Schnabel began his collegiate career at Ohlone (Calif.) College, where he was a first-team all-conference player.
After his playing career in college, Schnabel played four seasons (2000-03) and 189 games of minor league baseball in the Expos organization.
Schnabel graduated from East Carolina in 2003 with a degree in communications.
He was born Nicholas Arthur Schnabel on March 16, 1978 in Berkeley, Calif. The Martinez, Calif. native and his wife, Emily, have a son, Cal, and daughter, Caroline.

Jimmy Belanger | Asst. Coach
Jimmy Belanger is in his second year with the Tiger program as pitching coach in 2024. Belanger (pronounced BELL-en-juhr), who was named to the staff on June 28, 2022, spent the previous three seasons at Florida State, mentoring many of the best pitchers in the ACC.
In his first season in Tigertown in 2023, Belanger coached the Tigers to the league championship by going 4-0 in the ACC Tournament at Durham, N.C. It was a big reason they earned the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Clemson went from last place in the ACC in early April with a 2-8 record and finished with a 20-10 league mark, good for second place in the overall standings, thanks in large part to a 17-game winning streak.
The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 44-19 record, their best mark since 2018, and ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation by Baseball America in the final polls. Clemson had a 4.30 ERA, 19th in the nation, and the 604 strikeouts were fourth most in school history and the most since 1996. The Tigers also set a school record for fielding percentage (.977).
Caden Grice, the winner of the 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player-of-the-Year Award, earned first-team All-America honors. Grice, who was the No. 64 overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, became the first Tiger in history to either lead the team or tie for the team lead in wins and homers in a season. He was 8-1 with a 3.35 ERA, .196 opponents’ batting average and 101 strikeouts against 33 walks in 78.0 innings pitched. Belanger also coached reliever Nick Clayton, who developed a new delivery prior to the season and had a 8-0 record and 3.17 ERA. Ryan Ammons was a 10th-round draft pick in 2023 as well.
Belanger has been a full-time assistant coach for 13 seasons, with stops at Monmouth (2010-12), Maryland (2013-16), Kentucky (2017-19) and Florida State (2020-22).
The 2022 Seminoles totaled 702 strikeouts in 534.0 innings pitched, good for a national-best 11.8 strikeouts-per-nine-innings-pitched mark. Their 3.34 strikeout-to-walk ratio (No. 4) and 702 strikeouts (No. 2) were among the top-four marks in the country as well.
In 2021, Florida State was also among the national leaders in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (11.4), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.19) and ERA (3.45), as all three marks led the ACC. Freshman Parker Messick earned ACC Pitcher-of-the-Year and ACC Freshman-of-the-Year honors.
Belanger’s 2019 staff at Kentucky featured Zack Thompson, the highest-drafted pitcher in school history when he was selected No. 19 overall in the first round by the Cardinals. In 2017, Kentucky set school records for strikeouts and opponents’ batting average, as Sean Hjelle was named SEC Pitcher-of-the-Year that season. His 2017 staff included two All-Americans, one freshman All-American, two First-Team All-SEC selections and four pitchers drafted in the top-11 rounds.
As pitching coach at Maryland, he helped the Terrapins reach a super regional in 2014 and 2015, the first two super regional appearances in school history. In 2015, his pitchers totaled 549 strikeouts, leading to 42 wins. In 2014, Maryland reached 40 wins for the first time thanks in large part to All-ACC pitcher Jake Stinnett, who led the conference with 132 strikeouts.
In three seasons at Monmouth, Belanger worked with Pat Light, a first-round draft pick in 2012. He also mentored Nick Meyers, who was the 2011 NEC Pitcher-of-the-Year. He began his coaching career as a student assistant coach at Louisville in 2009, when the Cardinals advanced to a super regional.
Belanger played two seasons (2005,06) at Cecil (Md.) College before transferring to Louisville to play in 2007 and 2008. As a Cardinal, he pitched 98.2 innings over 33 appearances (17 starts). In 2007, Louisville reached the College World Series for the first time in school history.
Belanger graduated from Louisville in 2009 with a degree in sociology.
He was born James Michael Belanger on Sept. 23, 1986 in Queens, N.Y. The North Babylon, N.Y. native and his wife, Tiffany, have sons, Sutton and Hayes, and a daughter, Sloane.

