East Carolina baseball faces Duke Tuesday in Durham

by | Mar 25, 2025

The East Carolina University baseball team heads to Durham on Tuesday to take on Duke in a non-conference game.

Follow the game, which starts at 7 p.m., on our Facebook and X pages. Below is a preview from ECU Sports Information. Videos are from Pirate Radio.

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Photo credit: Brad Pruett (ECU Sports Information photo)

By ECUPirates.com

East Carolina takes a brief one-game step out of American Athletic Conference play Tuesday night when it takes on host Duke at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.

The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch and will air live on the ACC Network with Clay Matvick and Devon Travis on the call.

The Pirates (15-9) began the hunt for an unprecedented sixth-straight AAC regular season championship over the weekend with a tidy three-game sweep of Memphis inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The ECU pitching staff really excelled, limiting the Tigers to just three earned runs over 25 innings. Braxton Tramel also earned a spot on the American Conference Weekly Honorable Mention list after hitting .667 (6-for-9) with two runs scored, two home runs and five RBI during the series.

East Carolina enters the week ranked second in the league and 31st nationally in earned run average (3.89) while also slotting 27th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.65), 38th in home runs (33) and 47th in pitching strikeouts per nine innings (9.8).

The Pirates are 4-2 in midweek contests with wins over Old Dominion, Gardner-Webb and VCU (twice) as well as losses to Campbell and UNCW. East Carolina is also 2-2 in true road games.

Projected Pitching Matchup
RHP Jake Hunter (1-1, 2.29 ERA, 19.2 IP) vs. LHP Henry Zatkowski (2-1, 5.71 ERA, 17.1 IP)

About Duke
The Blue Devils (16-9) made the trip up to Charlottesville over the weekend and proceeded to sweep then No. 23 Virginia at Disharoon Park. The Blue Devils own series victories over Cornell, Northwestern, California and the Cavaliers while Duke is 5-2 in midweek games. Taylor Albright is hitting a team-best .352 for a Blue Devil offense that is batting .276 as a team with 47 doubles, 11 triples and 40 home runs. The Duke pitching staff sports a 5.04 ERA with 227 strikeouts and 92 walks in 219.2 innings of work.

The Duke Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Duke by an 42-15-1 margin but looks to snap a brief two-game losing streak to the Blue Devils. The Pirates’ last win over Duke occurred by a 5-4 score back on May 10, 2022, in Greenville.

Mustache March Underway
The East Carolina baseball team (players, coaching staff and support staff) has once again taken part in Mustache March to raise money and awareness for ALS Research and the Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter. For the third-straight year, the Pirates will join with the Pitt Community College and Clemson baseball teams to help fight and strikeout ALS with a goal of raising $15,000. Starting Saturday, March 1, and running through the end of the month, the Pirates will grow mustaches to continue raising money for ALS research. Since 2016, the team has raised over $75,000. With additional support from ECU Dowdy Student Stores, the sum has reached upwards of $100,000 in total donations. Click here to donate to this worthy cause.

Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 412 career victories and is second on the East Carolina career coaching wins list … Has been part of 15 NCAA Regional and two College World Series teams at the Division I level as an assistant coach and head coach … Guided ECU to eight NCAA Regional berths (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024 Greenville Regional host), four Super Regional appearances, five-straight American Athletic Conference regular season titles and three AAC Tournament crowns while posting a 399-188-1 (.679) overall record … Under Godwin’s direction, 14 players have earned All-America status while 25 have been named to NCAA All-Regional Teams. Additionally, 46 student-athletes have garnered all-conference status (27 first-team selections) and 28 players have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams. … A five-time AAC Coach-of-the-Year selection (2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024), Godwin was inducted into the George Whitfield Hall of Fame in January of 2016 … In 2018, he completed a summer stint on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team staff that posted a 12-3 record that included series wins over Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba … As a player, he helped former ECU skipper Keith LeClair’s teams post a 169-76 four-year ledger, including 46-plus wins in each of his final three seasons (46-16 in ’99, 46-18 in ’00 and 47-13 in ’01) … ECU won a pair of CAA Tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Regionals every season from 1999 to 2001 … The Pirates were the top seed in their regional all three years, including a No. 7 national seed in 2001 where they advanced to the Super Regional round versus Tennessee.

