ECU readies for three-game series against No. 6 North Carolina

by | Feb 22, 2025

By ECUPirates.com/PR927FM.com

East Carolina is set to battle its first nationally-ranked opponent of the 2025 campaign when it takes on No. 6 North Carolina in a traveling series that sees the teams match up at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park Saturday, Boshamer Stadium Sunday and Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium Monday.

Sunday’s contest will stream live via ACC Network Extra with Kyle Straub and Paul Shuey on the call. Monday’s affair is slated for an ESPN+ broadcast featuring Evan Budrovich and Mike Mullis.

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The Pirates (2-2) dropped a narrow 3-2 decision to Campbell (1-3) Tuesday as the Camels scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning to claim their fifth consecutive one-run win in the series. Despite the setback, ECU’s pitching staff continued its strong start to the year, racking up 12 strikeouts and scattering three hits over the final seven innings.

Brad Pruett, a sophomore transfer RHP from the University of Oklahoma, has been especially effective thus far as he leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (23.63) and is tied for first in total strikeouts (14). As a unit, East Carolina slots ninth in hits allowed per nine innings (4.63) and 32nd in WHIP (1.06).

Projected Series Pitching Matchups
LHP Ethan Norby (0-1, 5.06 ERA, 5.1 IP) vs. RHP Jason DeCaro (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP)
RHP Sean Jenkins (0-0, 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP) vs. RHP Jake Knapp (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.0 IP)
TBA vs. RHP Aidan Haugh (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.0 IP)

About North Carolina
The Tar Heels (4-0) knocked off Kansas State 12-9 back on Tuesday to remain undefeated. North Carolina also swept visiting Texas Tech last weekend to open its 2025 account. Alex Madera is hitting .417 with a double and four RBI to pace a North Carolina offense that sports a .258 batting average and nine doubles as well as a .328 slugging percentage and .378 on base percentage. On the mound, the Tar Heels boast a 3.25 ERA with 44 strikeouts against 14 walks in 36.0 innings.

The North Carolina Series
North Carolina leads the all-time series with East Carolina by a 55-36 margin. However, the Pirates have won two-straight series over the Tar Heels and six of the last 10 overall meetings.

40 Somethings
East Carolina won 46 games in 2024, marking its sixth-straight campaign of eclipsing the 40-victory plateau. The Pirates own the second longest active streak nationally, trailing only Southern Miss (eight).

Winning With Regularity
ECU has claimed the last five AAC regular season titles. Wright State (Horizon League) is the only program in the country with a longer streak (six) while Connecticut (Big East) and Fairfield (Metro) sit on four-straight conference regular season championships.

Listed Among The Nation’s Elite
D1Baseball recently updated its Top 100 baseball programs in 2024, identifying clubs in the best shape right now with an eye toward the next five to 10 years. ECU was tabbed No. 22 and is the highest ranked side in the AAC as well as one of six North Carolina institutions in the top 50 (North Carolina/12, NC State/14, Duke/28, Wake Forest/24 and UNCW/49). South Florida represents the next highest American Conference team at No. 62 while Charlotte is 73rd and Tulane slots 75th.

RPI Examination
ECU owns the third-best average RPI in the nation over the last five years, finishing seventh in 2019, 13th in 2021, eighth in 2022, 26th in 2023 and 22nd in 2024. The Pirates’ average mark of 14.8 ranks behind just Florida (10.6) and Oklahoma State (14.4).

Looking Ahead
Following its traveling series with North Carolina, East Carolina is scheduled to host Old Dominion Tuesday, Feb. 25, in a 4 p.m. first pitch from Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 399 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 four games of the season at catcher … Hit .333 (2-for-6) with two runs scored and two walks during Opening Weekend.
Alex Bouche: Has started all four games of the season 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.
Kenan Bowman: Has started all four games of the season … Owns two starts in right field and the other two in left … Registered his first collegiate hit in the George Mason series finale … Registered one of ECU’s two hits at Campbell.
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.
Jackson DiLorenzo: Collected two wins on the mound during the George Mason series, tossing 1.2 innings over two appearances … Logged two strikeouts against five walks.
Jack Herring: Has started three of four games this season – two 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 four games of the season … Owns three starts as the designated hitter and one 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.
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.
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.
Alex Peltier: Has started all four games of the season in center field … Collected his first collegiate hit and run scored in game two of the Friday doubleheader before going 2-for-3 with the game-tying solo home run in the series finale.
Brad Pruett: Leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (23.63) and is tied for first in strikeouts (14) … 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.


Colby Wallace: Has started all four games this season … Owns three starts at first base and the other at third base … Drilled his first collegiate home run in the third inning of game two of Friday’s doubleheader versus George Mason.
Ian White Jr.: Made two appearances in the George Mason series … Logged his first collegiate save in game two of the Friday doubleheader.
Dixon Williams: Has started all four games this season … Owns two starts at second base and two at third base … Logged two home runs and five RBI during Opening Weekend.
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: 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.
Bradley Zayac: Made his first collegiate start and appearance in game two of the Friday doubleheader versus George Mason … Allowed two runs on a lone hit with a strikeout and two walks in 3.1 innings of work.

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