Brad Owens | Director of Baseball Operations
Brad Owens is in his 17th season with the Tiger program in 2024, serving as chief of staff, operations. He is in charge of all team travel and camps for the program along with handling many other administrative duties.
The native of Barnwell, S.C. attended nearby Anderson (S.C.) University, where he was a four-time letterman. The righthanded middle reliever lettered from 2003-06 and served as team captain during his senior season. In his four-year career, he made 52 appearances (one start) on the mound and pitched 73.0 innings.
In both 2005 and 2006, he won the Trojan Challenge, the squad’s offseason conditioning competition. Owens was also a member of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference All-Academic team as a senior and was a Dean’s List student for three years.
During his playing days, Owens worked in a variety of roles at Anderson. He was a sports information department intern and later was an assistant. Owens was also a residence advisor in the Anderson Residence Life Department.
In the summer of 2006, Owens was an operations assistant for the Greenville (S.C.) Drive (Boston Red Sox affiliate). He also served as a player development intern for the Red Sox during the 2007 season, including duties performed at spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.
During the 2006-07 academic year, Owens served as an administrative graduate assistant for the Student-Athlete Enrichment Programs on the Clemson campus. Owens provided academic advising for student-athletic staff members, including monitoring of grades along with assistance with registration, general guidance and daily communication with coaching staffs of various sports.
Owens, who had a 3.30 GPA in his career as an undergraduate, received a bachelor of science degree in business management from Anderson in 2006. He later earned his master’s degree from Clemson in human resource development in 2008.
Owens, who is married to the former Emily Brown, was born Sept. 2, 1983 in Augusta, Ga. The couple has a daughter, Caroline, and son, Bradley.

Ben Paulsen | Director of Player Development
Ben Paulsen is in his sixth year with the Tiger program serving as director of player development in 2024. Paulsen spent the 2018 season as a student assistant coach at Clemson, as he returned to Tigertown to finish his degree requirements through the Tiger Trust program. He later served as the volunteer assistant coach at Georgia Southern in the fall of 2018.
Among Paulsen’s responsibilities, he is in charge of player development, opponent scouting, facility organization, enhancement & technology, recruiting & alumni relations, student-athlete transition and student-athlete services.
As a student assistant coach in 2018, he helped the Tigers total 47 overall wins, 22 ACC regular-season victories, a share of the ACC regular-season title and an outright ACC Atlantic Division championship. Those four achievements were all firsts for the program since 2006. Clemson finished ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation by Perfect Game and were also ranked in the top 25 during all 19 weeks. Clemson was third in the nation in homers (98) and had a school-record .975 fielding percentage as well. Seth Beer (first) and Logan Davidson (third) earned All-America honors, as Beer became just the second three-time All-American in Clemson history and was a first-round draft pick by the Houston Astros.
Paulsen, son of former Clemson Assistant Coach (2003-10) and current Winthrop Head Coach Tom Riginos, was a career .318 hitter with 45 doubles, five triples, 31 homers, 130 RBIs and four steals in 182 games (170 starts) over three seasons (2007-09) at Clemson.
The first baseman, who was drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rockies in 2009, played three years (2014-16) in the majors with the Rockies, hitting .271 with 16 homers and 70 RBIs in 186 games.
Paulsen, a native of Acworth, Ga., returned to Clemson through the Tiger Trust Program and graduated with a degree in business management in 2018.
Paulsen was born Oct. 27, 1987 in Plymouth, Wis. He and his wife, Kendall, have two daughters, Charlotte and Josephine.

