After securing its fifth-straight American Athletic Conference regular season title in 2024, East Carolina has topped the league’s 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll as released by the league Wednesday afternoon.
The Pirates have been tabbed first in the preseason poll seven-straight times and eight overall since joining the conference prior to the 2015 campaign. ECU collected 80 points and eight out of 10 first place votes while Wichita State and Tulane were second and third with 72 and 63 points respectively. The Shockers were awarded the other two first-place votes.
American Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll ⚾️#AmericanWay x #AmericanBSB pic.twitter.com/gxh5YSdi5f
— The American (@American_Conf) December 18, 2024
Senior outfielder Ryley Johnson and sophomore LHP Ethan Norby were also selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team after earning postseason recognition on the circuit last year.
Johnson, the reigning AAC Defensive Player of the Year and the first ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient in program history, did not commit an error in 142 defensive chances last season as he started 60 games in center field and was one of three Pirates to play in all 63 contests despite battling through injury. He also owns a 1.000 career fielding percentage with no miscues in 271 opportunities.
At the plate, Johnson hit .339 with 75 runs scored, nine doubles, five triples, four home runs and 33 RBI. He stole a team-best 23 bases in 26 attempts while drawing a squad-high 43 walks. Johnson began the season by reaching base safely in 44-straight games – the third-longest streak by an ECU player since 1998.
American Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team⚾️#AmericanWay x #AmericanBSB pic.twitter.com/cxr9KJWIu7
— The American (@American_Conf) December 18, 2024
Norby turned in a stellar rookie campaign that resulted in a pair of Freshman All-America selections by Perfect Game (First Team) and Baseball America (Second Team). Slotting into East Carolina’s weekend rotation for the latter half of the season and earning AAC All-Freshman Team accolades, Norby compiled a 4-0 record, 3.79 earned run average and two saves with 63 strikeouts against 25 walks in 59.1 innings of work. He started 10 games over 20 appearances and held opposing hitters to a .243 batting average.
The Kernersville, N.C., native collected his first collegiate victory in the UAB series finale, tossing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He nabbed additional wins over Old Dominion, NC State and Evansville and became the first Pirate pitcher to collect 10 or more strikeouts in a relief appearance since Jake Agnos in 2017 when he fanned 10 ODU batters in 4.2 frames in a 7-5 East Carolina victory. Norby wrapped up the season by racking up nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings in the Pirates’ 19-6 drubbing of the Purple Aces at the NCAA Greenville Regional.
Head Coach Cliff Godwin has guided East Carolina to eight NCAA Regional berths (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024 regional host), four Super Regional appearances (2022 host), five AAC regular season championships, a pair of American Conference Tournament crowns and a 397-187-1 (.679) overall record since assuming the post in 2015. Under his 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 honors (27 first-team selections) and 28 players have been selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
The 2024-25 Pirate recruiting class consists of six infielders (Alex Bouche, Braden Burress, Neil Griffin, Austin Irby, Braxton Tramel and Roger Vergara), four outfielders (Drew Downs, Jack Herring, David Lillis and Alex Peltier), two catchers (John Collins and Michael Kalinich), 11 right-handed pitchers (Brett Antolick, Tyler Brashear, Talor Grubbs, Trevor Jackson, Sean Jenkins, Dawson Kehr, Brad Pruett, Ian White Jr., Lance Williams, Ethan Young and Bradley Zayac) and four left-handed pitchers (Gabe Beschloss, Nick Moran, Dawson Neal and Ryan Towers). The newcomers join 16 returning players to comprise a roster of 20 freshmen, nine sophomores, 10 juniors, three seniors and one graduate student.
The 91st season of collegiate baseball at East Carolina begins with a three-game home set versus George Mason Feb. 14-16.
2025 American Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. East Carolina (8) – 80 Points
2. Wichita State (2) – 72 Points
3. Tulane – 63 Points
4. UTSA – 55 Points
5. Charlotte – 50 Points
6. Florida Atlantic – 36 Points
7. South Florida – 31 Points
8. UAB – 27 Points
9. Memphis – 21 Points
10. Rice – 15 Points
First-Place Votes In Parentheses
Preseason Player of the Year
Mason Lytle, Sr., Outfield, UTSA
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Colin Daniel, Jr., UAB
Preseason All-Conference Team
P – Colin Daniel, Jr., UAB*
P – Davion Hickson, Jr., Rice
P – Luc Fladda, Sr., Tulane
RP – Ethan Norby, So., East Carolina
RP – Jacob Moore, R-Jr., Tulane
C – Mauricio Millan, Sr., Wichita State*
1B – Josh Livingston, Sr., Wichita State
2B – Jordan Rogers, R-Sr., Wichita State
SS – Camden Johnson, So., Wichita State
3B – Gavin Schulz, Sr., Tulane
OF – Carson Bayne, Sr., Charlotte*
OF – Ryley Johnson, Sr., East Carolina
OF – Mason Lytle, Sr., UTSA*
OF – Jackson Linn, Sr., Tulane
DH – Rafael Betancourt, Jr., South Florida
* denotes unanimous selection
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