CLEMSON — Don't expect Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich to change who he is.

Bakich and assistant Jack Leggett were ejected in the 13th inning against Florida in Game 2 of the Clemson Super Regional. They will serve two-game suspensions to begin the 2025 season.

The second-year Tigers coach was thrown out after ignoring three warnings to return to the dugout and inciting the fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Bakich admitted Wednesday he deserves the suspension, but he is unapologetic regarding why he was ejected.

"I am always going to interact with our crowd. Sorry, not sorry," Bakich said. "I'm going to keep doing that, so I guess I'm going to keep getting ejected because that was the explanation I got — because I incited the crowd when Coach Leggett was walking out."

The Tigers finished 44-16 with 20 conference wins and won the ACC's Atlantic Division. They earned the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and reached their first super regional since 2010. Clemson aims to make the College World Series next season.

"We tasted that energy in that atmosphere, and we're instantly addicted," Bakich said. "We'll never get it out of our system. We want that every single year now, want that type of postseason energy (and) postseason crowd."

Looking ahead to 2025 season

Bakich expects to overhaul Clemson's roster with many players going pro or departing via the transfer portal and expiring eligibility. He will have to replace Alden Mathes, Jacob Hinderleider, Jimmy Obertop and Blake Wright's production. They combined for 238 runs, which accounted for 49.2% of Clemson's production.

Bakich expects outfielder Will Taylor and pitchers Tristan Smith and Austin Gordon to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft in July and be signed. As a result, Bakich is aiming for power hitters and pitching in the transfer portal.

"We absolutely are looking at it from an objective standpoint of how are we going to replace these innings, how are we going to replace this power (and) how can we make sure we're still playing this time next year?" Bakich said.

The Tigers will have plenty of sophomore and junior contributors for 2025. Cam Cannarella will be back along with Tristan Bissetta, Jacob Jarrell, Jack Crighton, Jarren Purify and Nolan Nawrocki. Pitcher Aidan Knaak, who earned All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, will also return, and Andrew Ciufo, who tore his ACL on April 6, is coming back for another year.

OFFSEASON MOVES: Clemson baseball transfer portal tracker 2024: Who's in, who's out for Erik Bakich

Bakich on Cam Cannarella's season-saving catch vs Florida

With runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Gators in Game 2 of the Clemson Super Regional, Cannarella made a leaping over-the-shoulder Willie Mays catch in deep-center field to extend the Tigers' season another day.

Bakich said Cannarella's grab ranks No. 1 in baseball history.

"I've heard from quite a few people, so this is not just my opinion, but the greatest catch they've seen in baseball ever, given the stakes given everything," Bakich said. "He's a human-highlight reel."

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson baseball: Erik Bakich on ejection, Cam Cannarella's catch