ECU baseball hosts 22nd annual Keith LeClair Classic

by | Feb 28, 2025

The ECU baseball team returns to the field on Friday as host of the 22nd annual Keith LeClair Classic.

Kent State, Indiana State and Virginia Tech are also involved in the three-day event. ECU hosts Kent State on Friday at 4:30 p.m. then faces Indiana State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. before hosting Virginia Tech on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Below is a full preview from ECU’s Sports Information. You can also see videos and photos from Pirate Radio.

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(Above photo from ECU Sports Information)

By ECUPirates.com

East Carolina remains at home this weekend for the 22nd annual Keith LeClair Classic. The Pirates are set to entertain Kent State, Indiana State and Virginia Tech inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium for the round-robin event.

ECU faces off with the Golden Flashes at 4:30 p.m. Friday before taking on the Sycamores Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and the Hokies Sunday at 3:30 p.m. All three of the Pirates’ contests will stream live through ESPN+ with Patrick Johnson, Evan Budrovich and Mike Mullis on the call.

East Carolina scored an 8-2 midweek win over Old Dominion Wednesday, piling up a season high in runs as well as utilizing a solid effort out of its pitching staff. The Pirates (3-5) snapped a four-game losing streak with the comprehensive victory while also affording head coach Cliff Godwin his 400th career victory in his 11th season at the helm of the program.

In his first appearance of the season and, on what was a predetermined staff day pitching wise, Jaden Winter (1-0) tossed a strong 2.2 innings to earn the victory. He scattered three hits while allowing just one run and striking out two. Ethan Young collected his first save of the campaign and was electric out of the bullpen, giving up just one hit while striking out three batters in 3.1 scoreless innings.

Austin Irby sparked the offensive efforts with two hits, two runs scored and three RBI as well as his first career home run. Walker Barron also chipped in with a hit, two runs scored and an RBI.

The Pirates enter the weekend among the national statistical leaders in a handful of categories. ECU slots 11th in double plays turned (nine), 18th in double plays turned per game (1.13), 21st in sacrifice bunts (six) and 28th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.43). Individually, Brad Pruett ranks sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (18.00) and 20th in total strikeouts (18) while Jackson DiLorenzo is sixth in victories (two).

Kent State (1-5) has dropped five straight, including a sweep at the hands of host Mercer last weekend. Indiana State (5-3) owns victories over Wagner and Florida Gulf Coast, Northeastern and Bethune-Cookman but lost the series to the Huskies last weekend in Port Charlotte, Fla. Virginia Tech (6-2) carries a three-game winning streak to Greenville after knocking off host JMU by a 7-2 score Wednesday. The Hokies also boast series victories over Bucknell and UNC Greensboro.

Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday vs. Kent State: LHP Ethan Norby (0-2, 4.50 ERA, 10.0 IP) vs. RHP Gavin Jones (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 9.0 IP)
Saturday vs. Indiana State: RHP Sean Jenkins (0-0, 4.00 ERA, 9.0 IP) vs. RHP Grant Parson (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 11.0 IP)
Sunday vs. Virginia Tech: TBA vs. TBA

East Carolina in the LeClair Classic
ECU owns 13 LeClair Classic titles, most recently sharing the 2024 crown with Purdue and Southeastern Louisiana. The Pirates sport a 47-16 record in the event, including respective 1-0 and 0-1 marks against 2025 participants Indiana State and Virginia Tech.

The Kent State Series
Kent State and East Carolina have met just once on the diamond – an 8-4 Pirate victory in Greenville back on March 27, 1995.

The Indiana State Series
East Carolina is 1-0 against Indiana State after defeating the Sycamores 5-4 at the 2022 LeClair Classic inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The Virginia Tech Series
Virginia Tech leads the all-time series with East Carolina by a 9-6 margin. The sides last met March 8, 2022, when the Hokies claimed a 7-2 midweek win in Blacksburg.

Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 400 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 four-game hitting streak … Has started all eight games at catcher … Hit .333 (2-for-6) with two runs scored and two walks during Opening Weekend … Clubbed his first home run of the campaign Sunday in Chapel Hill … Registered a hit in every game of the North Carolina series … Scored two runs against Old Dominion.
Alex Bouche: Has started all eight 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.
Kenan Bowman: Has started all eight games … Owns three starts in right field and the other 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 Sunday in Chapel Hill.
Braden Burress: Made two starts in left field during the George Mason series … Went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in the season opener.

John Collins: Is 3-for-3 in pinch hit opportunities, recording a single and a home run in the North Carolina series as well as a single against Old Dominion.
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 … Faced four batters in one inning of work in the George Mason series finale.
Austin Irby: Has started all eight games … Owns three starts as the designated hitter and five 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.

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.
Michael Kalinich: Has started four games at designated hitter … Collected three hits, two runs scored and an RBI versus the Tar Heels.
Nick Moran: Made his Pirate debut on the mound in the George Mason series finale, facing two batters over 0.1 inning … Started the road contest at Campbell.
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.
Alex Peltier: Has started all eight 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.
Brad Pruett: Ranks sixth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (18.00) and is 20th in strikeouts (18) … 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.

Braxton Tramel: Made his first collegiate start at third base in the season opener and played in all three games during the George Mason series … Registered his first career RBI against Old Dominion.
Roger Vergara: Logged his first hit in a Pirate uniform via a bunt single in the North Carolina series finale.
Colby Wallace: Has started all eight games … Owns three starts at first base and the other five 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.
Ian White Jr.: Has not allowed a run in five appearances spanning 3.2 innings … Registered a strikeout in both games in which he pitched versus George Mason.

Dixon Williams: Has started all eight games … Owns six starts 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.
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.
Ethan Young: Has not allowed a run in his last three appearances spanning 9.2 innings … 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.
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.

Looking Ahead: East Carolina heads to Fayetteville Tuesday evening for a non-conference appointment with Gardner-Webb. First pitch at Segra Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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