Pirate Baseball Heads to Columbia Super Regional
June 11, 2004 | Baseball
PIRATES HEAD TO COLUMBIA FOR SUPER REGIONAL WITH SOUTH CAROLINA
East Carolina's quest for a trip to Omaha in 2004 continues this weekend when the Pirates face No. 2 national seed South Carolina in the NCAA Columbia Super Regional. The best-of-three series begins Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner of the Columbia Super Regional advances to play the winner of the Fullerton Super Regional between Tulane and Cal State Fullerton next weekend in the College World Series. The Pirates won the NCAA Kinston Regional last Monday when junior right-hander Greg Bunn tossed a gem capping off three straight victories for ECU. Bunn held UNC Wilmington to two hits through eight innings matching a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 7-0 win over the Seahawks for the regional championship. ECU hit .296 in the regional with four home runs, seven doubles and 23 RBI as the Pirates outscored opponents, 26- 6. The Pirate pitching staff posted a 2.00 ERA last week. Junior right fielder Drew Costanzo hit .556 and first baseman Ryan Norwood hit .538 (7-for-13) with three doubles earning All-Regional team honors. ECU added four home runs and became the first team in school history to hit 100 home runs. The Pirates are 13-5 in their last 18 games.
ECU'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
East Carolina participated in its 20th NCAA Regional dating back to the 1964 season. The Pirates' recorded
their first ever regional victory that season with a win over West Virginia, but lost to North Carolina twice.
ECU made three regional appearances in the 1960s, three in the 1970s, five in the 1980s, four in the 1990s
and four in the 21st century. East Carolina has never been to the College World Series, but came within an
eyelash in 2001; falling to Tennessee in the Super Regional. This will be the Pirates second Super Regional
appearance.
IN THE POLLS
East Carolina cracked the top 10 in all four national collegiate polls. The Pirates are ranked No. 3 by the
National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association, 10th by Collegiate Baseball, No. 5 by Baseball America
and 7th by the Sports Weekly Coaches Poll. ECU is also ranked 3rd among southeastern schools by
SEBaseball.com. ECU stands at 15th in the College RPI index released by boydsworld.com.
PIRATES EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Senior designated hitter Ryan Jones was the named the 2004 Conference USA Player of the Year while
teammate Greg Bunn was named the 2004 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year announced by the league
Tuesday. ECU head coach Randy Mazey was also named the 2004 C-USA Coach of the Year as the Pirates
took three of the four top honors in the conference. Seven ECU players earned all-conference honors. Jones,
Bunn, first baseman Ryan Norwood and second baseman Trevor Lawhorn were all named First team All-CUSA
while senior outfielder Jamie Paige and junior outfielder Darryl Lawhorn earned second-team All-CUSA.
Freshman right-hander Shane Mathews was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team.
LECLAIR'S JERSEY NO. 23 AWARDED TO SENIOR JAMIE PAIGE Baseball jersey No. 23, which is the number worn by former ECU head coach Keith LeClair throughout his coaching and playing career, became an honorary number for the Pirate baseball program in 2003. The number is awarded annually to a deserving player who best displays the hustle, determination and desire that made LeClair a great coach and player. Ben Sanderson wore the No. 23 in 2003 and passes the honor on to senior outfielder Jamie Paige in 2004. Paige, a three-year letterman, is a career .300 hitter and batted .307 with 42 runs scored, 71 hits, eight doubles, three home runs and 33 RBI as a junior in 2003. LeClair's courageous battle against a neuromuscular disorder has garnered support and admiration throughout the ECU community.
ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
South Carolina won the NCAA Columbia Regional after knocking off North Carolina for the
second time in three days, 7-6, last Sunday. Six Gamecocks were named to the NCAA
Columbia Regional All-tournament team led by most valuable player second baseman Kevin
Melillo. USC first baseman Steve Pearce, third baseman Bryan Triplett, outfielders Mark
Stanley and Michael Campbell and left-handed pitcher Matt Campbell also were named to
the team. Catcher Landon Powell, a first-round pick of the Oakland A's, leads the offense
hitting .339 with 15 doubles, 19 home runs and 64 RBI.Pearce hits .326 with 16 doubles and 119 home
runs. USC has hit 101 home runs and delivered 129 doubles in hitting. 297 as a team. Campbell (9-4, 3.02
ERA), who was selected as the 29th overall pick by the Kansas City Royals, anchors a pitching staff which has
compiled a 3.35 ERA. RHP Aaron Rawl (12-4, 4.32 ERA) and RHP Billy Buckner (6-2, 3.16 ERA) solidify
the rotation with closer Chad Blackwell (4-3, 2.96 ERA, 17 saves) sealing the wins.
