ECU Garners No. 13 Preseason Ranking By Collegiate Baseball
December 20, 2016 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina baseball team received its first preseason national ranking of the 2017 season after being tabbed No. 13 by Collegiate Baseball on Tuesday.
The Pirates (38-23-1, 15-8-1 American), who have made 28 NCAA Regional appearances, claimed the 2016 Charlottesville Regional and advanced to their fourth NCAA Super Regional in Lubbock, Texas picking up the programs first-ever Super Regional win (8-6) against No. 5 National Seed Texas Tech in game one of the three-game series.
A year ago, the Pirates finished ranked in the top 16 in five major polls (Baseball America/No. 15, Collegiate Baseball/No. 15, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association/No. 15, D1Baseball/No. 16 and USA Today/No. 16) marking the first time since 2009 ECU had finished ranked in four or more polls.
ECU returns 19 letterwinners, including four Charlottesville All-Regional selections (Evan Kruczynski, Eric Tyler, Travis Watkins/Most Outstanding Player and Charlie Yorgen), 2016 Freshman All-American Dwanya Williams-Sutton and 2014 all-conference performer Bryce Harman. Kruczynski, who earned All-America honors in 2016, was named a preseason Third-Team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball earlier in the week.
Also stepping on the diamond are 14 newcomers, which consists of three infielders (Nick Barber, Spencer Brickhouse and Bryant Packard), one catcher (Zack Moore), four outfielders (Dusty Baker, Tyler Edwards, Andrew Henrickson and TJ Riles) and six pitchers (Jake Agnos, Trey Benton, Hunter Britt, Hunter Hood, Ryan Ross, Tyler Smith). East Carolina's 2016-17 recruiting class received a pair of Top 25 national recruiting rankings coming in at No. 18 by D1Baseball and No. 23 by Baseball America.
During his two years at the helm of the program, head baseball coach Cliff Godwin has guided ECU to a pair of NCAA Regional berths, a Super Regional appearance, an American Athletic Conference Tournament title and a 78-44-1 (.638) overall record. Three players have earned All-America honors, five were named to the Charlottesville All-Regional Team, six earned all-conference honors (five first-teamers), seven were selected as American Player-of-the-Week, while a pair were drafted by Major League Baseball teams.
The Pirates will begin spring practice on Friday, Jan. 27 and are set to open the 2017 season on the road at Ole Miss on Friday, Feb. 17 with a 5 p.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch.
The Pirates (38-23-1, 15-8-1 American), who have made 28 NCAA Regional appearances, claimed the 2016 Charlottesville Regional and advanced to their fourth NCAA Super Regional in Lubbock, Texas picking up the programs first-ever Super Regional win (8-6) against No. 5 National Seed Texas Tech in game one of the three-game series.
A year ago, the Pirates finished ranked in the top 16 in five major polls (Baseball America/No. 15, Collegiate Baseball/No. 15, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association/No. 15, D1Baseball/No. 16 and USA Today/No. 16) marking the first time since 2009 ECU had finished ranked in four or more polls.
ECU returns 19 letterwinners, including four Charlottesville All-Regional selections (Evan Kruczynski, Eric Tyler, Travis Watkins/Most Outstanding Player and Charlie Yorgen), 2016 Freshman All-American Dwanya Williams-Sutton and 2014 all-conference performer Bryce Harman. Kruczynski, who earned All-America honors in 2016, was named a preseason Third-Team All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball earlier in the week.
Also stepping on the diamond are 14 newcomers, which consists of three infielders (Nick Barber, Spencer Brickhouse and Bryant Packard), one catcher (Zack Moore), four outfielders (Dusty Baker, Tyler Edwards, Andrew Henrickson and TJ Riles) and six pitchers (Jake Agnos, Trey Benton, Hunter Britt, Hunter Hood, Ryan Ross, Tyler Smith). East Carolina's 2016-17 recruiting class received a pair of Top 25 national recruiting rankings coming in at No. 18 by D1Baseball and No. 23 by Baseball America.
During his two years at the helm of the program, head baseball coach Cliff Godwin has guided ECU to a pair of NCAA Regional berths, a Super Regional appearance, an American Athletic Conference Tournament title and a 78-44-1 (.638) overall record. Three players have earned All-America honors, five were named to the Charlottesville All-Regional Team, six earned all-conference honors (five first-teamers), seven were selected as American Player-of-the-Week, while a pair were drafted by Major League Baseball teams.
The Pirates will begin spring practice on Friday, Jan. 27 and are set to open the 2017 season on the road at Ole Miss on Friday, Feb. 17 with a 5 p.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch.
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