An Update From AD Jon Gilbert

Pirate Nation:

The culmination of the spring semester is always a time for celebration and reflection with our student-athletes along with their families and friends. Sixty Pirate student-athletes will earn their degrees following the spring or summer sessions, and it is a joyous occasion to see them recognized for their accomplishments on and off the field. Being a student-athlete requires a time management balancing act with academics and athletics. So many obstacles come their way during their time on campus and there must be a commitment and determination to succeed.

I am excited to announce our student-athletes accomplished the highest annual GPA (non-COVID) in department history with a 3.22 GPA including a record 3.26 in the spring semester. We saw a seven percent increase in the number of student-athletes who earned a 3.0 GPA or better for the year, finishing with a notable 71 percent.

Success in the classroom is a direct result of the work put in by the individual and the support of our faculty, coaches and academic staff. It truly does take a village. We are thankful for the leadership of Senior Associate AD/Student-Athlete Academic Services Stephanie White and her dedicated team.

Congratulations to former Pirate football star Terrance Copper who returned to Greenville to earn his college degree over the past year and was joined at the ceremony by his son, Terrance Copper Jr. To have father and son graduate together had to be a special moment for the Copper family.

Honoring Student-Athletes
The Pirate Club hosted the annual Breakfast of Champions event on April 29 in Harvey Hall. We are so appreciative of Nutrien for its continued sponsorship of this special celebration of our student-athletes. This is a unique event where we have the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of our student-athletes in the classroom and in their sport.

Here is a look at the student-athletes that were recognized:

Outstanding Scholar-Athlete – Synia Johnson (Women's Basketball) and Jeremy Lewis (Football)

The DePalo Award (senior varsity athlete with highest GPA) – Coleman Ferrell (Track and Field)

Kristi Overton Scholar-Athlete Award (exceptional freshman scholar-athlete hailing from North Carolina) – Rachel Chessock (Lacrosse)

Pat Draughon Postgraduate Scholarship Award – Sophia LoCicero (Lacrosse)

Walter and Marie Williams "Spirit of the East" Scholarship – Carsen Parker (Soccer)

Big Weekend Of Baseball Ahead
ECU Baseball returns to the friendly confines of Clark-LeClair Stadium this weekend as they host conference foe Memphis beginning Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for
4 p.m. and we will honor our seniors prior to the game, while Sunday's game is set for 1 p.m. The Pirates wrap up the home portion of the regular season on Tuesday, May 16 against Campbell at 6 p.m.

We will be sending out information next week about purchasing regional tickets if Greenville is selected as a host site.

Pirates Compete In AAC Tourneys
Our men's and women's track programs are heading South to compete in conference championships in Tampa, Fla. The American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships will be held from May 12-14.

Thankful For ECU Athletics Staff
It has been a rewarding year for ECU Athletics, and I wanted to share with you a few of the highlights of what makes Pirate Nation special. We have so many individuals within our athletics department that work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our loyal and faithful fans remain informed on all things purple and gold.

Our goal is to provide a first-class experience for every individual that enters our athletic venues. As an athletic director, you wake up every day thankful that you have a dedicated staff that cares about the Pirates.

People see the athletic events but do not always hear about the outside events that our staff has to prepare for and produce. More than 160 outside events were held on the Grady-White Boats Athletic Campus over the past 12 months with an additional 162 athletic events. That is an astonishing number and resulted in a lot of work by our staff members.

We are positioned for success, and it will take all of Pirate Nation behind us as we compete for sustained success. More than 500,000 fans attended ECU Athletic events over the last year, and we know we will eclipse that number in the coming year.

Here are a few numbers from the past year that showcases the power of having a fan base that is enthusiastic, loyal and continues to support our student-athletes.

Football

Sold 15,835 season tickets, a 15 percent increase from the year before.
Set Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium attendance record with 51,711 for the season-opener against NC State including a school-record 13,100 students.
Ranked second in the AAC behind Central Florida for highest average attendance.

Soccer

Set Johnson Stadium attendance record on August 18 vs. Duke with 1,335 fans.

Men's Basketball

Had largest crowd in Minges Coliseum since 2007 with 7,589 on hand against Houston on February 25.
Saw a 25 percent increase in attendance from the prior season.
Recorded highest average attendance since 2015-16.

Women's Basketball

Recorded largest crowd in program history with 6,657 on Nov. 16 against High Point.
Increased attendance by 62.6 percent from 2021-22 season.
Registered highest average attendance since 2009-10.

Baseball

Sold out season tickets for the second consecutive season for the first time in program history.
Largest regular season crowd in the history of Clark-LeClair Stadium on Feb. 24 with 6,003.
Ranked 12th in the nation in total attendance.

Fan Engagement

Produced 105 ESPN+ productions in 2022-23.
Ranked 35th in September amongst all athletic department socials in total interactions.
Ranked 32nd in October amongst all athletic department socials in total interactions.
Have gained over 2,700 followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram since August 2022.
Registered more than 760,00 interactions since August 2022 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Posted nearly 800 stories and releases on ECUPirates.com.
Had almost six million total page views on ECUPirates.com.
More than 1.5 million users have visited ECUPirates.com.

Again, nothing happens without a committed staff and loyal fan base. Thank you for making ECU Athletics a special place to work. I am excited about the upcoming year and what we can all accomplish.

Go Pirates!

Jon

Related News

Related Videos

Footer