ECU - SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES
East Carolina and South Carolina have met 15 previous times with the Gamecocks leading the series, 11-3.
South Carolina defeated ECU in the first game of last season's NCAA Atlanta Regional sending the Pirates
into the loser's bracket with a 4-0 shutout.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE GAMECOCKS
A surprise choice to start, Chris Hernandez made coach Ray Tanner look like a genius. Hernandez pitched a
five-hitter and Kevin Melillo went 3-for-4 with a homer as South Carolina beat East Carolina 4-0 in the
opening game of the 2003 NCAA regional at Georgia Tech. Five different Pirates had one hit. South Carolina
recorded 11 hits off two ECU pitchers led by Melillo. Brian Buscher and Bryan Triplett each went 2-for-4.
SEVEN PIRATES SELECTED IN THE 2004 MLB DRAFT
Six East Carolina baseball players were drafted on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft while
senior outfielder Ryan Jones was taken on the second day of the draft. The Montreal Expos selected junior
right-hander Greg Bunn in the fifth round while teammates first baseman Ryan Norwood and second baseman
Trevor Lawhorn both went in the ninth round. Junior outfielder Darryl Lawhorn was drafted in the 11th round
before junior right-hander Matt Bishop and senior catcher John Poppert both went in the 17th round overall.
Bunn was the 144th pick in the fifth round by the Montreal Expos.Trevor Lawhorn was selected by the
Cincinnati Reds in the 9th round along with Norwood who was picked up with the 276th pick by the Chicago
Cubs. Darryl Lawhorn joined former Pirate Chad Tracy's club when the Arizona Diamondbacks took him in
the 11th round. Bishop was the 502nd pick in the 17th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Poppert followed
two picks later by the Montreal Expos. The Oakland A's selected Jones as the 667th overall pick. East Carolina
baseball signee Dale Mollenhauer (Pine Richland High School) was also drafted on day two of the MLB draft
in the 24th round by the Baltimore Orioles with the 709th pick overall.
SIX PIRATES SELECTED TO NCAA KINSTON REGIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
East Carolina put six players on the Kinston Regional All-tournament team chosen by media members
attending the tournament. Senior catcher John Poppert, junior first baseman Ryan Norwood, sophomore third
baseman Mark Minicozzi, junior outfielder Drew Costanzo, senior outfielder Ryan Jones and junior RHP Greg
Bunn all were selected to the team. Bunn was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Regional after
striking out 11 in the 7-0 victory over Wilmington.
PIRATES EARN ALL-STATE HONORS
Five East Carolina players have been name to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association's
All-state team. Junior RHP Greg Bunn, sophomore second baseman Trevor Lawhorn, junior first baseman
Ryan Norwood, senior outfielder Jamie Paige and senior outfielder Ryan Jones all have earned the honor.
Bunn is the 2004 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year while Jones is the 2004 Conference USA Player of the
Year. Lawhorn and Norwood earned first-team All-CUSA honors while Paige earned second-team All-CUSA.
JONES NAMED A FINALIST FOR DICK HOWSER TROPHY
East Carolina senior DH/OF Ryan Jones has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy,
given to collegiate baseball's top player. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, which works in
association with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce on the award, released the list of the 10
finalists for the trophy today. The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy based on
three rounds of voting. The 2004 winner will be announced at the College World Series in Omaha on Friday,
June 18 at 9:30 a.m. CDT. Jones was named the 2004 Conference USA Player of the Year after hitting .402
heading into the conference tournament and finishing league play hitting .407 in conference. Currently, he
leads the nation in slugging percentage (.828) with 47 of his 84 hits serving as extra-base hits including 24
doubles, four triples and 19 home runs for a team-high 69 RBI. Jones posted 26 multiple hit games and 15
multiple RBI games.
FOUR PIRATES NAMED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER ALL-AMERICANS
East Carolina designated hitter Ryan Jones has been named to the Louisville Slugger All-American First team
selected based on performances up to regional playoffs and picked by the staff of Collegiate Baseball
Newspaper. ECU first baseman Ryan Norwood, second baseman Trevor Lawhorn and right-hander Greg Bunn
all earned third team Louisville Slugger All-America honors.
