Brian Barnes Position: Pitcher Experience: 1986-1989

At a meager 5'9" tall, few would guess that Brian Barnes was a former Major League pitcher with one of the most successful college careers in history. Barnes pitched for Clemson from 1986-1989 and led the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Then, the tournament was set up where only 48 teams were invited, and six teams played at eight different regional sites.

The 1989 season was a record-setting year for Barnes. He recorded his 16th victory of the season during the NCAA Tournament regional, still a school and Atlantic Coast Conference record for a single season. He led the nation with 208 strikeouts that year, also a Clemson best. He was named the ACC Player-of-the-Year and the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player, as Clemson won the tournament championship. Barnes finished the season with a 16-3 record, a 2.22 earned run average and nine complete games. He allowed only 36 earned runs and 87 hits in 146.0 innings pitched. Both the American Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball America rewarded his statistical achievements with a first-team All-America selection.

The honor was the second All-America title of Barnes' career. Baseball America named him to the second-team in 1988. That year he compiled a 13-2 record and struck out 140 compared to only 62 walks. He had a 3.33 ERA in 137.2 innings pitched. The Tigers were 18-2 in ACC play that year en route to a regular season conference championship and a final ranking of #15 by Baseball America. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection in 1988.

The native of Roanoke Rapids, NC set 12 Clemson records and is listed among the top 10 in 12 other categories. Barnes also holds claim to five ACC pitching records. He became the first Clemson pitcher to win at least 10 games in three consecutive years. He finished his career with a 44-10 record, school and conference standards for wins. His 513 career strikeouts and 475.1 innings pitched are also top marks. The right-hander became only the fourth pitcher in major college history to record 500 strikeouts. His total is still fourth best in NCAA history.

After his stellar collegiate career, the Montreal Expos selected Barnes in the fourth round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft. He was called up to the majors in September of 1990, just his first full year of professional baseball. The Expos were in a tight pennant race for the East Division title and needed Barnes to pitch a crucial game. He faced the division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates in his debut on September 14, allowing only four hits and striking out nine. However, two of those hits were homeruns and belonged to none other than Barry Bonds. Barnes played five seasons in the majors with stints as a Cleveland Indian and a Los Angeles Dodger.

After 12 years of baseball, Barnes called it quits three years ago. He returned to North Carolina and is in the car business these days. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and three kids. The family comes back to Clemson at every opportunity. When asked about his best memories as a Tiger, the former pitcher described the influence that Coach Bill Wilhelm had on all the players. He learned about life as well as baseball from the coaching legend.

"Coming to Clemson was the best decision I ever made. It's a great place to grow into your adulthood. There are always people looking out for you," Barnes claimed.