Pirates host James Madison Tuesday in final mid-week game

East Carolina has not played the Dukes since 2001

Two former Colonial Athletic Association rivals will square off tonight when James Madison visits Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Pirates (30-22) hold a 47-22 advantage in the all-time series between the programs.

East Carolina went 3-1 last week by capturing a road win at Elon before taking two of three at UCF over the weekend.

Corey Thompson continues to lead the Pirates at the plate. The sophomore third baseman is hitting .380 with six home runs and a team-high 49 RBI.

First baseman/designated hitter Kyle Roller is second in average (.348) and home runs (10). Roller, who was hit four times on Friday at UCF, has been plunked 21 times this season.

Catcher Jared Avchen, who lost his job early in the season due to his struggles with the stick, is up to .298. He has seven home runs and 37 RBI.

JMU (26-20, 16-5) currently sits atop the Colonial Athletic Association standings. The Dukes have won six of their last seven and took two of three at Hofstra last weekend. They are 10-13 on the road.

Spanky McFarland’s club does most of their damage with their bats, as they have a team ERA of 7.09 and opponents are batting .314.

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The Dukes are hitting .327 as a team with 64 home runs and 20 triples.

Matt Tenaglia is tops on the team with his .398 average and is one of five regulars hitting .325 or higher. Matt Browning, who is hitting .397 with ten home runs, leads the club with 22 doubles. Matt Townsend has team-highs in home runs (12) and RBI (45).

Expect East Carolina to employ a staff approach and use five or six pitchers against JMU, as they want to have their pen as fresh as possible for its critical CUSA series with Houston this weekend.