Clemson seems to make a habit of losing on Opening Day. Friday’s 6-4 defeat at the hands of Wright State is the Tigers’ fourth consecutive loss in an opener, a remarkable stat for a team who plays in a place where Opening Day is a borderline holiday.
This was a different kind of Opening Day loss for the Tigers, though. This wasn’t an overachieving mid- or low-major team catching lightning in a bottle. It wasn’t a light-hitting Tiger offense failing to put runners on base. It wasn’t a bullpen blowup, an ill-timed error, or a mental miscue at a critical moment.