East Carolina Pirates
Record: 16-8
RPI: 110
SOS: 132
Best Win: vs. St. John's (9-8, # 95 RPI)

The Pirates struggled out of the gate, getting swept by Virginia at home and also falling to Liberty en route to a 2-4 record in their first 6. Since then ECU has taken 14 of their last 18, including a sweep of CAA foe Elon on the road. With ECU and UNCW combining for 31 wins this season, and when factoring in the long-standing rivalry between the two schools, tomorrow night's contest should be the most anticipated and best attended game at Brooks Field to this point.

On the hill for ECU could be Junior lefty Nick Durazo (1-0, 0.55 ERA, 13 K's, 5 BB's, 16.1 innings), who started an 11-2 midweek victory over Princeton last week. It would be a surprise to see anyone else getting the nod given the number of lefty hitters in our lineup.

Junior Luke Lowery, who took home AAC Player of the Week honors on Mar 16, led the nation in homeruns as of March 19th, currently with 8. He is also among the top 20 in Batting Average (.446), On-Base Percentage (.548), RBI's (27) and Slugging Percentage (.862). Sophomores Travis Watkins (.400, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .451 OB%) and Bryce Harman (.375, 15 RBI, .569 SLG%, .489 OB%) are also swinging hot bats and might wreak havoc on whichever young pitcher we throw on the mound as our midweek starter.

http://www.uncwsports.com/news/2015/3/23...53501.aspx

Baseball Preview: Seahawks Host ECU Tuesday at 6 p.m.

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW closes out its recent 13-game homestand on Tuesday with longtime rival East Carolina. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

The Seahawks (15-6) swept its Colonial Athletic Association opening series, dispatching Northeastern by the scores of 10-5, 4-3 and 15-1 in the series finale. UNCW joined Elon and College of Charleston with sweeps of James Madison and Towson, respectively.

Gavin Stupienski and Whitman Barnes were named CAA Player and Rookie-of-the-Week, respectively, after the Seahawks posted a 4-1 mark last week. Stupienski slugged three home runs and knocked in 10 runs while Barnes earned a pair of wins in relief against Columbia and Northeastern. RELEASE

ECU is led by first-year head coach and alum, Cliff Godwin, who most recently served as associate head coach at Ole Miss. Godwin began his collegiate coaching career as a member of the UNCW staff in 2004, helping the Seahawks to their first-ever CAA championship.

The Pirates enter the non-conference tilt with a mark of 16-8 after dropping 2-of-3 to VCU in Greenville over the weekend. ECU is hitting .309 as a team and the pitching staff has compiled an impressive 2.25 ERA.

Getting the start for UNCW will be freshman righthander Justin Crump, who will be making his first collegiate start. In five appearances, the Albemarle, N.C., native owns a 1.29 ERA and has struck out seven in his seven innings of work.

ECU will counter with senior lefty Reid Love, who will be making his 11th appearance and second start. Love owns a 2-1 record and has fanned 18 in 20 innings of work.

UNCW visits Towson this weekend for a three-game conference series beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.

They throw a senior and we throw a freshman. Hope that gamble pays off!

(03-24-2015 09:50 AM)CoastGuardHawk06 Wrote:  They throw a senior and we throw a freshman. Hope that gamble pays off!

Our only options in the midweek are Freshmen at this point. It's not really a gamble. It's a necessity. We're not likely moving Monroe-Foster-Phillips out of the weekend rotation anytime soon, Ramsey has been great out of the pen, and Sophomore Cory Gantz just hasn't displayed enough upside to this point in the season to justify him getting the nod tonight.

Look at it this way; between Freshmen Josh Roberson, Justin Crump, Austin Easter, and Redshirt Freshman Whitman Barnes showing off some nice talent already in their careers our future is looking pretty nice in the "arms race".

Apparently Cliff Godwin, ECU's new Head Coach, has no relation to his fired predecessor, Billy Godwin. Weird.

At the stadium now. When ECU took infield warmups, I played "The Pirates who don't do anything" - Veggie Tales over the PA.

Crump K's the first batter then surrenders a solo HR. 1-0 ECU. The dangerous Lowery up with 2 outs and none on.

Lowery flies out. Linkous-Shiekds-Golden due up for the Hawks

Linkous gets a lead off infield single, but Shields K's, Linkous gets thrown out stealing and Golden grounds out.

1-0 ECU top 2nd

Bad call on the steal. Even an EZU fan said he looked safe.

Crump gets through the 2nd nicely. Stupiensky to lead off. He's playing 1B with Corey still out (upper body injury).

Back to back singles Stupiensky and Canada! Connelly up with no one out, runners at 1st & 2nd.

(03-24-2015 05:21 PM)SEA33HAWK Wrote:  Bad call on the steal. Even an EZU fan said he looked safe.

Yep. We were the beneficiaries of a call like that against NU. Generally if the ball beats the runner but the runner beats the tag, the ump still tends to call him out. Just a general trend I've noticed over the years.

Connelly bunts them over. Gaffney up.

3 run HR Gaffney!!!

3-2 now in the 4th. ECU has a run in and continues to threaten with 2 on 1 out. Seahawk bullpen activating.

Top 5th. With 1 on 1 out Barnes replaces Crump. Still 3-2 Seahawks

Barnes gets a looking K and a weak pop up. Hawks to bat.

Lead off triple Mims!

Linkous singles him in, 4-2! Pitching change.