No. 16 Clemson (5-4) mobbed Wilkerson at first base as the Tigers avoided being swept by South Carolina in football, men's basketball and baseball in the same academic year for the first time since 1954-55.

"They want to go after me," Wilkerson said. "They don't want to go after (Shaffer)."

South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said the Gamecocks were being careful with Shaffer when they could and for good reason. Shaffer had a 2.356 OPS -- on-base percentage plus slugging percentage -- for the series, an astounding number. An OPS of .750 is considered average in Major League Baseball.

The rest of the Clemson team produced a .476 OPS mark against the No. 3 Gamecocks (9-1).

"He's one of the better hitters I've seen in college baseball in a long time," Tanner said.

Shaffer reached base safely in 12 of his 15 plate appearances this weekend, which included two homers, including his fourth homer of the season Sunday.

Shaffer's presence made an impact Sunday and so did his patience.

With South Carolina up by two runs and needing six outs to sweep Clemson for the first time since 2008, Shaffer took his walk.

Shaffer could have expanded his strike zone in frustration of being walked six times in 15 plate appearances in the series while the rest of the Clemson team combined for seven walks. Instead, Shaffer took his walk and Phil Pohl followed with a game-tying home run in the eighth.

"I can't expand the zone," Shaffer said. "If I get selfish and start swinging at balls out of the zone then Phil (Pohl's) homer is a solo shot.

"I used to get anxious ... I have to trust teammates around me."

Trusting teammates might become more difficult if Clemson keeps struggling at the plate.

Clemson left 16 runners on base Sunday and the rest of Clemson's hitters combined to slug .226 against South Carolina. Shaffer slugged 1.556 over the weekend.

Leggett hopes the confidence and approach of his young hitters improve and he hopes the 12 hits are the signs of offensive improvement.

Leggett doesn't want to say anything to Shaffer right now as he's in the proverbial zone.

"He's staying off pitches he can handle and doing something with the ones he can," Leggett said.

Shaffer, who has converted to third base this season, was not perfect in the field as his throwing error combined with a dropped fly ball by Garrett Boulware was followed by Grayson Greiner three-run home run.

South Carolina scored four unearned runs in the second inning as Clemson fell into a 4-0 hole.

But Leggett was pleased with the way starting pitcher Kevin Pohle stay composed. The sophomore did not allow an earned, run striking out five and walking two. Leggett said Pohle will earn another weekend start, another chance to pitch another critical game.

How critical was Clemson's win Sunday?

Said Leggett said. "They are all big."

A measuring stick?

Drama bookended South Carolina's traveling series this weekend with Clemson -- the Gamecocks' first true test of the season.

Friday night in Charleston, the Gamecocks rejoiced after centerfielder Evan Marzilli's diving catch ended a 3-2 victory. Sunday afternoon at Clemson, they could only watch helplessly.

Clemson's 6-5 victory disappointed South Carolina, which won the series 2-1. But Tanner understands it is still early March, far too soon for anything to define a season one way or the other.

Consider that Sunday's rivalry series finale fell exactly three months before the last possible date on which an NCAA tournament regional could end.

Of course, Florida does come to Columbia on March 22 for an important three-game series; the Gators are currently ranked No. 1 in the country, the Gamecocks No. 3. And South Carolina does open SEC play March 16 at Kentucky.

So while Tanner isn't worried about his 9-1 team, despite Sunday's result, his optimism about some developments he saw this weekend -- including freshman catcher Grayson Greiner's two home runs Sunday -- remain tempered by youthful flaws.

"We didn't think we were going to run the table," Tanner said. "We were in position to win today and maybe we didn't deserve to be. They out-pitched us. They out-hit us."

Sophomore Forrest Koumas, the early leader to be South Carolina's new closer, started the ninth by giving up a single to McGibbon, on a 2-2 count. Wilkerson's single, after Thomas Brittle's successful sacrifice bunt, came on a 3-1 count.

"I felt like (the umpire) started squeezing me right there in the last inning," Koumas said. "Those sliders were right there, on the money, didn't move the glove. I thought he had a totally different zone, so I had to throw it right down the middle and that's what happens whenever you do that."

He was referring to Wilkerson's hit. But Brittle's bunt execution was just as important. It stood in contrast to the top of the ninth, when South Carolina freshman Tanner English, a good bunter, popped a sacrifice bunt attempt to the pitcher with a runner on first, no out and the score tied at five.

"He was a little bit too aggressive out of the box and maybe was trying to get on base as well," Tanner said of English's bunt. "He's a young player. He'll learn from that."

South Carolina freshman shortstop Joey Pankake, had a fielding error, giving him four for the series. Defense is more important than ever in college baseball, so Pankake's fielding is a concern for Tanner, though he isn't panicking.