Friday, March 20
Greenville, N.C.
6:00 P.M.
East Carolina University
vs
UAB
Pirates Kick Off Conference at Home Hosting UAB
March 20, 2026 | Baseball
| Games 23-25: UAB (13-8, 0-0 American) at East Carolina (13-8-1, 0-0 American) | |
| Coverage | March 20th: 6:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch March 21st: 4:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch March 22nd: 1:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Stream: ESPN+ (Mike Mullis and Patrick Johnson) Radio: 94.3 The Game (Dylan Johnson and Dr. Gary Overton) |
| Location: | Greenville, N.C. | Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium (5,000) |
| Official Websites: | East Carolina | UAB |
| Game Notes: | East Carolina | UAB |
| Statistics: | East Carolina | UAB |
| 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 With the season in full swing, the East Carolina Pirates (13-8-1) start American Conference Play on Friday, hosting the first conference series against the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) (13-8). Â
East Carolina was voted the preseason favorite in the American, earning four first-place votes and 75 points, just five more than UTSA, which also received four first-place votes. RHP Ethan Norby was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year, along with Braden Burress and Austin Irby, both making the Preseason All-Conference team for the Pirates. Â
Midweek Recap vs. Elon
The Pirates secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Elon this past Tuesday at Clark-LeClair Stadium, powered by a dominant start from Ryan Towers and a late-inning escape act by the bullpen. Towers earned the win with a season-high performance of 5.0 scoreless innings, scattering just three hits and striking out five to keep the Phoenix off-balance early. ECU built a 4-0 lead through the first six frames, sparked by a two-out rally in the second inning that featured RBI doubles from Davin Whitaker and Walker Barron. Colby Wallace extended the cushion in the fourth with a solo home run to left, while Barron added another RBI single in the sixth to provide what proved to be the winning run.ÂThe game tightened significantly in the eighth inning when Elon surged for three runs, cutting the deficit to a single point and loading the bases with two outs. To preserve the lead, the Pirates turned to Sean Jenkins, who induced a critical fielder's choice to strand three runners and end the threat. Jenkins remained on the mound for the ninth, striking out two to earn his second save of the season and seal the win.Â
2026 Non-Conference Play
The American has been strong throughout non-conference play, with 7 of the 10 teams having RPIs below 100. South Florida has the most successful non-conference record so far this year, 18-3. With UTSA right behind them with a 15-6. ÂThe Roadrunner made a brief appearance in the national rankings, rising to 24th in week three after upsetting No. 9 Coastal Carolina, but then slipped out after a defeat at the hands of UT-Arlington. East Carolina also topped Coastal in six innings due to the weather, 10-4, while Tulane had its own upset in Fort Worth against No. 17 TCU, 8-4. Â
2025 American Conference Recap
The 2025 American Conference baseball season was a year of historic breakthroughs and high-stakes postseason drama. The UTSA Roadrunners dominated the regular season, finishing with an impressive 23–4 conference record (47–15 overall) to claim their first-ever American regular-season title. While teams like Charlotte and South Florida remained in the upper tier of the standings, the narrative shifted during the conference tournament in Clearwater.ÂThe postseason belonged to the East Carolina Pirates, who entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed after a 13–14 conference finish. Finding their rhythm at exactly the right time, the Pirates went 4–1 in the bracket, eventually defeating Tulane 8–2 in the championship game to secure their fourth American tournament title. Infielder Braden Burress was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while pitcher Sean Jenkins earned the win in the final. Both UTSA and East Carolina represented the league in the NCAA Tournament, capping off a season that solidified the conference's reputation for both deep-seated parity and national competitiveness.Â
Pirate Pitching Locking In
The East Carolina Pirates are able to find a rhythm in their starting rotations, as well as throughout the bullpen. ECU ranked top 50 nationally with strikeouts per nine innings (10.5) and ERA (4.01), and has been able to step up when needed most. Gavin Van Kempen has been a name highlighted throughout the past few weeks, having a 1.69 ERA with 43 strikeouts so far. The Saturday starter has been able to have a career-high performance in two weeks, earning him an American Conference Honorable Mention twice in March. Van Kempen can average 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings, over 26.2 innings, while giving up only five walks and 15 hits. ÂRyan Towers has been surprisingly consistent as the midweek starter, posting a season-high performance and his longest outing since April of 2024, going 5.0 innings with five strikeouts against Elon on Tuesday night. Â
In the bullpen, Sean Jenkins has been outstanding in relief, holding a 2-1 record with two saves so far this season. The sophomore has made nine total appearances so far with a 1.80 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Jenkins was able to give a highlighted performance against No.10 North Carolina, going 4.2 innings while giving up no runs and seven strikeouts, to get the win and be named American Conference Pitcher of the Week. Â
About UAB
The UAB Blazers have navigated an active non-conference slate to enter late March with a 13–8 overall record, largely defined by their dominance at Young Memorial Field, where they have secured 11 of those victories. Under head coach Casey Dunn, the team has leaned on an explosive offense that ranks among the most productive in the American Athletic Conference. They recently capped off their pre-conference schedule with a gritty 9–8 walk-off win against Alabama A&M, showcasing a resilient lineup that has found ways to win close games ahead of a challenging road stretch.ÂThe Blazers' success is anchored by standout individual performances, most notably from outfielder John Paul Head, who has already blasted 12 home runs and driven in 25 RBIs, earning both conference and national recognition. He is supported by Alex Dupuy, who leads the team with a .350 batting average, and Andrew Hunt, who has been a consistent on-base threat.Â
The Pirates hold the all-time record against the Blazers, 29-5, with the last time they met being back in Birmingham in 2025. East Carolina solidified the series, quickly taking the first two games. UAB came back in game three, taking the sweep from East Carolina and beating the Pirates for the first time since 2011.Â
First pitch on March 20 is set for 6:00 p.m. EST. Â
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