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No. 24 Pirates prepare for No. 2 Gamecocks
By KEVIN TRAVIS,Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — After playing against one another for the past few weeks, the East Carolina baseball team will finally face real competition this weekend.
The No. 24 Pirates open the season at No. 2 South Carolina. ECU and the Gamecocks are scheduled to play at Sarge Frye Field today at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
“I think both our pitchers and our hitters are excited about seeing somebody else,” ECU head coach Billy Godwin said. “We know we’re going to have our hands full. We’re not at home; we’re going into a potential hostile environment, but we feel like that’s what people get when they come here.
“If we’re going to truly compete for championships, we need to go into environments like that and be successful.”
Rain is expected to fall in Columbia, S.C., on Friday. If that happens, the teams will likely play a doubleheader on Saturday or Sunday.
“I’ve learned a long time ago that I can’t control the weather,” Godwin said. “We know there’s a chance of (rain) on Friday. I told coach (Ray) Tanner that we want to play three games.”
Senior right-hander T.J. Hose, who was 6-5 with a 3.97 ERA last year, will get the starting nod for ECU in today’s opener.
“I’m very excited,” Hose said. “I’ve been looking forward to this series since the last game of regionals last year.
“It’s been a long spring preparation to get going for this first weekend. There’s been a lot of hype for the series. Hopefully, we can have a great series.”
Hose will look to keep the Gamecocks, who hit .301 with 113 home runs last year, off balance.
“I’ll just go out there and try to pound the strike zone with three pitches and not try to do too much,” said Hose, who throws a fastball, slider and change-up. “I have a great defense behind me.”
Seth Maness, a freshman right-hander, will start Saturday for the Pirates.
“I’ve been looking forward to this since August,” Maness said. “It’s a dream come true to finally get a chance to throw and it’s going to be a great atmosphere to thrown in.
“I’m just looking forward to it and ready to get going. I don’t know what to expect. I’m just hoping to get in there and have a good game.”
Justin Bristow, a junior transfer from Auburn, will start the third game of the series.
Godwin said he’s looking for his starters to go as long as they can.
“I think the key for us to be successful is, we have to get quality innings out of our starting pitchers,” Godwin said. “They’ve have to carry us maybe into the sixth inning. Getting to the seventh would be tremendous. That’s the key to the series.”
Offensively, the Pirates are led by Stephen Batts. The junior enters the series riding a 29-game hitting streak, the second longest in school history and the third longest among Conference USA batters. Batts had six homers, a team-high 56 RBIs while hit .323 on the year.
Senior center field Harrison Eldridge, named to the C-USA First Team last year, hit .295 to go with six homers, a team-high 19 doubles, a team-best 15 stolen bases and 28 RBIs.
Other key returning players include infielder Ryan Wood (.318, five homers, 23 RBIs), catcher Corey Kemp (.267, five homers, 41 RBIs) and infielder Drew Schieber (.301, six homers, 22 RBIs), who will wear No. 23 this season in honor of former coach Keith LeClair.
Former Washington Pam Pack star Trent Whitehead, a freshman outfielder, will get his first taste of college action for the Pirates.
“I’m nervous and excited,” Whitehead said. “I don’t think I’ve seen 4,000 or 5,000 people, or however many people will be at South Carolina, in my life. I’ll be stuck out there in front of about 5,000 people come this weekend. I’m more nervous than anything right now.
I just want to help the team win. Whatever it may be, I’ll do it.”
Godwin praised the young outfielder.
“I knew he was a good player, but he’s performed really well,” Godwin said. “He’s going to be a great player here. He’s not somebody we have to throw out there right now, but I think the learning curve is going to be to his advantage. He can sit back and soak it up.
“He’ll get a lot of quality innings for us this year as a defensive replacement and left-handed pinch hitter off the bench. He’s solid and that’s what we expect our freshman to be when they come in.”
The Gamecocks are led by junior infielder Reese Havens, senior catcher Phil Disher and junior pitcher Mike Cisco, who were named captains this season. Another top returning player is Justin Smoak, who hit .315 with 22 homers and 72 RBIs last year.
Havens has started 130 games at shortstop the past two years. Disher hit .328 with 15 homers and 63 RBIs as a junior, while Cisco has recorded 13 wins over the last two years.
Cisco will get the starting nod in today’s game.
Godwin and his players are anxious to get started.
