Billy Godwin Talks Pirate Baseball
February 15, 2010 | Baseball
Feb. 15, 2010
East Carolina Head Baseball Coach Billy Godwin talks Pirate Baseball just before the start of the 2010 season, which begins Friday, Feb. 19 against No. 2 Virginia inside Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
On the 2010 Schedule
"We have been able to put together another great schedule for the 2010 season that consists of some of the top teams across the country. When we recruit student-athletes to East Carolina, we talk about putting them on a national stage. The conference schedule allows us to do that and I also think it's important to go out in non-conference and play some of the top teams nationally during those five weeks away from league play.
"As you can see we open with Virginia, a team that went to Omaha last year, then we have a highly regarded and respected South Carolina club coming in the week after. It doesn't get any easier with our Annual LeClair Tournament, where we welcome in West Virginia, Illinois and Western Carolina before heading to the west coast and playing Cal State Northridge and perennial NCAA participant Pepperdine. For the first month of the season, our guys will be on a national stage playing some of the best teams in the country.
"We have all those games in addition to playing the great level of competition that we have in-state with N.C. State, UNC Wilmington and Elon, all NCAA Regional teams over the past year. Our league schedule is once again packed with tough competition with road games at Rice, Southern Miss, UCF and Memphis and home contests against Tulane, UAB, Marshall and Houston."
How does playing such a touch schedule prepare a team for post-season play?
"Well once you get into post-season play, there are no real surprises. You have already matched up against some of the best offenses and pitching staffs across the country, so you are not intimidated in what they bring to the table. Those are the type of teams that you have to beat to get to Omaha, and that's what our goal is every year."
What do you foresee as the team's biggest strength?
"The depth that we have in our pitching staff is our biggest strength. We return 37 wins on the mound from a year ago oppose to just 18 from the 2008 staff. That coupled with the addition of five freshmen, a junior college transfer and a pair of redshirts, we have probably assembled the deepest staff since I've been at ECU.
"We return all three weekend starters in Seth Maness, Kevin Brandt and Brad Mincey along with bullpen guys like Patrick Somers and Mike Wright and closer Seth Simmons. Freshmen Jake Harris, Joseph Hughes and Tyler Joyner will all compete for midweek starting roles and then we have rookies D.J. Jauss and Tanner Merritt looking for innings out of the bullpen.
"Putting together pitching depth like we have this season is something that we have tried to build since I got here, and we realize that you have to be able to pitch to get to Omaha."
What are some of your biggest concerns entering the season?
"Unlike a year ago, when we ranked among the national leaders in eight offensive categories including leading the nation in hits, this year we have a tough task of replacing four great players in this program, which were our No. 2 (Ryan Wood), No. 3 (Stephen Batts), No. 5 (Brandon Henderson) and No. 8 (Drew Schieber) hitters, who all hit .300 or better in 2009.
"In my heart I know this team will be able to hit, but what scares you the most as a coach is the unproven factor. Just like any program, we have players like Corey Thompson, Cam Freeman, John Wooten and Bryan Bass that can come in and play right behind the guys we lost.
"Another concern I have is our lack of depth up the middle with having just three middle infielders. As a coach you would like to have four guys so that you can have depth at each position, but we don't have that luxury this season. So staying healthy up the middle is going to be a huge key this season."
On Devin Harris' and Kyle Roller's Impact
"Those two guys bring back thunder no doubt about it. We have a chance to have the most feared three and four hitters in the country. Certainly those two guys put up great numbers a year ago and we expect them to do the same thing again this season.
"Devin was a guy we talked about last year that was in that "unproven" category and he went out there and hit .344 with 14 home runs in the sixth hole and his heroics in the Greenville Regional were absolutely awesome. He is a five-tool player that was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB Draft last year, but he decided to return and help this team get to Omaha and that's speaks volumes for where our program is at.
"Kyle has improved every year he has been with our program. Last year he went out and had another great season where he was an all-american and continued to play well in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he was the league's best hitter and is arguably the best amateur hitter in the country. So it is definitely exciting having those two sluggers back. We need those guys to come back and be productive like they were during the season and the regional."
What contributions do you see the newcomers making in 2010?
"I say it every year, but it's hard to tell until the scoreboard comes on. We have lots of pitching depth and so far I have been really excited about lefty Tyler Joyner, who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and Joseph Hughes, a 2009 pick by the Washington Nationals.
"Jake Harris is another guy I'm really excited about this season. He was limited in action due to an injury in the fall, but I think he is going to do some really special things and battle for a midweek starters spot with Joyner. One of the things we needed to do was bring in a pair of quality left-handers and I think we have done that with the additions of both Joyner and Harris.
"Tanner Merritt has a great upside and will be a great player for us whether it is this year or down the road. Those three guys will help solidify our staff, which returns three starters in Seth Maness, Kevin Brandt and Brad Mincey.
"Offensively or on the position side of things, John Wooten has the most upside of any freshman offensively since I have been here. I think he has a chance to have a special career at ECU, but the key for him is how quickly he adapts to the college game. I feel that we need to have him in the lineup for us to be successful this year."
What are the keys to a successful season?
"Well, one thing that I have done is try to caution our team on not reading all the websites about what the outside world thinks about our program. We have gotten a lot of good press and that's great for our program, but that is based on last year and what we have coming back.
"The most important thing is for guys that are back like Trent Whitehead, Kyle Roller, Devin Harris, Seth Maness, Kevin Brandt and Brad Mincey to give us the type of year we know they can have. They have to have good years with no setbacks.
"Second is that the guys who have been waiting to play so to speak, like Austin Homan, really need to help out. Austin was our "10th-man" last season hitting .367 with some key at-bats and could get the starting nod in left field or at first base. I equate him with being what Trent Whitehead was two years ago for us.
"The old guys have to be good and the new guys have to give us quality production for us to achieve our goals of playing in Omaha. Jared Avchen is another guy poised for a great year. He has looked great behind the dish and is seeing the ball real well at the plate and has a chance to move up in the lineup.
"Finally, team chemistry is crucial. We have a great group of guys and the feedback that I have gotten from our older players and leaders is this team has the best chemistry of any squad we have had since I have been here."
On the Strength Of Conference USA
"There is no doubt about it that we have a very strong conference. Typically C-USA has been ranked among the top six conferences year in and year out. When you look at the history of our league, there have been three teams that have made it to Omaha in Rice, Tulane and last year Southern Miss. Houston and Memphis have made post-season appearances in the last couple of years and UCF and UAB have been on the cusp as well. Another thing that makes this league strong is its passionate fan base, which makes it difficult to win on the road."
On The New C-USA Championship Pool Play Format
"I really like the new format. If you look back at the history of the tournament, it has really aided teams in getting into the post-season. Take Memphis for example in 2007, they came into Greenville and had a great tournament picking up a win over Rice, and it helped with their RPI and getting them a post-season bid.
"With such a strong and competitive league, the goal is trying not to do anything to hurt it. But I think the new format will help those fifth and sixth seeded teams pick up an extra game and possibly give C-USA four or five strong bids, which it typically has had over the last few years."