Walker Barron: Has started all 24 games at catcher … Clubbed his first home run of the campaign in Chapel Hill … Registered a hit in every game of the North Carolina series … Recorded a season-high two RBI in games against North Carolina and Indiana State … Went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a home run versus Gardner-Webb … Logged three hits in the Coastal Carolina series finale … Drove in three runs in the 19-6 run rule win over William & Mary.
Alex Bouche: Has started all 24 games at shortstop … Hit .333 (3-for-12) during Opening Weekend with a run scored and an RBI … Clubbed a walk off home run in the series rubber game … Went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and a home run in Chapel Hill … Logged two hits and a pair of RBI in the win over Virginia Tech … Scored two runs in the win over Gardner-Webb … Collected three hits and two RBI in the series opener at VCU … Notched three hits in the William & Mary series finale … Drove in two runs against UNCW.
Braden Burress: Has registered a hit in his last eight games … Tied for the club lead in multiple-hit efforts (nine) … Owns nine starts in left field and four in right field … Went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in the season opener … Laced a two-run double to right center in the latter innings of the win over Virginia Tech … Was 5-for-7 with three runs scored in the Coastal Carolina series … Was 2-for-5 with three runs scored in the 11-1 victory at VCU … Logged three hits and four RBI in the 19-6 run rule victory over William & Mary, clubbing a grand slam that marked his first collegiate home run … Drilled a two-run double to the wall in left field against UNCW.
John Collins: Named to the AAC Weekly Honorable Mention List March 17 … Has started 10 games at designated hitter … Went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI in the VCU series opener … Drove in four runs in the 12-0 run rule victory over William & Mary.

Jack Herring: Has started six games – five at right field and one at designated hitter … Recorded a hit in both games he played during the George Mason series … Collected a hit and RBI in the Coastal Carolina series finale … Clubbed his first home run in a Pirate uniform in the 19-6 run rule victory over William & Mary.
Jake Hunter: Made his first appearance on the mound Opening Weekend after recovery from UCL internal brace surgery stemming from an injury he suffered at Memphis last season … Has twirled a 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 11.0 innings of work … Earned his first win of the campaign with five strong innings in the win over Gardner-Webb, striking out seven batters and allowing just two earned runs … Collected his first save of the season by covering the final two innings of the Pirates’ 3-1 win over Memphis.
Austin Irby: Has started all 24 games – three at designated hitter and 21 at first base … Registered his first collegiate RBI in the season opener before logging a hit in both subsequent games … Logged one of ECU’s two hits at Campbell … Has notched a hit in six of his last seven games … Clubbed his first career home run versus Old Dominion … Provided the game ending three-run home run in the run rule victory over Indiana State … Hit home runs in consecutive at bats to account for four RBI in the win over Gardner-Webb … Drove in three runs in the Memphis series finale.

Sean Jenkins: Made his collegiate start on the mound in the George Mason series finale, allowing just one earned run with two strikeouts over 5.2 strong innings of work … Was excellent in the win over Indiana State, tossing six innings while giving up just one earned run with six strikeouts and no walks … Threw six innings in relief with four strikeouts to pick up the win in the Memphis series finale.
Nick Moran: Has been solid over his last four appearances, surrendering just one unearned run in games against North Carolina, Coastal Carolina, VCU and UNCW … Logged five scoreless innings with three strikeouts to earn his first win of the season at VCU.
Ethan Norby: Named the AAC Co-Pitcher of the Week and National Pitcher of the Week March 10 after striking out 19 in the Pirates’ 7-0 win over No. 24 Coastal Carolina … Made his first start of the season in the George Mason series opener, scattering five hits and allowing three earned runs with six strikeouts and no walks in a 5.1-inning effort … Threw 4.2 innings in the series opener against North Carolina, scattering four hits while striking out six and walking just one … Struck out nine over 6.2 innings against Kent State … Fanned the first nine Coastal Carolina batters in the series opener and did not allow a base runner until the seventh inning … Notched his third consecutive quality start by throwing a seven-inning shutout against William & Mary.
Alex Peltier: Has started all 24 games in center field … Currently on a five-game hitting streak … Collected his first collegiate hit and run scored in game two of the George Mason doubleheader before going 2-for-3 with the game-tying solo home run in the series finale … Went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two doubles in the Monday contest against North Carolina … Went 3-for-4 with two runs scored versus Kent State … Notched two hits, two runs scored and three RBI in the 19-6 run rule victory over William & Mary.

