Clemson sophomore Cam Cannarella delivered one of the best — and clutchest — plays in the history of college baseball Sunday. And no, it wasn’t his three run, game-tying home run in the top of the ninth inning of the Tigers’ Game 2 of the Clemson Super Regional against Florida.
Nope, it was a leaping, over-the-shoulder grab by Cannarella, with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and a Florida runner on second base. Cannarella’s catch kept the Tigers’ College World Series hopes alive for three more innings until Florida’s Michael Robertson punched the Gators’ ticket to Omaha with a two-run hit in the bottom of the 13th, sealing the final 11-10 score.
CLEMSON’S CAM CANNARELLA WITH THE CATCH OF THE YEAR 🤯
🎥@SportsCenterpic.twitter.com/kaxIQs77Ix
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 9, 2024
If you’ve been watching Clemson this season, you aren’t too surprised by Cannarella’s catch. The Tigers came from behind in 25 of their 44 wins this year, most notably (until today) rallying form eight runs down in the bottom of the ninth to stun rival Florida State 9-8 in a key early-season game. Clemson’s appearance in the 2024 Super Regional is the team’s first since 2010, which was the last time it reached the College World Series. The Tigers have dealt with more than a decade of postseason frustration, losing five times as a Regional host dating back to the 2011 season.
Cannarella, a likely first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, was already one of the most popular players in Clemson history. Safe to say his legend has grown this afternoon.
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(Photo: Brianna Paciorka / News Sentinel / USA Today)
