Tuesday, April 28
Raleigh, N.C.
6:00 P.M.
East Carolina University
at
NC State
Pirates Head to Raleigh to Play NC State
April 28, 2026 | Baseball
RALEIGH, N.C. - The East Carolina Pirates (28-16-1, 12-6 American) head to Raleigh for one of their last midweeks of the regular season against the NC State Wolfpack (27-16, 10-11 American) on Tuesday, April 27. Â
PROJECTED MIDWEEK STARTERSÂ
#27 LHP Nick Moran vs. #29 RHP Julien PeisselÂ
BEATING THE BULLSÂ
The Pirates delivered a commanding weekend performance, securing their second series sweep of the season over South Florida in dominant fashion. The tone was set early in Friday's opener, as East Carolina capitalized on Bulls miscues in the first inning to plate the first run of the weekend—a spark that quickly turned into sustained momentum.Â
That momentum never wavered, as the Pirates erupted for an 11-1 run-rule victory in seven innings. Davin Whitaker headlined the offensive explosion, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two towering home runs to right field, accounting for half of ECU's four long balls on the day. Walker Barron and Michael Kalinich each added a homer of their own to round out the scoring. On the mound, Ryan Towers was equally impressive, tossing 5.0 shutout innings while allowing just four hits and two walks, striking out five to earn his fourth win of the season.Â
With inclement weather forcing a schedule shift, the final two games were moved to a Saturday doubleheader, but the Pirates remained unfazed. After a quiet start in game two, East Carolina broke things wide open with an explosive eight-run third inning, putting the contest out of reach. Jack Herring and Colby Wallace paced the offense with three hits apiece, with Wallace driving in three runs and Herring adding two RBI, along with his first career triple in a Pirate uniform. Eight of the nine starters crossed the plate, showcasing the lineup's depth. Ethan Norby earned the win with 5.2 innings of work, striking out seven, while Joseph Webb dominated out of the bullpen, closing the door with 2.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a season-high seven.Â
The series finale tested the Pirates' resilience, as play was suspended after two innings due to weather and resumed Sunday following a 16-hour delay. East Carolina picked up right where it left off, carrying over Saturday's energy to secure its second run-rule victory of the weekend. Webb turned in another stellar outing, delivering 5.0 shutout innings to earn his second win of the series. The Pirates' disciplined approach at the plate paid off once again, and fittingly, Herring delivered the final blow, lining a walk-off single to score Braden Burress and seal a 12-2 victory in eight innings.Â
The Pirates totaled 35 runs in 24 innings, with 41 hits and eight home runs over the weekend. The two sweeps against South Florida and Charlotte are the only two three-game series where the Pirates totaled 40+ runs through the weekend. Â
SWEEPING CONFERENCE HONORSÂ
The East Carolina Pirates completed a weekend sweep of South Florida and followed it up by earning a clean sweep of weekly conference honors, the league office announced Monday afternoon. Jack Herring was named American Conference Player of the Week, while Joseph Webb secured Pitcher of the Week recognition.Â
Jack Herring continued to pace the Pirates' lineup with a dominant week against Old Dominion and South Florida, hitting 9-for-15 (.600) with nine runs scored, 11 RBI and no strikeouts across four games. He added his 13th career home run, and team-leading eighth of the season, along with his first Division I triple in Saturday's doubleheader, helping ECU secure the series. Herring now leads the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.377), slugging percentage (.630), RBI (46), doubles (13), home runs (8) and total bases (97), while also topping the conference in walks (38) and on-base percentage (.503).Â
Out of the bullpen, Joseph Webb delivered a pair of standout performances to anchor the pitching staff. He struck out a season-high seven over 2.2 innings in Saturday's win, then returned Sunday to throw a season-best 5.0 innings of hitless, scoreless baseball with six strikeouts to earn the win and secure the sweep. Across the weekend, Webb allowed no runs, just one hit and two walks, finishing with a 0.00 ERA over 98 pitches.Â
The last time the Pirates swept conference weekly honors was back in 2024, when Carter Cunningham received American Conference Player of the Week and Trey Yesavage received Pitcher of the Week (4/29).  Â
LAST TIME AGAINST NC STATEÂ
The last meeting between East Carolina and NC State took place on April 14, 2026, at Clark-LeClair Stadium, where the Wolfpack secured a 10-3 victory over the Pirates. NC State took control early, capitalizing on defensive miscues to build a 5-0 lead by the third inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Ty Head. ECU struggled to find offensive rhythm against Wolfpack starter Luke Hemric, managing only five hits on the night. Davin Whitaker provided a bright spot for the Pirates with a two-run home run in the eighth, while Jack Herring extended his impressive on-base streak to 37 games. The loss snapped ECU's home unbeaten streak for the month and marked the second consecutive year the Wolfpack has won in Greenville.Â
ABOUT NC STATEÂ
NC State enters the late-April stretch with a 27-16 overall record and an 10-11mark in ACC play. The Wolfpack has navigated a season of significant runs, starting the year with a dominant 13-0 victory over Washington and maintaining a strong home presence at Doak Field. While they hit a difficult skid in late March, dropping series to Florida State and Georgia Tech, they have found their footing recently. Notable highlights include a convincing series win over Notre Dame and taking two of three from Duke earlier this month. The Wolfpack recently lost their fourth conference series to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, although forcing a rubber match on Sunday in their Saturday win 14-7. Â
The roster is headlined by standout freshman Rett Johnson, who leads the team with a blistering .433 batting average, while veteran Chris McHugh continues to provide consistent power in the middle of the order. Their midweek starter, Julien Peissel, currently holds a 18.00 ERA in his four appearances and one start. Peissel has thrown a total of 4.0 innings, giving up 10 hits and eight runs with five strikeouts. Â
