ECU meets UNCW Tuesday in Fayetteville

by | Mar 18, 2025

The East Carolina baseball team is back in Fayetteville and will take on UNC Wilmington on Tuesday evening.

Below is a preview from ECU Sports Information. Videos are from Pirate Radio.

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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo)

By ECUPirates.com

With the momentum of a five-game winning streak in hand, East Carolina heads back to Fayetteville Tuesday evening for the first of three meetings with UNCW. First pitch at Segra Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.


The game will not be streamed. Pirate Radio will provide updates on our Facebook and X pages. You can also follow the action on the ECU baseball team’s Facebook and X pages.

The Pirates, who will serve as the designated home team for the contest, attempt to make it two for two at Segra Stadium in 2025, having downed Gardner-Webb by an 11-8 score back on March 4th.

ECU (12-8) polished off a 5-0 week with a home series sweep of William & Mary over the weekend to pull four games above the .500 mark. The Pirates clobbered both VCU and the Tribe during the stretch, outscoring the bunch 63-17 with a trio of run rule victories.

Ethan Norby was tabbed the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive time after tossing East Carolina’s first complete game shutout since 2023. He worked seven scoreless innings and scattered five hits with six strikeouts against two walks. John Collins also earned recognition on the league’s honorable mention list, hitting .444 (8-for-18) with eight runs scored, 10 RBI, two doubles and two home runs.

The Pirates’ big offensive week has boosted the club’s batting average to .277 with 27 doubles and a league-best 29 home runs. ECU did not commit an error all weekend as it now sits at .979 in terms of fielding percentage. The Pirates currently slot among the national statistical leaders in several categories, including 29th in home runs, 33rd in sacrifice bunts (13) and fielding percentage, 43rd in pitching strikeouts per nine innings (10.2) and 46th in team earned run average (4.08). Individually, Norby is seventh in strikeouts (46), 14th in strikeout to walk ratio (11.50) and 22nd in strikeouts per nine innings (13.71). He also leads the AAC in WHIP (0.81) and is 23rd nationally in the statistic.

Projected Pitching Matchup
LHP Nick Moran (1-0, 0.93 ERA, 9.2 IP) vs. RHP Mason Murdock (0-1, 18.00 ERA, 2.0 IP)

About UNCW
The Seahawks (10-10) enter Tuesday evening’s bout off a nice series win over Charlotte in Wilmington. UNCW is hitting .259 as a team with 28 doubles, six triples and 13 home runs as well as 89 walks drawn and 23 stolen bases. Tanner Thach, the Coastal Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year and Golden Spikes Award Watch List member, leads the offense with a .333 batting average as well as 12 runs scored, three home runs and 13 RBI. The Seahawk pitching staff sports a solid 3.66 ERA with 180 strikeouts and 85 walks in 174.2 innings of work. UNCW is 1-5 away from Brooks Field this year and will play its first neutral site contest of the season Tuesday.

The UNCW Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with William & Mary by an 84-64 margin after sweeping the home-and-home season series in 2024. Tuesday night’s affair marks the first neutral site meeting between the programs since the Pirates knocked off the Seahawks 5-4 on May 18, 2000, at the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Manteo, N.C.

Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 409 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 reached base safely in 19 of 20 games … Has started all 20 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 20 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.
Braden Burress: Has made eight starts in left field … Leads the club with seven multi-hit efforts … 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.

John Collins: Named to the AAC Weekly Honorable Mention List March 17 … Has started nine games at designated hitter … Paces the club in batting average (.382) … 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 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 20 games – three at designated hitter and 17 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.
Nick Moran: Has been lights out over his last three appearances, tossing 8.1 scoreless frames in games against North Carolina, Coastal Carolina and VCU … 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 20 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.
Colby Wallace: Has started all 20 games – three at first base and the other 17 at third base … Tied for the club lead in multi-RBI efforts (seven) … 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.

Dixon Williams: Has reached base safely in 16-straight games … Has started all 20 contests – 15 at second base and two at third base … Tied for the club lead in multi-RBI efforts (five) … 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 … Made 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.
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 officially begins the hunt for an unprecedented sixth-straight American Athletic Conference regular season championship when it welcomes Memphis to Greenville March 21-23.

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