Brad Pruett: Named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honorable Mention list (Feb. 17) … Made his Pirate debut in game two of the Friday doubleheader versus George Mason, striking out nine over 3.1 innings while allowing just two hits … Logged five strikeouts in two innings at Campbell … Picked up his first save in the win over Virginia Tech, notching six strikeouts in 3.1 frames … Tossed 2.2 scoreless frames with three strikeouts in the 19-6 run rule victory over William & Mary … Threw 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout against UNCW … Notched his first career win in the Pirates’ 3-1 win over Memphis with a career long 4.2-inning effort, allowing no runs and striking out three.
Braxton Tramel: Named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honorable Mention list (March 24) … Has started six games – five in left field and one at third base … Leads the team in batting average (.421) … Logged two hits in every game of the Memphis series including his first career home run.
Colby Wallace: Has started all 24 games – three at first base and the other 21 at third base … Leads the team in both multi hit (nine) and multi-RBI (six) efforts … Drilled his first collegiate home run in the third inning of game two of the George Mason doubleheader … Went 2-for-3 in the win over Old Dominion … Registered two hits and a pair of RBI versus Kent State … Went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and six RBI in the Pirates’ 7-0 win over No. 24 Coastal Carolina and clubbed East Carolina’s first grand slam since the 2023 season … Was 4-for-8 with four runs scored and nine RBI in the William & Mary doubleheader sweep, including a grand slam in the nightcap … Collected his first career save in the series finale with the Tribe, throwing a scoreless inning with a strikeout … Scored three runs and drove in two in the Memphis series finale.

Dixon Williams: Has reached base safely in 20-straight games … Has started all 24 contests – 22 at second base and two at third base … Logged two home runs and five RBI during Opening Weekend … Hit his third home run of the year against Old Dominion – a monster 420-foot tank in the eighth inning … Went 7-for-10 with six runs scored and two RBI during the LeClair Classic … Clubbed his fourth home run of the campaign in the 11-1 win at VCU … Was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI in the William & Mary series opener … Scored four runs in the 19-6 run rule victory over the Tribe.
Lance Williams: Made his collegiate pitching debut in the season opener … Surrendered just one hit and earned run while striking out four over 3.0 innings of work … Tallied two more strikeouts in one inning pitched at Campbell … Turned in his first career start against Virginia Tech, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames … Put together a solid start in the Coastal Carolina series finale, pitching 4.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts against one walk.
Ethan Young: Named to the AAC Weekly Honorable Mention List on March 3rd … Made his Pirate pitching debut in the season opener, tossing 0.2 innings while allowing three runs on two hits … Turned in a strong effort at Campbell, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking none in three innings … Was excellent in the North Carolina series opener, limiting the Tar Heels to just one hit while striking out five in 3.1 frames … Logged his first save in a Pirate uniform in the win over Old Dominion, striking out three and allowing just one hit over 3.1 innings … Credited with the win in ECU’s victory over Virginia Tech, allowing just one run with six strikeouts in 3.1 frames … Closed out the Pirates’ 7-0 win over No. 24 Coastal Carolina with three strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings … Picked up the win in the William & Mary series finale, surrendering just one run over 4.1 innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts … Nabbed his second save of the year with 3.2 scoreless frames and five strikeouts against no walks in the Memphis series opener.

Looking Ahead: East Carolina travels to Houston March 28-30 for an American Athletic Conference series against Rice at Reckling Park.

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