Clemson’s Leggett preps for next championship try

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Jack Leggett is proud of the respect he gets from baseball colleagues after 20 years as the Tigers coach. And he’s not worried about the fans concerned that while their coach is among the country’s best, he’s fallen short in his own state.

Leggett begins his 21st season at Clemson on Friday, starting a three-game series at home against Eastern Michigan. He’s led one of the country’s winningest programs the past two decades, reaching the College World Series six times in that span.

He was one of the game’s loudest voices in advancing the flat-seamed ball, a change set for 2015 to increase offense. But he’s also dealt with disappointments, like getting eliminated from NCAA play by rival South Carolina twice in the past four seasons.