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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Since starting slowly at 1-4, the East Carolina baseball team has reeled off seven consecutive wins—including a perfect 5-0 record last week.

While the veterans have certainly played their role in that streak, some Pirate newcomers have grown up really quickly and made more than their share of contributions.

After some key losses from last season’s weekend rotation, Billy Godwin sought a freshman to step up and fill one of those slots. Rookie righty Seth Maness has done just that. The Pinehurst, NC-product has compiled a 2-0 mark and respectable 3.77 era in his three starts. In 14.1 innings of action, he has struck out 22 while walking only five. On Saturday, he went five innings and struck out a career-high ten batters versus Pittsburgh. The strikeout total was the most by a Pirate pitcher since Ricky Brooks struck out 14 versus Memphis in April of 2005.

 

Maness isn’t the only freshman hurler that has faired well on the hill. In the Pirates’ 7-4 road win at VCU last week, Brad Mincey came through with a clutch relief performance. After being forced to use two pitchers in the first 1.2 innings, Mincey delivered just what East Carolina needed. He threw 7.1 innings of scoreless relief, as he allowed only two hits and walked just a single batter en route to collecting his first win as a Pirate. Opposing batters are hitting only .196 in 13.1 innings versus Mincey.

While Drew Schieber has been nursing a nagging hamstring injury, Dustin Harrington has filled in nicely at third base. He is hitting .350 (7-20) and has started five contests. The 5-9, 176-pounder’s highlight to date was his game-tying RBI single at Old Dominion last Tuesday. With ECU trailing 13-12 with two outs in the top of the ninth, Harrington fouled off multiple pitching before coming through with a single to left that knotted the game at 13. He finished that contest 3-for-5 with 2 RBI.

The combination of Harrington at third and junior Ryan Wood at shortstop has helped solidify the left side of the infield.

Freshman outfielder Trent Whitehead saw his initial playing time come primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement. However, he has since seen more at-bats come his way and the Eastern North Carolina native from nearby Washington has made the most of his opportunities. Like Harrington, Whitehead has also started five contests. He is hitting .313 (5-of-16) and stepped up when the Pirates needed him on Saturday versus Michigan. The lefty belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to knot the game at five and East Carolina went on to win 6-5 over the No.15 Wolverines.

Whitehead and Harrington combined to go 8-of-14 at the plate in the Michigan and Georgia Southern wins.

East Carolina (8-4) will begin another five-game week today when Virginia Commonwealth pays a visit to Clark-LeClair Stadium. Freshman Sthil Sowers will get the second start of his Pirate career. After showing some good things in his first two outings, Sowers (0-1, 8.64 era) struggled in his first start at Old Dominion a week ago. He lasted only 1.2 innings after surrendering four runs—three earned—on five hits to the Monarchs.

After the contest with the Rams, the Pirates will play four games in four days. Quinnipiac, who is in the middle of a ten games in ten days stretch to start its season, will be in town on Thursday with first-pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. Atlantic 10-foe Rhode Island will then visit for three games over the weekend.