East Carolina Pirates
Overall rank: #32
Conference rank: #2 Conference USA
East Carolina Team Page
In the 50th season since East Carolina won its only national championship as an NAIA program in 1961, the Pirates had a solid spring campaign. East Carolina took third place in its conference and moved on to its 25th NCAA tournament appearance since 1964. When you compare East Carolina with top baseball power conferences, Conference USA tends to get lost from time to time. The Pirates will make sure C-USA is on the map in 2012, both by contending for the title and getting back to the tournament.
2011: 41-21, 14-10
2011 Postseason: Eliminated in Charlottesville regional (lost to St. John’s, beat Navy and St. Johns, lost to Virginia)
Coach: Billy Godwin
Field Players:
Catcher Zach Wright (see Who to Watch) will be the explosive bat in the lineup, not to mention one of only two seniors seeing regular starting duty among the hitters. Third baseman Cory Thompson (.328 average, six home runs, 47 runs batted in, 75 hits) is the team’s leading hitter as a junior, and sophomore shortstop Jack Reinheimer doesn’t have much pop in his bat but still belted out 66 hits. Five of the returning starters have batting averages above .300, including sophomore designated hitter Chase McDonald (.314-4-31, 59 hits, 11 doubles) and junior outfielder Philip Clark (.310-3-28). Clark also steals bases, with 13 successful swipes in 18 attempts, so there will be plenty of work for him to do.
Pitchers:
This isn’t easy. A total of 31 of East Carolina’s 41 victories went into the Major League Baseball draft, as five pitchers were taken by MLB teams and are gone. The team needs to replace pitchers like Seth Maness (10-3, 1.71 ERA, 80 strikeouts) and Brad Mincey (6-4, 1.57, 55 strikeouts and 18 walks). Two starters are in the rotation already, led by senior Kevin Brandt (7-3, 2.26, 63 strikeouts and 27 walks) and sophomore Austin Chrismon (1-0, 1.93). Chrismon moves from relief duty to the fourth starter spot behind Brandt, Jharel Cotton and Tyler Joyner. Still, East Carolina was seventh in the nation with a 2.67 ERA a year ago, and losing all of that pitching is going to be difficult.
Who to Watch:
Wright, a home-state product who lived in Goldsboro before heading to East Carolina, had a solid 2011 campaign with a .272 batting average and 62 hits, including 15 doubles, 13 homers and 39 RBIs. He also stole six bases in seven tries. The only three-year letterwinner on the team among the hitters (Brandt is a three-year letterwinner as a pitcher), Wright will get plenty of attention from MLB scouts as the 2012 campaign continues. The loss of outfielder Trent Whitehead (.325, 80 hits, 17 steals) means much of the attention is now on Wright’s shoulders and he needs to make the most of it.
Final Projection:
Three-fourths of the wins gone to graduation will make life extremely difficult for the East Carolina pitchers, and it could even cause problems in Conference USA. Losing hitters like Whitehead and a pitching staff guided by Maness and Mincey could make ECU a mess when all is said and done. Still, East Carolina has shown before it can reload. There is a reason the Pirates have been in the postseason 25 times since 1964, and chances are the 26th appearance takes place in 2012.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
At bats: John Wooten, IF, 245
Hits: Corey Thompson, 3B, 75
Home Runs: Zach Wright, C, 13
RBIs: Corey Thompson, 3B, 47
Runs: Zach Wright, C, 47
Stolen Bases: Philip Clark, OF, 13
Wins: Kevin Brandt, P, 7
Innings Pitched: Kevin Brandt, P, 91.2
Strikeouts: Kevin Brandt, P, 63
Saves: Jake Harris, P, 2
