Summer league update: Clemson baseball players who are thriving halfway through 2024 season

CLEMSON — Clemson baseball has plenty of its players performing well across various summer leagues.

Eight are in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the premier summer league, and star Tigers players Aidan Knaak and Cam Cannarella were with the USA Collegiate National Team training camp. Clemson has players in six other leagues, too, where they will play with and against other college athletes from all levels.

With a chance to gain more playing time under third-year coach Erik Bakich, here are the top performing summer-ball players for the Tigers halfway through the season (stats as of July 8).

Lucas Mahlstedt, RHP

The sidearm right-hander has been stellar with the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod League. He has a 2.08 ERA with nine strikeouts and has allowed just six walks in 8⅔ innings.

This is Mahlstedt's second season in the league, where he has thrived. He has a 1.15 ERA in 10 career appearances with Wareham, and he can be one of Clemson's top relievers again in 2025.

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Luke Gaffney, C/INF

The Purdue transfer committed to the Tigers on June 26, and he has shown what he will bring to Clemson. With the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League, he has a .306 batting average with 12 RBIs in 19 games.

Gaffney hasn't recorded a homer during summer ball, but he posted 13 last season with the Boilermakers to win Big Ten freshman of the year.

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Hideki Prather, C

With Jimmy Obertop's eligibility expiring, Clemson needs another catcher to step up behind Jacob Jarrell. Prather has shown he is up to the task this summer with the Healdsburg Prune Packers of the Pacific Empire League.

The redshirt freshman, who missed 2024 with an injury, is batting .304 with five home runs and 11 RBIs through 15 games. If he continues this production and carries it into 2025, the Tigers will be in good shape behind the plate.

Tryston McCladdie, INF/OF

The Georgia native received just 17 at-bats last season, hitting .235. Still, he made a critical eighth-inning RBI single in Game 2 of the Clemson Super Regional against Florida to give the Tigers life in the elimination game.

It was a sign of things to come for McCladdie, who has been strong with the Martha's Vineyard Sharks in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He is hitting .317 with one homer, four RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 11 games. With two starting vacancies in the infield and one in the outfield, he could earn one of those roles or time at designated hitter.

Chance Fitzgerald, RHP

The Florida native made six relief appearances and posted a 6.75 ERA last season, his first year. This summer, he is showing he can be a bigger part of Clemson's bullpen with his play with the Lexington County Blowfish in the Coastal Plain League.

In three starts, Fitzgerald has a 2.77 ERA with 12 strikeouts and nine walks in 13 innings. This is the most he has pitched in college, and his relief innings could be beneficial for Clemson next season.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00