East Carolina hosts No. 24 Coastal Carolina in marquee weekend series

by | Mar 7, 2025

The East Carolina baseball team has another home weekend series, this time with No. 24 Coastal Carolina.

The Pirates and Chanticleers meet Friday at 4 p.m. with Saturday’s game slated for 2 p.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Below is a full preview from ECU Sports Information along with videos from Pirate Radio.

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Photo credit: Dixon Williams (ECU Sports Information photo)

By ECUPirates.com

East Carolina plays its second series against a ranked opponent this weekend, welcoming No. 24 Coastal Carolina to Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium for a three-game set. The Pirates and Chanticleers meet Friday at 4 p.m. before reconvening Saturday at 2 p.m. and wrapping things up Sunday at 1 p.m.

All three contests will stream live through ESPN+ with Patrick Johnson and Mike Mullis on the call.

ECU (6-6) has won three straight and four of its last five after knocking off Gardner-Webb 11-8 Tuesday at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. Walker Barron continued his torrid streak at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Austin Irby collected two hits, scored two runs and drove in four thanks in part to registering his first career multi-home run effort. Jake Hunter (1-0) ended up covering the final five innings on the mound to earn his first win of the season, scattering five hits with seven strikeouts and allowing just two earned runs.

A largely new Pirate roster is starting to gel as East Carolina has raised its team batting average to .245 with five lineup regulars hitting at least .308. Dixon Williams continues to shine, batting .333 and pacing the squad in hits (14), runs scored (11), walks drawn (nine) and stolen bases (six). Irby is putting on a show in his debut campaign, batting .308 with a team-best four home runs and 13 RBI.

The ECU pitching staff sports a 4.24 earned run average with 113 strikeouts and 63 walks in 104.0 innings of work. The unit checks in 36th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.18) while the defense has turned 11 double plays – good for 41st among Division I squads.

The Pirates are 5-3 at home thus far with wins over George Mason, Old Dominion, Indiana State and Virginia Tech. Two of the Top 10 crowds in Clark-LeClair Stadium history have already filed through the gates this season in as 5,809 (No. 7) fans took in East Carolina’s 13-1 run-rule victory over Indiana State just a week after 5,802 (No. 9) filled the stands for the Pirates’ battle with then No. 5 North Carolina.

Projected Weekend Pitching Matchups
Friday: LHP Ethan Norby (0-2, 4.32 ERA, 16.2 IP) vs. RHP Luke Jones (0-0, 12.00 ERA, 3.0 IP)
Saturday: RHP Sean Jenkins (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 15.0 IP) vs. RHP Cameron Flukey (0-0, 6.57 ERA, 12.1 IP)
Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Riley Eikhoff (3-0, 1.83 ERA, 19.2 IP)

About Coastal Carolina
The nationally ranked Chanticleers (10-3) took on the undefeated and fourth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill Tuesday, falling 5-4 in 11 innings at Boshamer Stadium. Coastal Carolina’s only weekend blemish is a 9-2 loss to Alabama in a tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., but the Chanticleers also defeated Ohio State and NC State during the event before sweeping Rutgers at home Feb. 28-March 2. Dean Mihos is the top statistical hitter on the club with a .395 batting average while Domenico Tozzi boasts a .355 mark with five doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI. Coastal Carolina’s pitching staff owns a 3.25 ERA with 111 strikeouts and 64 walks in 113.2 innings.

The Coastal Carolina Series
Coastal Carolina leads the all-time series with East Carolina by an 8-6 count. The teams last met in 2022 when the No. 8 national seed Pirates defeated the Chanticleers in game seven of the NCAA Greenville Regional to secure a spot in the Greenville Super Regional opposite visiting Texas – the first on-campus Super Regional in program history.

Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 403 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: Owns a team best eight-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in all 12 games … Has started all 12 games at catcher … Clubbed his first home run of the campaign Sunday 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.
Alex Bouche: Has started all 12 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.
Kenan Bowman: Has started eight games – three in right field and five in left … Registered his first collegiate hit in the George Mason series finale … Registered one of ECU’s two hits at Campbell … Went 2-for-2 with an RBI in Chapel Hill.
Braden Burress: Has made three starts in left 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.

John Collins: Has started four-straight games at designate hitter … Drove in three runs in the run-rule win over Indiana State.
Jackson DiLorenzo: Collected two wins on the mound during the George Mason series, tossing 1.2 innings over two appearances … Tossed a clean inning with one strikeout in the North Carolina series finale.
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.
Jake Hunter: Made his first appearance on the mound since recovering 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.

Austin Irby: Has started all 12 games – three at designated hitter and nine 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.
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.
Michael Kalinich: Has started four games at designated hitter … Collected three hits, two runs scored and an RBI versus North Carolina.

Ethan Norby: 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.
Alex Peltier: Has started all 12 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.
Brad Pruett: Ranks fifth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (17.51) and is 28th in strikeouts (24) … 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.
Roger Vergara: Has made three starts in left field … Logged his first hit in a Pirate uniform via a bunt single in the North Carolina series finale.
Colby Wallace: Has started all 12 games – three at first base and the other nine at third base … 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.
Ian White Jr.: Has not allowed a run in six appearances spanning 3.2 innings … Registered a strikeout in both games in which he pitched versus George Mason.
Dixon Williams: Owns a team best eight-game hitting streak … Has started all 12 games – 10 at second base and two at third base … Logged two home runs and five RBI during Opening Weekend … Hit his team-leading third home run 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.
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 … Made his first career start against Virginia Tech, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames.
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.
Bradley Zayac: Made his first collegiate start and appearance in game two of the George Mason doubleheader … Allowed two runs on a lone hit with a strikeout and two walks in 3.1 innings of work against the Patriots.

Looking Ahead: East Carolina travels to Richmond March 11-12 for a pair of midweek non-conference affairs against host Virginia Commonwealth University. Tuesday’s game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch while Wednesday’s contest is slated for a 3 p.m. start.

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