The East Carolina baseball team takes a road trip to Charlotte to take on the 49ers in a three-game AAC slate.
The teams are slated to start Friday at 6 p.m. at the home of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, weather permitting. They play again on Saturday and Sunday.
Below is a preview from ECUPirates.com with videos from Pirate Radio and other sources.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — East Carolina heads to Charlotte this weekend for the fourth round of American Athletic Conference play, taking on the 49ers in a three-game set at both Truist Field and Hayes Stadium.
🏴☠️📸 Game Day Pics by Michels & Gauquie https://t.co/h4axvytx1k – ECU vs NC State in any sport always brings out the best in Pirate Nation. See all of today’s fan pics here – https://t.co/ug7tn6lF0q pic.twitter.com/wagOHagvsU
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) April 9, 2025
Friday’s series opener at Truist Field – the home of the Chicago White Sox Triple-A affiliate Charlotte Knights – is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch. The teams then conclude the weekend with games Saturday (4 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) at Hayes Stadium on campus.
All three contests will stream live through ESPN+. Pirate Radio will have updates all three days on its social media accounts.
Buccaneer Scoreboard Final – ECU Baseball falls at home to NC State, 4-1. Comments from Coach Cliff Godwin coming up. pic.twitter.com/C0NNmG7XU7
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) April 9, 2025
The Pirates (20-14, 6-3 AAC) dropped three to Florida Atlantic at home last weekend to fall into a tie for third place with Charlotte in the league standings – a game behind UTSA and South Florida for the top spot. ECU looks to remain unbeaten on the road in conference action after sweeping Rice at Reckling Park in Houston March 28-30. The Pirates are 6-3 in true road games thus far in the campaign.
Freshman outfielder Braden Burress leads East Carolina and slots second in the AAC in batting average (.400) while scheduled Friday starter LHP Ethan Norby is fifth in the league in earned run average (3.21) while he is tied for second in strikeouts (67). In sum, the Pirates feature three pitchers ranked in the top 41 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings – Norby (12.65/28th), Ethan Young (38th/12.23) and Brad Pruett (41st/12.03). Norby is also eighth among NCAA Division I pitchers in total strikeouts.
🏴☠️⚾️ Big game feel tonight in The Jungle as ECU Baseball takes on NC State. pic.twitter.com/bxKqx11ep7
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) April 8, 2025
ECU sports a .268 team batting average with 48 doubles, two triples, 40 home runs, 164 walks drawn and 42 stolen bases. The Pirates are second among league pitching staffs and 36th nationally in earned run average (4.29), having struck out 324 batters against 152 walks in 296.0 innings.
Projected Series Pitching Matchups
Friday: LHP Ethan Norby (4-3, 3.21 ERA, 47.2 IP) vs. RHP Blake Gillespie (4-3, 3.44 ERA, 49.2 IP)
Saturday: TBA vs. TBA
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
🏴☠️⚾️☔️ Little mid-game shower via the sprinklers in between innings for ECU Baseball and NC State. pic.twitter.com/oaVtMTo5EO
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) April 8, 2025
About Charlotte
The 49ers (19-14, 6-3 AAC) defeated Gardner-Webb 9-4 at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis Tuesday after taking two of three from Wichita State at home last weekend. In all, Charlotte has won eight of its last nine, including a sweep of Memphis on the road. The 49ers are batting a collective .268 with 45 doubles, six triples, 38 home runs, 140 walks drawn and 12 stolen bases and are just behind East Carolina in ERA with a 4.37 mark. Charlotte’s pitchers have struck out 339 and walked 116 in 280.1 frames. Cody Gunderson paces the lineup with a .398 average to go along with six doubles, six home runs and 24 RBI. The 49ers are 13-7 inside Hayes Stadium this season.
The Charlotte Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Charlotte by a 36-6 margin and has won 15 of the last 16 meetings. The Pirates won two of three from the 49ers in Greenville last season.