Griffin Mazur | Volunteer Asst. Coach
Griffin Mazur is in his second year with the Tiger program and first as an assistant coach in 2024 after serving as the volunteer assistant coach in 2023. Mazur (pronounced MAY-zuhr), who was named to the staff on June 27, 2022 and works with the catchers, played the 2021 season at Michigan under Bakich after he transferred from UC Irvine, where he was a player from 2016-20.
In his first season in Tigertown in 2023, Mazur coached the Tigers to the league championship by going 4-0 in the ACC Tournament at Durham, N.C. It was a big reason they earned the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Clemson went from last place in the ACC in early April with a 2-8 record and finished with a 20-10 league mark, good for second place in the overall standings, thanks in large part to a 17-game winning streak.
The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 44-19 record, their best mark since 2018, and ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation by Baseball America in the final polls. Clemson hit .306, 22nd highest in the nation, with a .400 on-base percentage in 2023, its best marks since 2011, and totaled 103 steals, most by Clemson since 2013. The Tigers set a school record for fielding percentage (.977) as well.
Caden Grice, the winner of the 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player-of-the-Year Award, and Billy Amick earned first-team All-America honors. Grice, who was the No. 64 overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, became the first Tiger in history to either lead the team or tie for the team lead in wins and homers in a season. Amick and Cam Cannarella, the 2023 ACC Freshman-of-the-Year, were First-Team All-ACC selections. Amick (.413) became the first Tiger since Khalil Greene (.470) in 2002 to hit .400 in a season. Cannarella was named a first-team freshman All-American and led the ACC in batting average (.408) in conference games. Catcher Cooper Ingle, who was a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, earned Third-Team All-ACC honors as well.
Mazur worked as a program assistant at Michigan during the 2022 season after playing 44 games in his one season as a player at Michigan in 2021. He hit .247 with six homers, eight doubles, 33 RBIs and 31 runs, as he was a Second-Team All-Big Ten Conference catcher.
Mazur, who was voted team captain in 2021, also was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and was a All-Big Ten Academic selection.
In his four active seasons (2016,18-20) at UC Irvine, he played 110 games (55 starts).
After his college career, he played one season (2021) and 17 games with Tri-City (A+) in the Angels organization.
Mazur graduated from UC Irvine in 2020 with two degrees, one in criminology, law & society and one in education sciences. He also received a master’s degree in sport management from Michigan in 2021.
He was born Griffin Cole Mazur on April 8, 1997 in Mission Viejo, Calif. and is a native of Moorpark, Calif. Mazur is married to Amanda Lorenz.

Phil Pohl | Director of Scouting & Player Personnel
Phil Pohl completed his second season with the Tiger program as director of scouting & player personnel in 2024. In 2022, Pohl served as manager of the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.
In 2016, Pohl became Oakland’s bullpen catcher and served in that role for six seasons. Prior to the 2022 season, Pohl was named manager of the Lugnuts, meaning he spent 11 seasons in the Athletics organization.
Pohl, who was drafted in the 28th round by the Athletics in 2012, played four years (2012-15) in the minor leagues in the Athletics organization, reaching as high as AAA in 2014. In his minor league career, he totaled 18 homers, 75 RBIs and 87 runs in 182 games.
Pohl lettered four times (2009-12) as a Tiger as one of the most respected players in the program for his hard work and dedication on the field and in the classroom. The two-time co-captain and two-time winner of the Tiger Baseball Award, given to the team’s best leader, was a career .286 hitter with a .363 on-base percentage in 198 games (157 starts). He also totaled 15 homers, 44 doubles, 113 RBIs and 94 runs in his career and was a two-time All-ACC selection.
Off the field, he was a two-time Academic All-American, two-time All-ACC Academic selection and four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member. He is one of only three Academic All-Americans in program history and the only Tiger to be a multi-year Academic All-American.
After limited action in 2009 and 2010, he became an everyday starter as a junior in 2011, when he hit .333 with 22 doubles, four homers and 33 RBIs. He also became Clemson’s first Academic All-American since 1995.
As a senior in 2012, Pohl was a First-Team All-ACC selection. He was also a strength & conditioning All-American and first-team Academic All-American in 2012, when he hit .286 with nine homers and a team-high 58 RBIs.
Pohl graduated from Clemson in 2012 with a degree in management with a 3.63 career GPA and 3.0 GPA or better in all eight semesters at Clemson. He was also honored during the 2010 College World Series Opening Ceremonies for having Clemson’s highest GPA.
He was born Philip Michael Pohl on July 22, 1990 in Bakersfield, Calif. The Cooperstown, N.Y. native and his wife, Christy, a former Clemson track & field student-athlete, have a son, Vincent, and daughter, Vittoria.