Pirates Meet College of Charleston in Fayetteville for Midweek Contest

Games 9: East Carolina vs. College of Charleston
Coverage	Feb. 25th: 6:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats Stream: N/A Radio: 94.3 The Game (Dylan Johnson and Dr. Gary Overton)
Location:	Fayetteville, N.C. \| Segra Stadium
Official Websites:	East Carolina \| COFC
Game Notes:	East Carolina \| COFC
Statistics:	East Carolina \| COFC
Baseball Central:	NCAA Baseball \| College Scoreboard \| Weekly Rankings \| National Stat Leaders
Social Media:	ECUBaseball (X) \| ecu_baseball (Instagram) \| East Carolina Baseball (Facebook)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina Pirates hit the road Wednesday for a neutral-site midweek matchup against the College of Charleston Cougars at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST.

The meeting marks the first between the two programs since the 2022 season, when Charleston claimed a 2-1 series win in Charleston. Despite that result, ECU leads the all-time series 7-5 entering Wednesday's contest.

Big Week for ECU

East Carolina enters the midweek coming off a wild series against the ranked No. 10 North Carolina, leaving the series 1-1-1. The Pirates and the Tar Heels started the traveling series in Greenville, where UNC showed no mercy, taking the first game in only eight innings.

ECU answered back quickly in game two, when the Pirates exploded, tallying 15 hits and 10 runs, with many showing what real Pirate baseball looks like. Grady Lenahan showed dominance in the lineup, hitting his first career three-run homer to send the Pirates over the Tar Heels. Lenahan also solidified the win for the Pirates, hitting a base-clearing triple, and also putting him one hit shy of the cycle. Many Pirates stepped up, with Matt Lashley sacrificing bunting to score two runs in his first start in the lineup. Jack Herring is going 4-for-5, as well as Braden Burress going 2-for-4 for the Pirates.

The Pitchers were also able to hold the ranked Tar Heels to a minimum. Gavin Van Kempen started, went 4.1 innings, and gained five strikeouts. Sean Jenkins was the game winner, though. Jenkins had a valiant performance out of the bullpen, going 4.2 scoreless innings and striking out seven at the plate.

Jenkins garnered the first Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for the Pirates in 2026, due to his performance against North Carolina, as well as showing out against Campbell in their Tuesday midweek on February 17.

With the series tied at 1-1, the series quickly came to a close in Chapel Hill, where the coaches and administration made the tough decision to call the game due to inclement weather. The Tar Heels and Pirates ended in a tie, the first for ECU in baseball since 2016.

About College of Charleston

The College of Charleston arrives in Fayetteville coming off a weekend hosting South Alabama, losing the series 1-2. With a scheduled midweek game against Air Force that was unfortunately cancelled, the Cougars are currently 3-5 overall, with their first neutral game being against the Pirates. Some strong standouts in their lineup start with Ethan Plyler, who has been a constant starter in all eight games. With a current batting average of .370, he has been able to have a .445 on-base percentage, drawing about four walks as well as one hit by pitch. Reece Holbrook is also consistent in the lineup, with a .310 batting average; he shows his confidence in his speed, being 3-for-4 on the bases.

The Cougars' starter for the night will be Drew Medley, gaining his first start of the season. With only one appearance on the year so far, he has pitched 2.0 innings, giving up one hit with no strikeouts. His ERA is currently 0.00, and opposing averages are .250.

The Cougars show speed and confidence on the basepaths. Compared to the Pirates' 4-for-4 record on steals in the season so far, COFC is 9-for-14, having been caught stealing five times.

Series History

Wednesday's matchup renews a series that has been competitive over the years. ECU holds a 7-5 all-time advantage, but Charleston took the last meeting in 2022 with a 2-1 series win. The neutral-site contest at Segra Stadium provides a unique setting for the programs' first meeting in four seasons.

About Segra Stadium

Located in downtown Fayetteville, Segra Stadium opened in 2019 as a state-of-the-art, 4,700-seat minor league ballpark and is the home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The facility features a natural-grass playing surface, modern player development amenities, premium seating options, and a 360-degree concourse offering fans a scenic view of the Cape Fear River and Fayetteville's revitalized downtown district.

First pitch for the contest is set for 6:00 p.m. EST. There will be no stream available, but live stats and updates will be available on various Pirate Baseball platforms.