Tulane Travels to Greenville for Top 25 Showdown
March 18, 2004 | Baseball
ABOUT THE PIRATES
No. 18 East Carolina opens Conference USA play this weekend when the Pirates host No. 14 Tulane. ECU is riding a five-game winning streak after taking care of Marshall Tuesday, 8-2. The rotation of left-hander Brody Taylor, right-hander Greg Bunn and right-hander Ricky Brooks will get things started off for the Pirates. Sophomore third baseman Mark Minicozzi has been hot lately. Minicozzi has gone 12-for-19 with 11 RBI and two home runs in his last five games. ECU leads the conference in several categories including wins (17), home runs (27) and batters struck out (165).
ABOUT THE GREEN WAVE
Tulane opens up conference play in Greenville after splitting a mid-week series with USC. The Trojans pushed across the game-winning run in the top of the 12th Tuesday for an 11-10 win while Tulane knocked USC, 12-9, Wednesday. Junior infielder Joe Holland and right fielder Matt Barket both went 4-for-5, and the Green Wave pounded out a season-best eight doubles in the win. Tulane's offense has posted some big numbers through 19 games. As a team, the Green Wave are hitting .303 with 129 runs scored on 199 hits including 47 doubles and 19 home runs. Tulane sends the rotation of right-hander Billy Mohl (4-0, 2.60 ERA), Preseason All-CUSA selection left-hander J.R. Crowel and right-hander Cory Hahn to the mound.
IN THE POLLS
East Carolina enters this weekend ranked as high as 18th in national collegiate polls. The Pirates are 18th by Baseball America, 22nd by the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Poll, 22nd by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association and 24th by Collegiate Baseball. The Pirates are also ranked 9th among southeastern schools by SEBaseball.com. Tulane is 14th by Baseball America, 15th by NCBWA, 16th by the Sports Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Poll and 17th by Collegiate Baseball.
ECU-TULANE SERIES East Carolina and Tulane have only met three times despite ECU joining Conference USA in baseball in 2002. Tulane won two of the three games last season and lead the series, 2-1. The Green Wave make their first trip to Greenville. Tulane played in the 2002 Conference USA Tournament in Kinston.
YOUNG ARMS OF STEEL
Through 20 games in 2004, East Carolina has already used five true freshmen pitchers. Right-hander Ricky Brooks (1-1, 3.00 ERA, 12K's) worked his way into the starting rotation. Out of the bullpen, the Pirates have been counting on local product, right-hander Mike Flye (1-1, 1.26 ERA, 18 K's), left-hander Dustin Sasser (1-0, 2.40 ERA, 12 K's), right-hander Shane Mathews (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 K's) and left-hander John Emmert (0-0, 3.38 ERA, 5 K's). The five combined are 5-2 posting a 1.78 ERA with three saves producing 53 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings.
HOME SWEET HOME East Carolina wraps up an eight-game home-stand when Tulane comes to town for the C-USA opener. The Pirates are 17-0 at home this season riding the longest home-winning streak since the 1990 season when Gary Overton's Pirates won 17-straight before falling to UNC Asheville, 4-3.
On the World Wide Web Live scoring and statistical play-by-play will be available for all three ECU games this weekend on the internet through the official web site of the Pirates, ECUpirates.com. The statistical feed, which updates live after each batter, is made possible through a direct connection from the official statistician's scorebook computer and will be available for a majority of ECU's home and road games in 2004.
On the Air
All three games of this weekend's series will be available throughout eastern North Carolina on the newly expanded Pirate Sports Network. Carrying over 30 games on the network this season is WGHB (1250 AM - Pirate Radio 1250) in Farmville/Greenville. Patrick Johnson will call play-by-play in 2004 and will be joined by guest commentators througout the season. Former ECU head coach Gary Overton will join Johnson for games Saturday and Sunday while Denny O'Brien from Bonesville.net will join Johnson Friday night. All games on the Pirate Sports Network can be heard live on the internet through ECUpirates.com, the official web site of ECU athletics.
UP NEXT
East Carolina hits the road for nine straight games. The Pirates head up Interstate 95 for a meeting with Campbell Wednesday before heading west next weekend to take on Memphis in the second Conference USA series of the season.