🏴☠️⚾️ ECU Baseball and The Jungle warming up for a big matchup vs rival NC State. pic.twitter.com/bBlPOaOYH7
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) April 8, 2025
Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 417 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 33 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 … 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 … Recorded two hits and scored two runs in the Rice series finale.
Alex Bouche: Has started all 34 games at shortstop … Clubbed a walk off home run in the George Mason 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 … Hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to lift the Pirates to a 10-6 win at UNCW.
Kenan Bowman: Has made 13 starts – nine in right field and five in left field … Ranks third on the club in batting average (.298) … Collected a career-high four hits (including two doubles) and added a walk in the win at UNCW … Added two more hits in the victory over Elon.
Braden Burress: Leads the team in batting average (.400) and multiple-hit efforts (14) … Has registered multiple hits in four of his last six games … Owns 11 starts in left field, eight in right field and four in center field … Went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in the season opener … Was 5-for-7 with three runs scored in the Coastal Carolina series … Went 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 … Recorded four hits, two runs scored and two RBI at Duke … Went 2-for-4 with two doubles in the series opener at Rice.
John Collins: Named to the AAC Weekly Honorable Mention List March 17 … Has started 16 games at designated hitter … 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 eight games – five at right field and three 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 … Came through with a clutch RBI single late in the middle game of the Rice series to send the contest to extra innings.
Jake Hunter: Made his first appearance on the mound Opening Weekend after recovery from UCL internal brace surgery stemming from an injury he suffered at Memphis last season … 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 … Collected his first save of the season by covering the final two innings of the Pirates’ 3-1 win over Memphis … Picked up the win on the mound as well as registering his first career at bat, hit and run scored in the middle game of the Rice series.
Austin Irby: Has started all 34 games – three at designated hitter and 31 at first base … Registered his first collegiate RBI in the season opener before logging a hit in both subsequent 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 … Drove in three runs in the Memphis series finale … Recorded two hits and two RBI in the Rice series finale.
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 … Threw six innings in relief with four strikeouts to pick up the win in the Memphis series finale … Nabbed his third win with a 4.1-inning effort and five strikeouts against Elon.
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 … 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 … Turned in his fourth-straight quality start by allowing just two earned runs over seven innings with nine strikeouts at Rice.
Alex Peltier: Has started 25 games in center field and one in right 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 and March 31) … 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 … Threw 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout against UNCW … Notched his first career win in the Pirates’ 3-1 win over Memphis with a career long 4.2-inning effort, allowing no runs and striking out three … Collected a win and a save in the series at Rice … Made his first start of the year against Florida Atlantic and struck out eight over 5.0 innings pitched.
Braxton Tramel: Named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honorable Mention list (March 24) … Has started 16 games – 13 in left field, two at designated hitter and one at third base … Slots second on the team in batting average (.375) … Logged two hits in every game of the Memphis series including his first career home run … Notched a pair of hits and drove in a run at Duke … Hit a home run in the final two games of the Florida Atlantic series.
Colby Wallace: Has started all 34 games – three at first base and the other 31 at third base … Leads the team in multi-RBI efforts (seven) … Drilled his first collegiate home run in the third inning of game two of the George Mason doubleheader … 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 … Scored three runs and drove in two in the Memphis series finale … Closed out the Rice series by picking up his second save of the campaign, leaving the bases loaded in the 8-5 victory … Logged three hits and three RBI in the Florida Atlantic series opener.
Dixon Williams: Has started all 34 contests – 32 at second base and two at third base … 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 … Went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the win over Elon.
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 … Turned in 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 … Notched four strikeouts in 2.1 scoreless innings in the 3-1 win over Memphis.
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 … Nabbed his second save of the year with 3.2 scoreless frames and five strikeouts against no walks in the Memphis series opener … Covered the final four innings and struck out four in the win at UNCW.
Looking Ahead: East Carolina welcomes UNCW to Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium Tuesday (April 15) for the season series rubber game. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.