Tuesday, February 17
Buies Creek, N.C.
5:00 P.M.
East Carolina University
at
Campbell
Pirates Travel to Campbell Tuesday, Hosts NIU Wednesday
February 16, 2026 | Baseball
| Games 4-5: East Carolina at Campbell / Northern Illinois at East Carolina | |
| Coverage | Feb. 17th: 5:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Feb. 18th: 4:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Stream: FloSports+ / ESPN+ Radio: 94.3 The Game (Dylan Johnson and Dr. Gary Overton) |
| Location: | Buies Creek, N.C. | Greenville, N.C. |Â Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium |
| Official Websites: | East Carolina | Campbell | NIU |
| Game Notes: | East Carolina | Campbell | NIU |
| Statistics: | East Carolina | Campbell | NIU |
| Baseball Central: | NCAA Baseball | College Scoreboard | Weekly Rankings | National Stat Leaders |
| Social Media: | ECUBaseball (X) | ecu_baseball (Instagram) | East Carolina Baseball (Facebook) |
BUIES CREEK/GREENVILLE, N.C. -Â Pirate baseball hits the ground running as soon as the calendar hits opening day, and will not be stopping, with two midweeks, one on Tuesday at Campbell, and the Pirates coming home Wednesday to host Northern Illinois. Â
First pitch for Campbell at Jim Perry Stadium is set for 5:00 p.m. EST, with Northern Illinois at ECU first pitch at 4:00 p.m.Â
ECU (1-2) had a slow start to the opening weekend against Xavier (2-1), but showed out in true Pirate fashion to end the series on Saturday. Although not the outcome wanted, Braden Burress went .462 with six hits and held the two stolen bases. Six of the nine starting lineups were able to hold above a .300 against the Musketeers, including Jack Herring, who hit the first home run of the season on Opening Day. Â
Three freshmen had the opportunity to make their collegiate debuts in the purple and gold. Grady Lenahan found his way to center field, keeping a clean slate defensively and finding the ball offensively. Lenehan averaged .364, with four hits, two being doubles, and being clutch on base, scoring three runs with a .429 on base percentage. Brayden Bachman started game three as the DH and did his job, creating opportunities. Bachman sacrificed a fly for one RBI with one walk that created a run for the Pirates. Colby Weber got his first career start and ended the night with the first win of the season. Weber helped lead the Pirates to victory on Saturday, going a full five innings with six strikeouts, only giving up three runs. The last time a true freshman started and gained a win on opening weekend was back in 2012, when Jharel Cotton pitched a total of six innings, only giving up one run with four strikeouts against Milwaukee, winning 16-1. Â
ABOUT CAMPBELL
The Campbell Fighting Camels enter the matchup as one of the most consistent mid-major programs in the Southeast, coming off a 25–31 season in 2025 (15–12 in the Coastal Athletic Association) while returning a veteran core under head coach Chris Marx. Campbell's offense is anchored by experienced bats, including infielder Joey Morton, who hit .289 with 13 home runs and a .589 slugging percentage last season, along with Darnell Parker Jr., who posted a .391 on-base percentage with eight homers while starting 54 games. Joe Simpson also returns as a preseason all-conference selection and key run producer in the middle of the lineup. Starting for the Camels on Tuesday is right-hander Mason Smith. The redshirt junior made 14 appearances, including 12 starts, in 2025, finishing with a 2–6 record, a 5.61 ERA, and 60 strikeouts in a team-leading 61.0 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a .272 batting average.ÂCampbell went 1-2 against Cal Poly over opening weekend, winning game one 5-2 on Friday, while losing the doubleheader on Saturday.
ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Northern Illinois Huskies enter the matchup as representatives of the Mid-American Conference, finishing the 2025 season with a 19–34 overall record under head coach Ryan Copeland. Northern Illinois returns several of its top offensive contributors, led by outfielder Colin Summerhill, who hit .325 with a .430 on-base percentage and 14 stolen bases in 2025, along with infielder Jake Dunham, who added a .286 average with eight home runs and 32 RBIs. Behind the plate, catcher Garrett Wolforth provided power with seven home runs while handling much of the pitching staff. On the mound, right-hander Seth Mattox led NIU starters with 60.2 innings pitched and 58 strikeouts, while reliever Ryne Nissen posted a team-best ERA among pitchers with 15+ appearances.ÂNorthern Illinois is currently split in their series against North Carolina A&T, 1-1, with the decider playing later on Monday evening.Â
This week will be one of the two weeks where the Pirates go back-to-back on midweeks this season, with their next home midweek being against Old Dominion on March 10. Â
LOOK INTO THIS WEEKEND
The Pirates gear up for their most anticipated series each season, when ECU takes on #11 North Carolina in their annual travel series. The first game of the series will start on Friday, when the Pirates will host. Then, the second game will be held at a neutral site, specifically Durham Bulls Athletic Park, on Saturday. With Sunday closing out the series in Chapel Hill. Â
Players Mentioned
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