Clemson baseball's starting rotation for its 2026 season-opening series against Army is set -- mostly.
The Tigers announced Thursday that ace right-hander Aidan Knaak would start Friday's opener.
"The plan has always been Aiden Knaak," Clemson coach Erik Bakich told reporters earlier in the week. "There's no mystery there."
Tennessee Volunteers transfer Michael Sharman will start Saturday's game for Clemson. The Tigers have not announced a starter for Sunday's finale, but Bakich revealed this week that expected No. 2 starter Drew Titsworth would not be available to begin the season.
Bakich said that left-hander Talan Bell would start "one of those days" against Army.
Knaak is the unquestioned ace of Clemson's rotation and was named a preseason First Team All-American by D1Baseball. The right-hander is one of the top arms in the country, having dazzled in his first two seasons on the bump.
A year ago, Knaak was 9-1 with a 4.18 ERA in 16 starts. He struck out 110 batters in 90 1/3 innings while walking 29 for a 1.107 WHIP. Opponents hit .214 against Knaak as a sophomore.
In his freshman season in 2024, Knaak helped the Tigers reach the Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. He was 5-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 15 starts that year, striking out 108 batters and walking 29 in 83 1/3 innings.
Sharman, a left-hander, transferred to Clemson after making 17 appearances including three starts with Tennessee in 2025. He was 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 22 2/3 innings, where he struck out 25 batters and walked 10.
Bell is a talented sophomore who made eight starts for the Tigers as a freshman in 2025. Another left-hander, Bell posted a 5.56 ERA in 22 2/3 innings. He struck out 22 batters and allowed 15 walks for a 1.632 WHIP. Opponents hit .244 against Bell.
First pitch for Clemson's season opener vs. Army is 4 p.m. ET Friday. Game 2 Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m. with Sunday's series finale set for noon ET.
Clemson is ranked No. 17 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson baseball starting rotation for 2026 opener revealed