A Longhorn Leader: Kody Clemens

by Riley Zayas

“I try to play my own game and be my own player,” UT infielder Kody Clemens said.

That mentality has worked out well for him as he’s racked up a plethora of awards and honors during the 2018 season. Big 12 player of the year, a Golden Spikes award semifinalist and a Bobby Bragan collegiate slugger award finalist, which is given annually to a division 1 baseball player in the state of Texas who excels in academics, at the plate and in personal integrity. Many people think that they know Kody Clemens from watching his famous father, Roger, a Texas baseball great and MLB all-star. But Kody Clemens stands on his own.[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]

After a stellar high school career at Memorial High in Houston, where he was a two time perfect game underclass high honorable mention all-american, Clemens took his talent to Austin where his older brother Kacy was already playing, making Kody the third baseball player in his family to attend Texas. He began his career in the orange and white playing alongside Kacy, now a minor leaguer in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Kody had a very solid freshman season hitting .242 in all 57 games and was the only freshman to start on opening day. However, that August, a curveball was thrown his way. He would have to undergo Tommy John Surgery and possibly not play that spring. It would be devastating to sit on the bench for all of 2017 considering it was Kacy’s final season and Kody’s last to play with his brother for the Longhorns. Playing with Kacy was one of the driving forces behind Kody’s return as the two are more than brothers, they’re best friends. Having Kacy there helped Kody persevere through a long season of recovery in which he could only play designated hitter. He was able to return to play with his brother in 2017, and less than a year after his surgery, Kody had already hit a home run. However, it wasn’t until this season that Kody Clemens was finally able to return to his full ability and take the field as well as step up to the plate.

On March 3, he knocked home runs in both ends of a doubleheader against Northwestern on his way to a conference leading 19 home runs and finishing seventh in the NCAA for that category. It was a surprise considering Clemens had only hit a total of 10 homers in his first two seasons on the forty acres. When asked about his surge of power in 2018 he said “ I raised my leg kick and I’ve been getting the barrel on the ball most of the time. I just have to make sure that I’m swinging at my pitches.”

In addition to Kody’s great power and excellent fielding is the kind of person he is off the field. Senior teammate, Andy Mcguire’s spoke to Kody’s character; “Kody’s a great guy, one of my best friends and off the field he’s a super fun player to be around.”
He went onto say that he’s also a vocal team leader. Kody attributes much of his leadership skill from being in and around MLB locker rooms for much of his life. “I’ve been around a bunch of big leaguers in my life and I’ve seen how they handle themselves. I’ve definitely learned from my dad as well.” Before the LSU series which was on the road, Kody talked to the freshman and junior college transfers letting them know that this environment that they were about to face was an intense atmosphere and very challenging to play in for any road team because of the crowd’s noise combined with playing in a ballpark that few of them had ever experienced. Kody knew that coming from high school stadiums or junior college fields, this group of players would be more challenged in this non-conference series. That would be something they’d definitely be up against on their road to Omaha he explained. “I just told those guys that this is what we’re going to face in the postseason.” Kody Clemens is a key part of this Longhorns baseball team and it’s success 2018. Whether it’s his home runs, defensive plays or leadership, Kody is an excellent guy to be around, even drawing compliments from the media and coaches.

“The way he analyzes the game is awesome, you’ll really enjoy interviewing him. He breaks everything down and his baseball IQ is great”, says Shawn Clynch, a KVUE sports reporter.

Texas head coach David Pierce said “Kody is one of the most consistent hitters I’ve ever had and especially a power hitter. It [winning Big 12 player of the year] is such a tribute to his preparation and shows also how his teammates rally around him.”

Kody Clemens does stand out, but he does not stand alone. He is united with his teammates and their ultimate goal of the college world series.[/s2If] [s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] [article-offer] [/s2If]