Trips to South Carolina and Clemson, home midweek matchups with Duke and Michigan and a 27-game American Athletic Conference slate highlight East Carolina’s 56-game schedule as the Pirates unveiled their 2025 spring slate on Wednesday.
“This schedule was built to put our program in a position to take the next step in becoming elite,” head coach Shane Winkler said. “We have a veteran group that is ready to be tested by facing a larger amount of Power Four programs and teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2024. Our preseason slate will help prepare us for the weekly battles in the AAC as well as help us build an at-large worthy resume. Pirate Nation, be ready for an exciting spring!”
The Pirates return the majority of their offensive production from last season’s team that went 38-19, headlined by 2024 All-AAC members Morgan Johnson and Emma Jackson as well as catcher Annie Kate Dalton, outfielders Anna Sawyer and Kanisha Anderson and infielders Logan Sutton and Mary-Kathryn Scott. Taylor Apple returns as the Pirates’ ace in the circle along with veteran arm Jordan Hatch. ECU also added infield transfers Trinity Nichols and Chloe Geijer in addition to five freshmen in Gabby Fowler, Kendall Frost, Ava Fisher, Brooke Masingale and Jenna Krol.
ECU will get their fourth season with Winkler at the helm started at the Gamecock Invitational (Feb. 7-9) facing Virginia, Providence, Saint Francis and host South Carolina over the course of three days. The Pirates will return home for a 13-game homestand starting with the Pirate Clash (Feb. 14-16) followed by a doubleheader with Duke, the Purple-Gold Invitational (Feb. 21-23), concluded with a midweek battle against UNCW (Feb. 26).
The Pirates will face two more strong challenges before conference play as the team travels to Clemson, S.C. for the Tiger Invitational (Feb. 28-Mar. 2) to face Lafayette, Indiana and host Clemson before returning home to host Michigan for a midweek battle.
American Athletic Conference play starts at UTSA (Mar. 7-9) for the Pirates, followed by a midweek visit to NC State (Mar. 11). ECU will then play its next four games at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium facing Tulsa (Mar. 14-Mar. 16) and welcoming N.C. Central (Mar. 18). The Pirates will spend the rest of March on the road as they travel to South Florida (Mar. 21-Mar. 23), Elon (Mar. 25) and Charlotte (Mar. 28-Mar. 30).
ECU opens the month of April by hosting Norfolk State (Apr. 2) followed by a three-game home series against Memphis (Apr. 4-6). The Pirates will then visit North Carolina (Apr. 9) and Wichita State (Apr. 11-13) before returning home for their next five games with Campbell (Apr. 15), Florida Atlantic (Apr. 17-19) and NC State (Apr. 22).
The Pirates will conclude their regular season slate with a trip to UAB (Apr. 25-27) before hosting North Texas (May 2-4). The American Athletic Conference Softball Championship will be held in Tampa, Fla. and will be hosted by South Florida from May 7-10.
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