First pitch in Raleigh is set for 6:00 p.m. EST. Â
PROJECTED MIDWEEK STARTERSÂ
#27 LHP Nick Moran vs. #29 RHP Julien PeisselÂ
BEATING THE BULLSÂ
The Pirates delivered a commanding weekend performance, securing their second series sweep of the season over South Florida in dominant fashion. The tone was set early in Friday's opener, as East Carolina capitalized on Bulls miscues in the first inning to plate the first run of the weekend—a spark that quickly turned into sustained momentum.Â
That momentum never wavered, as the Pirates erupted for an 11-1 run-rule victory in seven innings. Davin Whitaker headlined the offensive explosion, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two towering home runs to right field, accounting for half of ECU's four long balls on the day. Walker Barron and Michael Kalinich each added a homer of their own to round out the scoring. On the mound, Ryan Towers was equally impressive, tossing 5.0 shutout innings while allowing just four hits and two walks, striking out five to earn his fourth win of the season.Â
With inclement weather forcing a schedule shift, the final two games were moved to a Saturday doubleheader, but the Pirates remained unfazed. After a quiet start in game two, East Carolina broke things wide open with an explosive eight-run third inning, putting the contest out of reach. Jack Herring and Colby Wallace paced the offense with three hits apiece, with Wallace driving in three runs and Herring adding two RBI, along with his first career triple in a Pirate uniform. Eight of the nine starters crossed the plate, showcasing the lineup's depth. Ethan Norby earned the win with 5.2 innings of work, striking out seven, while Joseph Webb dominated out of the bullpen, closing the door with 2.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a season-high seven.Â
The series finale tested the Pirates' resilience, as play was suspended after two innings due to weather and resumed Sunday following a 16-hour delay. East Carolina picked up right where it left off, carrying over Saturday's energy to secure its second run-rule victory of the weekend. Webb turned in another stellar outing, delivering 5.0 shutout innings to earn his second win of the series. The Pirates' disciplined approach at the plate paid off once again, and fittingly, Herring delivered the final blow, lining a walk-off single to score Braden Burress and seal a 12-2 victory in eight innings.Â
The Pirates totaled 35 runs in 24 innings, with 41 hits and eight home runs over the weekend. The two sweeps against South Florida and Charlotte are the only two three-game series where the Pirates totaled 40+ runs through the weekend. Â
SWEEPING CONFERENCE HONORSÂ
The East Carolina Pirates completed a weekend sweep of South Florida and followed it up by earning a clean sweep of weekly conference honors, the league office announced Monday afternoon. Jack Herring was named American Conference Player of the Week, while Joseph Webb secured Pitcher of the Week recognition.Â
Jack Herring continued to pace the Pirates' lineup with a dominant week against Old Dominion and South Florida, hitting 9-for-15 (.600) with nine runs scored, 11 RBI and no strikeouts across four games. He added his 13th career home run, and team-leading eighth of the season, along with his first Division I triple in Saturday's doubleheader, helping ECU secure the series. Herring now leads the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.377), slugging percentage (.630), RBI (46), doubles (13), home runs (8) and total bases (97), while also topping the conference in walks (38) and on-base percentage (.503).Â
Out of the bullpen, Joseph Webb delivered a pair of standout performances to anchor the pitching staff. He struck out a season-high seven over 2.2 innings in Saturday's win, then returned Sunday to throw a season-best 5.0 innings of hitless, scoreless baseball with six strikeouts to earn the win and secure the sweep. Across the weekend, Webb allowed no runs, just one hit and two walks, finishing with a 0.00 ERA over 98 pitches.Â
The last time the Pirates swept conference weekly honors was back in 2024, when Carter Cunningham received American Conference Player of the Week and Trey Yesavage received Pitcher of the Week (4/29).  Â
LAST TIME AGAINST NC STATEÂ
The last meeting between East Carolina and NC State took place on April 14, 2026, at Clark-LeClair Stadium, where the Wolfpack secured a 10-3 victory over the Pirates. NC State took control early, capitalizing on defensive miscues to build a 5-0 lead by the third inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Ty Head. ECU struggled to find offensive rhythm against Wolfpack starter Luke Hemric, managing only five hits on the night. Davin Whitaker provided a bright spot for the Pirates with a two-run home run in the eighth, while Jack Herring extended his impressive on-base streak to 37 games. The loss snapped ECU's home unbeaten streak for the month and marked the second consecutive year the Wolfpack has won in Greenville.Â
ABOUT NC STATEÂ
NC State enters the late-April stretch with a 27-16 overall record and an 10-11mark in ACC play. The Wolfpack has navigated a season of significant runs, starting the year with a dominant 13-0 victory over Washington and maintaining a strong home presence at Doak Field. While they hit a difficult skid in late March, dropping series to Florida State and Georgia Tech, they have found their footing recently. Notable highlights include a convincing series win over Notre Dame and taking two of three from Duke earlier this month. The Wolfpack recently lost their fourth conference series to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, although forcing a rubber match on Sunday in their Saturday win 14-7. Â
The roster is headlined by standout freshman Rett Johnson, who leads the team with a blistering .433 batting average, while veteran Chris McHugh continues to provide consistent power in the middle of the order. Their midweek starter, Julien Peissel, currently holds a 18.00 ERA in his four appearances and one start. Peissel has thrown a total of 4.0 innings, giving up 10 hits and eight runs with five strikeouts. Â
First pitch in Raleigh is set for 6:00 p.m. EST. Â
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