Tuesday, March 17
Greenville, N.C.
5:00 P.M.
East Carolina University
vs
Elon
Pirates Host Elon Tuesday to Continue Homestand
March 17, 2026 | Baseball
| Games 22: Elon (9-10, 2-4 CAA) at East Carolina (12-8-1, 0-0 American) | |
| Coverage | March 17th: 5:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Stream: ESPN+ Radio: 94.3 The Game (Dylan Johnson and Dr. Gary Overton) |
| Location: | Lewis Field at Clark LeClair Stadium (5,000) | Greenville, N.C. |
| Official Websites: | East Carolina | Elon |
| Game Notes: | East Carolina | Elon |
| Statistics: | East Carolina | Elon |
| Baseball Central: | NCAA Baseball | College Scoreboard | Weekly Rankings | National Stat Leaders |
| Social Media: | ECUBaseball (Twitter) | ecu_baseball (Instagram) | East Carolina Baseball (Facebook) |
GREENVILLE, N.C. -Â The East Carolina Pirates (12-8-1) have another week at home after hosting Pennsylvania last weekend, starting with their final non-conference matchup on Tuesday against Elon (9-10, 2-4 CAA).Â
Conference play will soon start at the end of this weekend, where the Pirates' homestand continues for their second home series in a row, hosting their first conference weekend against UAB.Â
Due to inclement weather, the original first pitch for the Tuesday midweek game against Elon has been moved up to 5:00 p.m. EST.Â
Pennsylvania Series Recap
East Carolina baseball secured a hard-fought series victory over Pennsylvania this weekend at Clark-LeClair Stadium, taking two of three games from the Quakers. The Pirates opened the series with an explosive 17–3 run-rule win on Friday, highlighted by a nine-run fourth inning and a Jack Herring grand slam. ÂDespite a stellar Saturday performance from starter Gavin Van Kempen, who struck out a career-high 14 batters, the Pirates fell 1-0 in a tense pitchers' duel that saw Penn break a scoreless tie in the ninth.
In Sunday's rubber match, the Pirates overcame a late deficit to force extra innings. After tying the game in the eighth, pinch-hitter Michael Kalinich provided the heroics by launching a lead off walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to seal the 8–7 victory. Brett Antolick earned the win in relief as ECU improved to 12-8-1on the season. Â
Van Kempen on a Tear
Gavin Van Kempen solidified his spot in the weekend rotation early in the season and has been able to make his mark for the Pirates and make his way onto the leaderboards. Van Kempen, in his past three starts, in 18.1 innings of work, has had 34 strikeouts, only allowing two runs and 11 hits, totaling a 0.98 ERA in the last three weeks. Van Kempen currently ranks 12th in the nation and leads the conference in strikeouts at 43. He received Conference Honorable Mention on March 9 for his performance against No. 16 Coastal Carolina. ÂMustache March
Keep up with the latest on Mustache March, where ECU Baseball is currently raising money to help strikeout ALS. Stay tuned on X and make sure to vote on who's got the best 'stache in March.ÂTo help ECU Baseball reach its $10,000 fundraising goal, visit alsnc.org for more information and donate to the cause.  Â
Tuesday Starting Matchup
- #21 LHP Cole Miller vs. #7 RHP Ryan Towers Â
About Elon
Elon heads into the midweek matchup at Clark-LeClair Stadium with a 9–10 overall record and a 2–4 mark in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. The Phoenix have been admirable at home this season, posting an 8–3 record at Latham Park, but they have faced significant challenges on the road, where they are 1–7. They arrive in Greenville looking to snap a three-game losing streak after being swept in a competitive road series against UNCW, which included a grueling 16-inning marathon in the opener. Despite the recent events,Elon has proven its ability to knock off high-caliber opponents, highlighted by a signature 2–0 shutout victory on the road against No. 10 NC State just last week.ÂThe Phoenix are led by senior infielder Jackson Alford, who is batting a team-high .333 and has been a constant threat on the basepaths with a perfect 18-for-18 mark in stolen base attempts. Outfielder Brian DuRoff provides the primary power for the lineup, leading the team with 15 RBIs and two home runs. Elon's starter, Cole Miller, has made three appearances for them in the 2026 season. He holds a 0-1 record, with a total of 6.2 innings pitched with a 2.70 season ERA. Â
After Tuesday's matchup, the Pirates will continue their homestand into conference play, hosting UAB starting on March 20.Â
Players Mentioned
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