Now, for some good news.
Several East Carolina baseball players have announced through the ECU Baseball X account that they will return for the 2026 season:
- P Sean Jenkins
- IF/P Colby Wallace
- P Ethan Norby
- IF Braden Burress
- IF Austin Irby
- OF Jack Herring
- IF Braxton Tramel
- C Walker Barron
- P Nick Moran
- OF Alex Peletier
- OF Alex Bouche
- OF/1B Davin Whitaker
- P Jackson DiLorenzo
- C Michael Kalinich
- P Gabe Beschloss
Their announcements come as at least 14 players have announced they will enter the transfer portal. That includes recent announcements by Brad Pruett, along with Lance Williams and Ian White. On May 14, Kenan Bowman also made the announcement.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐@SeanJenkins2025 | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/VEHBJC5PVM
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 6, 2025
Jenkins was 4-4 with a 5.76 ERA. He pitched in 19 games, starting 12 over 70.1 innings. He gave up 40 earned runs on 73 hits with 52 strikeouts and 20 walks.
๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ดโโ ๏ธ@Cwall31_ | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/TXiezWsw5X
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 6, 2025
Wallace batted .269 with 10 homers, 10 doubles, 47 runs and 42 RBI over 62 games. He also pitched in 13 games, registering a 6.39 ERA over 12.2 innings with 11 strikeouts.
๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ดโโ ๏ธ@norby_ethan | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/8Q8WTSBbSR
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 6, 2025
Norby was the anchor on the pitching staff, going 8-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 18 games, 14 of them starts. He struck out 119 and walked 22 while giving up 38 earned runs on 74 hits in 90 innings. He created national buzz when he struck out 19 against Coastal Carolina on March 7.
On Friday, ECU announced Norby hadย been chosen to play for the 2025 Collegiate National Team.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ดโโ ๏ธ@braden_burress8 | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/em42OEcUSz
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 7, 2025
Burress batted .289 (82 for 211) with 33 RBI, 55 runs, 11 doubles and four homers. He also stole 18 bases. He was named AAC MVP after the Pirates won the conference tournament, beating Tulane. He was also a freshman first-team All-AAC selection.
๐๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐.
Letโs run it back! @2024Irby#PIRATES pic.twitter.com/I9prHOED8X
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 7, 2025
Irby batted .303 (63 for 208) over 62 games. He hit 12 homers, 10 doubles, scored 40 runs and drove in 50.
๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐@jackherring51 | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/orF49HvFWs
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 9, 2025
Herring batted .302 (42 for 139) with 20 runs, six doubles, five homers and 28 RBIs. He was in 51 games, 34 of them starts. His biggest game came on May 31 when he banged out four hits in a Conway Regional loss to Coastal Carolina, which has since made it to the College World Series.
๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐@BraxtonTramel | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/DlKthOnRKK
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 9, 2025
Tramel played in 24 games as a freshman, batting .345 (19 for 55) with four runs, three doubles, four homers and 15 RBI. He suffered an injury at Charlotte on April 12 and didnโt play the rest of the season.
๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ถ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ค@WalkerBarron40 | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/Cn8sxWe5Pm
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 9, 2025
Barron played in 62 games for the Pirates, batting .250 (52 for 208) with 34 runs, four doubles, three homers and 31 RBI.
๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ค!๐ดโโ ๏ธ#PIRATES pic.twitter.com/O3U06SsUSA
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 10, 2025
Moran was 1-1 in his first season at ECU after coming over from Liberty. He had a 4.99 ERA with 17 appearances on the mound, four of them starts. He pitched 30.2 innings, gave up 21 runs, 17 earned on 26 hits with 24 strikeouts and 16 walks.
๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ๐@AlexPeltier7 | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/dlNB3DZ9vX
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 10, 2025
Peletier batted .211 (31 for 147) in 62 games this past season. He had 27 runs, six doubles, two homers and 12 RBI. He also stole nine bases.
๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ดโโ ๏ธ@bouche_alex | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/QETRfSbMOT
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 12, 2025
Bouche batted .251 (44 for 175) with 26 runs, nine doubles, a triple, six homers and 29 RBI. He had his best outings this past season against Whichita State, banging out three hits on May 3 and hitting a homer and scoring two runs on May 4. He drove in a career-high five on April 1 at UNC Wilmington.
๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ดโโ ๏ธ@DavinWhitaker | #PIRATES pic.twitter.com/WIkkPPnxYo
โ ECU Baseball (@ECUBaseball) June 12, 2025
Whitaker batted .188 (9 for 48) as a freshman over 33 games, including seven starts. He scored nine runs, drove in eight, hit two doubles and two homers.
Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo)
Dilorenzo pitched in 22 games and had a 3-1 record with a 7.59 ERA in 21.1 innings. He gave up 18 runs on 21 hits with 24 strikeouts and 23 walks.
Kalinich batted .172 in 35 games, 14 that he started. He was 10-for-58 at the plate with nine runs, a double, two homers and four RBI.
Beschloss made 15 relief appearances and was 0-0 with a 13.09 ERA in 11 innings. He gave up 16 runs on 22 hits with 15 strikeouts and eight walks.
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