CLEMSON – As the temperatures rise, so too does the level of anticipation in the Clemson baseball camp.

“We can feel it,” new Clemson coach Erik Bakich said. “The season’s almost here. For a lot of reasons we’re really excited to help return Clemson baseball to where it belongs – on top of college baseball.”

Bakich, who was named just the fourth Clemson baseball coach since 1958 last June, will make his debut at 4 p.m. Friday when the Tigers host the first game of a three-game series against Binghamton (N.Y.) University.

A former graduate assistant at Clemson, Bakich served as an assistant at Vanderbilt before becoming head coach at Maryland and then Michigan. He coached at Michigan for 10 seasons, leading the Wolverines to the championship series of the College World Series in 2019.

Here are some of his strategies for returning the Tigers to ACC and national contenders:

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Create a team ‘synergy’

Bakich has spent much of his effort creating what he termed a “collective buy-in,” and he’s been pleased with the results.

“I feel like that’s where we’ve made the most strides,” Bakich said. “You’ve got to take the target off of yourself and not think of, ‘I’m going to go be an independent contractor at the plate and try to do my Twitter swing,’ but play team baseball.

“The offense is about scoring runs, the defense is about preventing runs and we’re working in constant synergy together because we’re on a team – it’s not the pitchers and the hitters. It’s about tightening that circle.”

Focus on players from the ‘neck up’

Bakich says he considers himself a teacher as much as a coach.

“We got the most out of our teams at Michigan not because we were the most talented team from the neck down, but because of what we had from the neck up,” he said.

The team responded by posting an all-time GPA record for Clemson baseball last fall.

“The stuff we did in the classroom and the community we feel has really translated to making the best team we can possibly have on the field,” Bakich said. “That doesn’t equate to any wins on the scoreboard, but it’s all connected. We believe how you do anything is how you do everything. That’s been an underlying theme with this group from Day 1.”

Let players drive the car

With preparation largely complete, Bakich is a firm believer in flipping a switch once the season begins and allow the players greater control over their destiny.

“The games – that’s their time,” Bakich said. “That’s the players’ time to shine. I’ll be more their cheerleader. We’ll still call plays and do things and push buttons, but the best teams I’ve seen are the ones where the players know what to do and their personalities can start to shine on the field. You’ll have some ups and downs, but by the end of the season it’s like handing them the keys. Hopefully we get to that point and ride that wave of momentum as long as we can.”

Rekindle the program’s history

From bringing former coach Jack Leggett back into the fold to reintroducing former players to the team, Bakich has embraced the program’s history.

“I want them to have an understanding that there have been a lot of great teams and a lot of great players that have come before them and we’re just standing on their shoulders and trying to add as much value to an already storied program as possible,” Bakich said.

Put all the puzzle pieces together

Bakich loves what already is in place at Clemson.

“The infrastructure is here,” Bakich said. “The caliber of player is already here, the stadium’s already here, the support administratively is here, the passionate fan base is here.

“So now it’s just making sure that you can put all these puzzle pieces together and help these guys reach their potential. We feel like with this particular group, if we can get there, there’s no reason why this team can’t compete to be one of the last teams standing.”

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Erik Bakich: Clemson baseball coach's plan make Tigers a power again