“Our guys are ready to compete,” Godwin said. “We know we’re going into a great environment against a great program, but I think we have a good program, too. I have a lot of respect for them and what they’ve done.”
The No. 24 Pirates open the season at No. 2 South Carolina. ECU and the Gamecocks are scheduled to play at Sarge Frye Field today at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
“I think both our pitchers and our hitters are excited about seeing somebody else,” ECU head coach Billy Godwin said. “We know we’re going to have our hands full. We’re not at home; we’re going into a potential hostile environment, but we feel like that’s what people get when they come here.
“If we’re going to truly compete for championships, we need to go into environments like that and be successful.”
Rain is expected to fall in Columbia, S.C., on Friday. If that happens, the teams will likely play a doubleheader on Saturday or Sunday.
“I’ve learned a long time ago that I can’t control the weather,” Godwin said. “We know there’s a chance of (rain) on Friday. I told coach (Ray) Tanner that we want to play three games.”
Senior right-hander T.J. Hose, who was 6-5 with a 3.97 ERA last year, will get the starting nod for ECU in today’s opener.
“I’m very excited,” Hose said. “I’ve been looking forward to this series since the last game of regionals last year.
“It’s been a long spring preparation to get going for this first weekend. There’s been a lot of hype for the series. Hopefully, we can have a great series.”
Hose will look to keep the Gamecocks, who hit .301 with 113 home runs last year, off balance.
“I’ll just go out there and try to pound the strike zone with three pitches and not try to do too much,” said Hose, who throws a fastball, slider and change-up. “I have a great defense behind me.”
Seth Maness, a freshman right-hander, will start Saturday for the Pirates.
“I’ve been looking forward to this since August,” Maness said. “It’s a dream come true to finally get a chance to throw and it’s going to be a great atmosphere to thrown in.
“I’m just looking forward to it and ready to get going. I don’t know what to expect. I’m just hoping to get in there and have a good game.”
Justin Bristow, a junior transfer from Auburn, will start the third game of the series.
Godwin said he’s looking for his starters to go as long as they can.
“I think the key for us to be successful is, we have to get quality innings out of our starting pitchers,” Godwin said. “They’ve have to carry us maybe into the sixth inning. Getting to the seventh would be tremendous. That’s the key to the series.”
Offensively, the Pirates are led by Stephen Batts. The junior enters the series riding a 29-game hitting streak, the second longest in school history and the third longest among Conference USA batters. Batts had six homers, a team-high 56 RBIs while hit .323 on the year.
Senior center field Harrison Eldridge, named to the C-USA First Team last year, hit .295 to go with six homers, a team-high 19 doubles, a team-best 15 stolen bases and 28 RBIs.
Other key returning players include infielder Ryan Wood (.318, five homers, 23 RBIs), catcher Corey Kemp (.267, five homers, 41 RBIs) and infielder Drew Schieber (.301, six homers, 22 RBIs), who will wear No. 23 this season in honor of former coach Keith LeClair.
Former Washington Pam Pack star Trent Whitehead, a freshman outfielder, will get his first taste of college action for the Pirates.
“I’m nervous and excited,” Whitehead said. “I don’t think I’ve seen 4,000 or 5,000 people, or however many people will be at South Carolina, in my life. I’ll be stuck out there in front of about 5,000 people come this weekend. I’m more nervous than anything right now.
I just want to help the team win. Whatever it may be, I’ll do it.”
Godwin praised the young outfielder.
“I knew he was a good player, but he’s performed really well,” Godwin said. “He’s going to be a great player here. He’s not somebody we have to throw out there right now, but I think the learning curve is going to be to his advantage. He can sit back and soak it up.
“He’ll get a lot of quality innings for us this year as a defensive replacement and left-handed pinch hitter off the bench. He’s solid and that’s what we expect our freshman to be when they come in.”
The Gamecocks are led by junior infielder Reese Havens, senior catcher Phil Disher and junior pitcher Mike Cisco, who were named captains this season. Another top returning player is Justin Smoak, who hit .315 with 22 homers and 72 RBIs last year.
Havens has started 130 games at shortstop the past two years. Disher hit .328 with 15 homers and 63 RBIs as a junior, while Cisco has recorded 13 wins over the last two years.
Cisco will get the starting nod in today’s game.
Godwin and his players are anxious to get started.
“Our guys are ready to compete,” Godwin said. “We know we’re going into a great environment against a great program, but I think we have a good program, too. I have a lot of respect for them and what they’ve done.”
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