John Nester Class: Junior Hometown: Greer, SC High School: Riverside HS Height / Weight: 6-0 / 205 Position: C/1B Experience: 2VL Major: Health Services Administration

Sophomore catcher who has shown flashes of his tremendous power...will compete for the starting job in 2009 after the departure of two-year starter Doug Hogan.

2008: Hit .256 with six runs, three homers, five RBIs, and one stolen base in 30 games (seven starts, all as the DH)...four of his five RBIs came with two outs...two of his three home runs came off the bench...had two sacrifice bunts...hit .333 with the bases empty...was 3-for-7 (.429) as the leadoff batter of an inning...was 10-for-26 (.385) with three homers in innings 5-8...hit .294 with a .400 on-base percentage in his seven starts...did not allow a stolen-base attempt...crushed his first career hit, a solo home run, off the bench against Mercer on Feb. 24...came off the bench and hit a two-run homer against High Point on Feb. 27...hit a solo home run against North Carolina-Greensboro on Mar. 12...went 2-for-3 against N.C. State on Mar. 21...came off the bench and went 1-for-1 with a run and stolen base against Presbyterian at Greenville, SC on Apr. 23...hit a pinch-hit single and came around to score at Central Florida on May 15; the single started Clemson's four-run sixth inning...played for Wilmington in the Coastal Plain League in the summer, where he hit .181 with one homer, 20 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 50 games.

BEFORE CLEMSON: Two-time all-state selection at Riverside High School...two-time all-region pick and member of the South Carolina Select team...named team's Most Valuable Defensive Player as a senior...member of two state championship teams and four region championship teams...#2 prospect in South Carolina by Perfect Game...#1 catcher prospect in South Carolina by Diamond Prospects...#1 two-way player in South Carolina by Diamond Prospects...first-team all-state pick as a junior...had a 5-0 record with a 1.91 ERA, four saves, and 76 strikeouts in 36.0 innings pitched as a junior...lettered four times in baseball and once in basketball at Riverside High, where he was coached by Chris Bates.

PERSONAL: Majoring in health services administration...born John Michael Nester on May 28, 1989 in Huntington, WV.