Game Day Central: No. 16 ECU Travels To Rice
March 11, 2016 | Baseball
| East Carolina vs. Rice (Games 14-16) | |
| Dates | Mar. 11-13 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m./ 3 p.m./ 1 p.m. (EST) |
| Location | Houston, Texas (Reckling Park) |
| Tickets & Parking | Buy Tickets |
| Live Game Coverage |  Radio: WNCT 1070 AM | ECU Pirates On Demand (Listen/Watch Live) TuneIn Radio Online (within the app search WNCT -- Beach Boogie & Blues) |
| Internet Options | GameTracker |
| Official Web Sites | East Carolina | Rice | American Athletic Conference |
| Game Notes | East Carolina  | Rice | The American |
| 2015 Baseball Statistics | East Carolina | Rice |
| ECU Baseball Central | Promotional Calendar | Roster | Fact Book | The American | NCAA Baseball | College Scoreboard |
| Official Social Media Sites | |
| East Carolina | The American | |
| East Carolina | ECUScoreboard (In-Game Updates) | The American | |
| Twitter Hashtags | #ECUPirates | #ECUBaseball | #AmericanRising |
| East Carolina | The American | |
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Sixteenth-ranked East Carolina hits the road for the second time this season when it travels to former Conference USA foe Rice for a three-game series at Reckling Park. The non-conference series is set to begin Friday, Mar. 11 at 7:30 p.m. (EST).
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME
? This weekends matchup is the first between the two former conference rivals since 2014, when the Pirates captured their only series win over the Owls in Reckling Park.
? The series began in 2006 when Rice joined Conference USA with East Carolina taking its first ever meeting 4-3 on Mar. 24 ... Since then, the Owls have owned the all-time series 22-8.
? ECU is ranked in the national polls for the second-straight week after garnering rankings in five major polls.
? Heading into this weeks action, ECU is ranked No. 16 by D1Baseball, No. 19 by USA Today Coaches, No. 25 in Baseball America and No. 28 in Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
PIRATE QUICK HITS (prior to weekend series)
? East Carolina (10-3) are off to its best start since the 2012 season through 13 games ... The Pirates claimed their fourth-straight LeClair Classic title picking up wins over SE Louisiana and Maryland over the weekend ... ECU is ranked in the national polls for a second consecutive week and entered last week's polls after picking up a road series win over No. 4 Virginia - the first over a Top 5 program since 2002.
? Evan Kruczynski has started three games posting a 1-0 record with a 2.33 ERA ... Allowed five runs (all earned) on 13 hits in 19.1 innings ... Tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in 2016 debut on Opening Day vs. Longwood ... Surrendered one run vs. SE Louisiana in 8.1 innings ... Tallied a pair of quality starts (12 career) on the season.
? Jacob Wolfe named AAC Pitcher-of-the-Week (2/29) after limiting No. 4 Virginia to just one run (unearned) on four hits in 6.0 innings securing ECU's series win at UVA ... Owns a 2-1 record with a 0.47 ERA (38th nationally) in three starts ... Fanned career-high seven\ batters vs. Longwood ... Has 12 career quality starts (3 in 2016) and seven career wins.
? Dwanya Williams-Sutton recorded his second game-winning RBI of his career against Maryland (3/6) with a double in the eighth inning ... Ranks among the AAC leaders with a .385 average, while ranking among league leaders in six other categories ... Named to AAC Honor Roll (2/29) after batting .615 (8-for-13) with 4 RBI, 7 runs, 2 doubles and 2 triples from Feb. 23-28.
? Joe Ingle worked a career-best 3.2 innings of relief with a career-high nine strikeouts in a 4-3 win over Maryland (3/6) ... Owns a 2-1 record with a pair of saves (10 career) ... Has allowed 2 runs in 11.1 innings for a 1.59 ERA ... Fanned a team-high 18 batters while walking seven in five appearances ... Named to preseason NCBWA Stopper-of-the-Year Watch List.
? Turner Brown named to AAC Honor Roll (2/22) ... Delivered game winning hit (walk-off) against SE Louisiana (3/4) with a two-RBI single in the ninth ... Tied for third on the squad with seven RBI ... In collegiate debut went 3-for-3 with a double and a 2-run home run on Feb. 19.
? Charlie Yorgen extended his consecutive start streak to 75 games (started in 2015 season opener) against George Mason on Wednesday ... Tallied career-best four hits vs. the Aggies (Feb. 23).
? Travis Watkins batting .356, which ranks among the top 10 in the AAC ... Leads the league with six doubles and two sac flies ... 2015 Johnny Bench Award semifinalist ... Four-time Bench Watch List candidate (2013-16).
? Parker Lamm is currently batting .348, which ranks fifth on the team ... Leads the league with four sac bunts ... Owns a 13-game hit streak entering this weekends action.
? ECU's starting pitching boasts a 2.39 ERA ... Allowed 23 runs (18 earned) with 49 Ks to 15 BBs in 67.2 innings ...The bullpen has surrendered 17 runs (14 earned) in 50.1 innings for a 2.50 ERA ... They have allowed 6 of 21 inherited runners to score (28.6 percent).
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday: LHP Evan Kruczynski (1-0, 2.33 ERA) vs. RHP Jon Duplantier (1-1, 2.66 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Jacob Wolfe (2-1, 0.47 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Fox (0-3, 3.50 ERA)
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
ECU'S HISTORY ON THE DIAMOND
? In its storied history, the Pirates won the 1961 NAIA National Championship, have claimed 24 conference titles (13 regular season/ 11 tournament), made 27 NCAA Regionals and advanced to three Super Regionals (2001, 2004 and 2009).
GODWIN AT A GLANCE
? Cliff 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 eight NCAA Regional and two College World Series teams at the Division I level as an assistant coach and head coach ... Godwin guided the Pirates to a 40-win season, an American Athletic Conference Tournament title and a berth in the Coral Gables Regional -- its first NCAA Regional since 2012 -- in his first year at the helm ... Named 2015 AAC Coach-of-the-Year and was inducted into the George Whitfield Hall of Fame in January of 2016 ... Currently owns a 50-25 overall record (.667 percentage) as a head coach ... Third fast coach to reach the 50-win plateau, which he did in 75 games (Earl Smith and Dr. Gary Overton did it in 65 games) ... 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. 7 national seed in 2001 where they advanced to the Super Regional round before being eliminated by Tennessee.
