Ad Disclosure
Clemson and Ole Miss met on the opening weekend of baseball season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, and the Tigers came up with a rare successful hidden-ball trick vs. the Rebels.
The showdown came in Arlington, Texas with the 2 sides taking part in the opening weekend neutral site series. And while Ole Miss powered its way to a 15-5 run-rule victory, the Tigers came out with a trick play to end one inning.
In the top of the 5th, Ole Miss was facing 2 outs but with runners on 1st and 3rd. That’s when Clemson set the play up with the 3rd baseman and pitcher meeting during a break in the action.
Josh Paino made it appear like he was handing the ball back to the pitcher but instead kept the ball tucked in his glove. Pitcher BJ Bailey retreated but made sure to stay off the mound, a critical aspect for the play to be legal.
That’s when the Ole Miss runner wandered off 3rd base just enough for Paino to strike, tagging him out and ending the inning:
RELATED: Don’t get caught missing out on the best DFS action! Find your favorite PrizePicks alternative to get started today.
While the play worked perfectly, it didn’t ultimately impact the final score with Ole Miss pounded its way to the big win. Clemson opens the season at 2-1 with wins over Oklahoma State and Arizona to go with the loss to Ole Miss.
The Tigers are looking to get over the heartache of last year’s Super Regionals defeat at the hands of Florida and are in pursuit of a 3rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance since Erik Bakich took over. Clemson has not been back to the College World Series since 2010.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
