Game Day Central: ECU Travels To USF In Conference Play
April 10, 2015 | Baseball
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| East Carolina at USF Apr. 12, 2015 | 11 a.m. (ET) Tampa, Fla. RADIO: WNCT 1070 AM |
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THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME (prior to series)
? East Carolina (20-13, 3-3 AAC) will look to continue its recent success this weekend at USF (22-11-1, 5-1) in a three-game American Athletic Conference series ... The Pirates have won three of their last five games picking up a league series win over Tulane (W/3-0, W/11-4, L/8-6) in Greenville and a midweek road win at Campbell (7-5) ... ECU dropped its opening AAC series against Memphis (W/4-1, L/3-2, L/4-2) ... The Pirates have lost six of their last 10 games after starting the season 16-7 ... Over their last 10 games, the Bulls have posted a 7-3 record including a league series win at UConn ... The two former Conference USA foes have played 16 times with ECU holding a 13-3 all-time record (winners in 7 of last 10).
? The Bulls are currently in sole possession of first place in the conference with a 5-1 record and series victories over Cincinnati and UConn ... USF is coming off a 13-7 loss to FIU on Tuesday night ... Levi Borders was 4-for-5 in the outing and was just a double shy of hitting for the cycle. Kyle Teaf drew his 126th and 127th career walks to move into sole possession of ninth place in the USF record books ... Levi Borders currently leads the team with a .325 average and 40 hits and is second on the team with 25 RBI, just behind his brother Luke who has 27 RBI on the season ... Kevin Merrell leads the team with 26 runs and 40 hits, nine of which have been bunt singles.
PIRATE QUICK HITS
? East Carolina enters this weekend's action having dropped six of its last 10 games including but claimed its first-ever American series last weekend over Tulane (W/3-0, W/11-4, L/8-6).
? Reid Love earned American Pitcher-of-the-Week honors following is 4-hit CG SHO against Tulane (Apr. 2) ... On the season he is 3-2 with 4 saves in 14 appearances (3 starts) with a 3.06 ERA ... At the plate he is batting .313 with 3 HRs, 9 RBI, 18 runs scored and is currently riding a seven-game hit streak.
? Evan Kruczynski has won 5 of his last 7 starts (two NDs) ... Tossed second career complete game in the AAC opener against Memphis allowing one run with six strikeouts ... Other was against Monmouth (2-Hit, SHO) ... Recorded five quality starts in seven appearances.
? David Lucroy owns a 2-2 record with a 1.73 ERA ... In eight starts has recorded 32 strikeouts to just 14 walks in 41.2 innings ... Fanned season-high nine batters vs. Memphis ... Had shortest outing of the season vs. TUL going 2.2 innings allowing four runs on six hits.
? Luke Lowery leads the team in eight offensive categories ... Ranks among national leaders in HRs (23rd), slugging pct. (14th/.723) and on-base pct. (16th/.504) - as of Apr. 5th ... On Mar. 16th earned AAC Hitter, Collegiate Baseball and CollegeSportsMadess National Player and NCAA.com Player-of-the-Week honors.
? Travis Watkins was named to the initial Johnny Bench Award Watch List (Mar. 11) marking the third-straight season on the list ... AAC Honor Roll selection (Mar. 9) ... The redshirt-sophomore, who is batting .348 on the season, has recorded a team-best 12 multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests.
? Bryce Harman is fourth on the team with a .327 BA ... Leads club in 2Bs (10), Rs (27), HBPs (9) ... Hit a pair of solo home runs (consecutive ABs) in ECU's 11-4 win over Tulane Friday ... Now has 3 HRs on the season and 10 for his career.
? ECU's starting pitching boasts a 2.50 ERA through 33 games ... Allowed 83 runs (52 ERs) with 119 strikeouts to 37 walks in 187.1 innings.
? The bullpen has surrendered 47 runs (38 earned) in 107.2 innings posting a 3.18 ERA ... They have allowed 15 of 60 inherited runners to score (25.0 percent).
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday: USF 2, East Carolina 1 (Final)
Saturday: USF 10, East Carolina 0 (Final)
Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Joe Cavallaro (3-0, 2.25 ERA)
ECU'S HISTORY ON THE DIAMOND
? In its storied history, the Pirates won the 1961 NAIA National Championship, have claimed 23 conference titles (13 regular season/ 10 tournament), made 26 NCAA Regionals and advanced to three Super Regionals (2001, 2004 and 2009).
HEAD COACH Cliff Godwin
? The Cliff Godwin Era officially got underway on Feb. 13 with a three-game series against No. 2 Virginia ... Godwin, who was named the 16th head coach in school history on June 25, 2014, was a four-year letterwinner for the Pirates from 1998-2001 ... He has been a part of seven NCAA Regional and two College World Series teams at the Division I level as an assistant coach most recently helping Ole Miss to its first CWS appearance since 1972 ... 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 (16-16 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. 6 national seed in 2001 where they advanced to the Super Regional round before being eliminated by Tennessee.
