Game Day Central: ECU Hosts Duke In Midweek Action
April 21, 2015 | Baseball
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| East Carolina vs. Duke Apr. 22, 2015 | 6:30 p.m. (ET) Greenville, N.C. RADIO: WNCT 1070 AM |
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PROMOTION
? Wednesday's game has been designated at Paint It Gold (fans encouraged to wear the Gold Pirate gear) ... It is also Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day (rescheduled from Apr. 14 game vs. UNC Wilmington) ... The first 500 fans receive a gold Pirates foam mitt ... First 100 students will receive a pair of sunglasses (ECU ticket office will distribute when students pick up a ticket) ... National Anthem will be performed by Farrah Mitchum ... Ceremonial first pitch by Coby Beck, with Mayne Pharma (Game Sponsor) ... Finally tickets are available for $3 and are unlimited.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME
? East Carolina continues its five-game home stand tonight playing host to instate foe Duke ... The two teams last met in 2007 at the LeClair Classic with the Pirates coming out on top 11-4 ... ECU has won the last 12 meeting between the clubs dating back to May 10, 1998 ... The Pirates are coming off a thrilling 6-5 walk-off win over instate rival NC State Tuesday night ... Reid Love scored the game tying run in the ninth on a Luke Lowery sac fly after leading off the bottom of the ninth with a triple ... Kirk Morgan laced a single down the right field line plating Eric Tyler from second for the game-winning run ... ECU holds a 32-12 all-time meeting in the series, which dates back to 1958.
? Duke is 17-2 this season in non-conference games with the Blue Devils' lone losses coming at California and versus Cambell ... The Blue Devil pitching staff owns a 2.53 ERA in non-conference play, while junior Kenny Koplove is batting a team-best .388 ... In all games, freshman Peter Zyla leads the team with a .318 batting average ... Zyla has at least one hit in 23 of the 27 games he's started ... He is on track to become the first freshman to lead the Blue Devils in batting average since Vaughn Schill in 1997 ... Senior Andy Perez leads the Blue Devils in slugging percentage (.459), runs (27), hits (47), doubles (10), triples (3), home runs (3) and stolen bases (27) ... Perez also has a team-best 17 multiple hit games.
PIRATE QUICK HITS (prior to midweek games)
? East Carolina enters this weeks action having won 4 of its last 5 games, including a road win at AAC foe UConn ... The Pirates are also winners in 6 of their last 10 contest.
? Jacob Wolfe will make his third-straight midweek start Tuesday against NC State ... He has appeared in 11 games (nine starts) posting a 2-1 record with a 2.91 ERA in 52.2 innings of work ... Recorded first career save at UConn in the series finale ... Fanned 32 while walking 10 ...Tossed 6.0 SHO frames vs. MON with 6Ks in first collegiate win ... Worked into the fifth inning in six-straight starts.
? Kirk Morgan ranks second on the team with a .337 average ... He has recorded at least one hit in 11 of last 13 games with five two-hit contests ... Returned to starting lineup at UConn after missing five games with an injury (vs. Tulane).
? Luke Lowery leads the team in nine offensive categories ... Ranks among national leaders in HRs (55th), slugging pct. (51st/.623) and on-base pct. (54th/.470) - as of Apr. 19th ... 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 .326 on the season, has recorded a team-best 13 multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests.
? Charlie Yorgen was named to the AAC Honor Roll (Apr. 2) ... Ranks fourth on the team with 23 runs and leads club with 22 walks in 40 games.
? Nick Durazo has been stellar out of the bullpen this season appearing in 16 games where he sports an impressive 0.34 ERA ... He has recorded a pair of saves while allowing one earned run in 26.1 IP with 25 Ks to 8 BBs.
? Bryce Harman is batting .283 on the season ... Tied for team lead in doubles (10), while leading the club in HBPs (10) and ranking second in runs (27) ... Hit a pair of solo home runs (consecutive ABs) vs. Tulane (4/2) and has 3 HRs on the year (10 career).
? ECU's starting pitching boasts a 2.80 ERA ... Allowed 102 runs (70 ERs) with 143 strikeouts to 50 walks in 224.2 innings.
? The bullpen has surrendered 55 runs (43 earned) in 131.1 innings posting a 2.92 ERA ... They have allowed 17 of 71 inherited runners to score (23.9 percent).
PROBABLE STARTERS
Wednesday: RHP Bailey Clark (2-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. RHP Kirk Morgan (4-0, 3.60 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).
THE PIRATES AT A GLANCE
? 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.
