The East Carolina baseball team has a busy week with five games.
Tuesday, the Pirates are at UNC Wilmington and are home Wednesday against Elon.
Below is a preview of both games from ECU Sports Information.
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Photo credit: Ryley Johnson (ECU Sports Information photo)
Fresh off its second-straight American Athletic Conference series sweep, East Carolina starts a busy five-game week with a road game at UNCW’s Brooks Field Tuesday before hosting Elon Wednesday inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Both contests are set for a 6 p.m. first pitch. Tuesday’s meeting with the Seahawks will stream live through FloSports while Wednesday’s encounter with the Phoenix will be on ESPN+.
The Pirates (18-10, 6-0 AAC) produced their second clean sweep to begin AAC play over the weekend, taking care of Rice to sit alone atop the league standings after two rounds of conference action. The top eight teams on the circuit qualify for the AAC Baseball Championship May 20-25 in Clearwater, Fla.
In winning 11 of its last 13 contests, ECU has outscored its opponents 105-46 and has limited those foes to a .230 batting average. The Pirates have posted a 3.41 team earned run average over the stretch while striking out 113 batters against 52 walks. East Carolina has also registered 17 sacrifice bunts in those 13 outings, including a program single-game record tying seven in Sunday’s series finale in Houston. Freshman outfielder Drew Downs became the first Pirate to log three sacrifice bunts in a game since Dale Mollenhauer did so at Southern Miss back on May 6, 2006.
ECU’s pitching staff has been consistent all season long as the unit paces the AAC in earned run average (3.85) and opposing batting average (.226). The Pirates also slot among the national statistical leaders in several categories, ranking ninth in sacrifice bunts (25), 20th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.52), 21st in earned run average, 45th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.8) and 46th in WHIP (1.37). Ethan Norby has also settled into the Friday night starter role admirably, topping the league with a 2.49 ERA. He also checks in 10th among NCAA Division I pitchers in strikeouts (60), 20th in WHIP (0.90), 22nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.67) and 33rd in strikeouts per nine innings (12.46).
In terms of midweek games, East Carolina owns wins over Old Dominion, Gardner-Webb and VCU (twice) while sporting losses to Campbell, UNCW and Duke. The Pirates have seven such affairs remaining in the regular season.
Tuesday’s Projected Pitching Matchup (vs. UNCW)
RHP Jaden Winter (1-0, 6.75 ERA, 6.2 IP) vs. LHP Jack Gibson (0-2, 48.60 ERA, 1.2 IP)
About UNCW
The Seahawks (14-14, 2-4 CAA) lost two of three to North Carolina A&T at home over the weekend, including an epic 16-inning setback on Saturday. UNCW is hitting .266 as a team with 37 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs, 134 walks drawn and 38 stolen bases while the pitching staff boasts a solid 3.71 ERA with 247 strikeouts and 107 walks in 247.2 innings of work. Tanner Thach tops the club statistically with a .333 batting average to go along with four home runs and 19 RBI. The Seahawks are 11-7 at Brooks Field thus far in 2025.
The UNCW Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with UNCW by an 84-65 margin after the Seahawks won the first meeting of the campaign 9-4 back on March 18 at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. ECU defeated UNCW 8-7 in 10 innings last year at Brooks Field in Wilmington as part of a season series sweep.
About Elon
The Phoenix (10-17, 2-4 CAA) took a series loss to Delaware at home over the weekend – their second straight in conference play. Ryan Sprock is batting .365 with 12 doubles to pace an Elon offensive unit that is hitting .292 with 52 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 138 walks drawn and 34 stolen bases. In terms of pitching, the Phoenix own a collective 6.53 ERA with 189 strikeouts and 121 walks in 228.2 frames. Elon is just 2-7 away from Latham Park this season.
The Elon Series
East Carolina holds a 60-34-1 lead in the all-time series with Elon. The Pirates won a home-and-home set with the Phoenix in 2024 and have emerged victorious in 11 of the last 12 encounters.
Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 415 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 28 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 … 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 … Recorded two hits and scored two runs in the Rice series finale.
Alex Bouche: Has started all 28 games at shortstop … Clubbed a walk off home run in the George Mason 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 … Registered his fourth home run of the campaign in the series opener at Rice.
Braden Burress: Leads the club in multiple-hit efforts (11) … Has reached base safely in 16-straight games … Owns nine starts in left field and eight in right field … Went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in the season opener … Was 5-for-7 with three runs scored in the Coastal Carolina series … Went 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 … Recorded four hits, two runs scored and two RBI at Duke … Went 2-for-4 with two doubles in the series opener at Rice.
John Collins: Named to the AAC Weekly Honorable Mention List March 17 … Has started 16 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 seven games – five at right field and two 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 … Came through with a clutch RBI single late in the middle game of the Rice series to send the contest to extra innings.
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 … Picked up the win on the mound as well as registering his first career at bat, hit and run scored in the middle game of the Rice series.
Austin Irby: Has started all 28 games – three at designated hitter and 25 at first base … Registered his first collegiate RBI in the season opener before logging a hit in both subsequent 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 … Recorded two hits and two RBI in the Rice 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 six appearances, surrendering just one total unearned run in games against North Carolina, Coastal Carolina, VCU, UNCW, Duke and Rice … 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 … Turned in his fourth-straight quality start by allowing just two earned runs over seven innings with nine strikeouts at Rice.
Alex Peltier: Has started 25 games in center field … 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 and March 31) … 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 … Collected a win and a save in the series at Rice.
Braxton Tramel: Named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honorable Mention list (March 24) … Has started 10 games – nine in left field and one at third base … Leads the team in batting average (.435) … Logged two hits in every game of the Memphis series including his first career home run … Notched a pair of hits and drove in a run at Duke.
Colby Wallace: Has started all 28 games – three at first base and the other 25 at third base … Leads the team in multi-RBI (six) efforts … Drilled his first collegiate home run in the third inning of game two of the George Mason doubleheader … 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 … Closed out the Rice series by picking up his second save of the campaign, leaving the bases loaded in the 8-5 victory.
Dixon Williams: Has reached base safely in 24-straight games … Has started all 28 contests – 26 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 plays host to Florida Atlantic for a three-game league series April 4-6 from Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.