Clemson Baseball Loses Three Players to the Transfer Portal After the Regional Loss
Clemson baseball's offseason roster turnover has begun, as three Tiger pitchers — junior Ethan Darden, sophomore Luke Brown, and redshirt freshman Jackson Cole — have entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to multiple sources.
The moves come on the heels of Clemson's season-ending 16-4 loss to Kentucky in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.
Darden is the most experienced of the trio, having made 47 appearances (32 starts) over three seasons. The Rock Hill native opened 2024 as a weekend starter but struggled in ACC play, eventually losing his rotation spot. He suffered a triceps injury in April that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
'He's got a tricep thing and his treatment protocol, they want him to immobilize it with a brace,' head coach Erik Bakich said in early May. 'Nothing surgical, nothing serious.'
Darden finishes his Clemson career with a 12-9 record and 5.50 ERA over 162 innings, striking out 121 and walking 54.
Brown, a 6-foot-7 righthander from Apex, N.C., appeared in five games this season after pitching just once as a freshman. He threw 2.1 innings in 2024, giving up seven runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. A former first-team all-state selection and record-setting strikeout artist at Middle Creek High School, Brown was rated as the No. 6 righthander in North Carolina by Perfect Game coming out of high school. His mother, Ashley Self, played volleyball at Clemson in the 1990s.
Cole, a redshirt freshman lefty from Boiling Springs, S.C., saw limited action this season, pitching 3.2 innings across six outings. He allowed six hits and seven runs (six earned), walking four and striking out one. Cole was highly decorated in high school, earning region and county player of the year honors as a senior and was ranked as the No. 7 lefty in South Carolina by Perfect Game.
All three pitchers leave Clemson looking for a fresh start, while the Tigers will look to reload heading into year three under Bakich.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
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