The East Carolina baseball team returns to AAC play with a three-game road series at Rice.
Below is a report from ECU Sports Information. You can follow the game on the Pirate Radio Facebook and X pages.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo)
East Carolina jumps back into American Athletic Conference action this weekend when it hits the road to Houston for a three-game set with Rice at Reckling Park.
Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The teams will reconvene on Saturday at 5 p.m. before wrapping things up Sunday at 2 p.m. All three contests will stream live through ESPN+.
ECU sits atop the league table after one round of conference play, sweeping Memphis in Greenville March 21-23.
The Pirates (15-10, 3-0 AAC) dropped a close one at Duke in the midweek, falling 6-4 after getting the tying run on base in the ninth inning. Braden Burress became the first ECU player to register four hits in a game this season.
Burress and fellow rookie Braxton Tramel have surged offensively the last week or so as Tramel leads the club in batting average (.435) with Burress close behind (.429). The Pirates are hitting .273 as a team with 32 doubles, one triple and a league-best 34 home runs. The pitching staff slots second in the conference in earned run average (3.95) and has struck out 233 batters against 119 walks in 214.0 innings of work.
East Carolina ranks among the NCAA Division I statistical leaders in several categories, including 30th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.78), 32nd in earned run average, 45th in home runs and 49th in pitching strikeouts per nine innings (9.8). Individually, Ethan Norby is 15th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.50), 16th in strikeouts (51) and 23rd in WHIP (0.85) while Ethan Young ranks 24th in strikeouts per nine innings (13.01) and 52nd in strikeouts (40).
Projected Series Pitching Matchups
Friday: LHP Ethan Norby (3-2, 2.48 ERA, 36.1 IP) vs. RHP Davion Hickson (0-3, 3.52 ERA, 23.0 IP)
Saturday: TBA vs. LHP J.D. McCracken (1-2, 5.88 ERA, 26.0 IP)
Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Tucker Alch (2-0, 3.45 ERA, 28.2 IP)
About Rice
The Owls (6-20, 1-2 AAC) were victorious 12-4 over visiting Texas Southern Wednesday after dropping two of three at Florida Atlantic to begin conference play last weekend. Rice is hitting .256 as a team with 41 doubles, two triples and 15 home runs while the pitching staff sports a 6.39 ERA with 209 strikeouts and 113 walks in 221.0 innings. Blaine Brown paces the lineup with a .352 batting average, nine doubles and 15 RBI. The Owls are 4-10 inside Reckling Park this season.
The Rice Series
Rice leads the all-time series with East Carolina by a 24-14 count, but the Pirates won all five meetings with the Owls last season – including two in the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship. Rice took two of three from ECU in a non-conference series the last time the Pirates visited Reckling Park back in March of 2016.
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 25 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 25 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 nine games … Leads the club in multiple-hit efforts (10) … Owns nine starts in left field and five 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 … Logged four hits, two runs scored and two RBI at Duke.
John Collins: Named to the AAC Weekly Honorable Mention List March 17 … Has started 14 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 25 games – three at designated hitter and 22 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 five appearances, surrendering just one unearned run in games against North Carolina, Coastal Carolina, VCU, UNCW and Duke … 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 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) … 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 seven games – six 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 25 games – three at first base and the other 22 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 … 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 21-straight games … Has started all 25 contests – 23 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: Following its series at Rice, East Carolina faces off with UNCW Tuesday, April 1, in Wilmington for its second of three meetings with the Seahawks.