By Staff
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — Cracking the Top 25 for the first time since March 25, 2005, the East Carolina Pirates will look to solidify that ranking with a pair of midweek games against the Radford Highlanders.
The Pirates and Highlanders (6-8) will begin play at 3 p.m. today and Wednesday at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
ECU (11-6), fresh off a sweep of No. 7 Cal State Fullerton, has won five straight and nine of its last 10 games.
The Pirates are currently ranked No. 25 by Baseball America and No. 27 by Collegiate Baseball.
Bailey Daniels will throw for the Pirates today. Daniels is 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA. The right-handed sophomore has fanned 11 and walked four in 9 1/3 innings.
Mike Anderson will get the nod on Wednesday. The right-handed freshman, who is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, will be making just his second appearance.
The Pirates enter today’s game hitting .276 with 13 homers and 84 RBIs. Stephen Batts leads the club with a .385 average to go with 11 RBIs.
Other top hitters for ECU are Ryan Tousley (.317), two homers, 13 RBIs), Harrison Eldridge (.317, two homers, nine RBIs), Dale Mollenhauer (.309), Drew Schieber (.308) and Brandon Henderson (.283, four homers, 12 RBIs).
Radford is hitting .307 with 12 homers and 90 RBIs. Tom Neiman leads the club with a .409 average.
Other top hitters for the Highlanders are Corey Greene (.395, five homers, 11 RBIs), Tyren Rivers (.366), Andrew Cook (.348), Alex Gregory (.333,tw homers, 11 RBIs), Jonathan Spears (.333), Steve Mignona (.314), Nachion Moore (.313) and Nate Toth (.308).
Following the series, the Pirates will host Michigan for three games Friday and Saturday. The Pirates and Wolverines will play Friday at 7 p.m. before playing a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Hose earns C-USA honors
ECU junior T.J. Hose (3-2) was named the co-Conference USA Pitcher of the Week.
Hose picked up the win in a 6-1 victory over No. 7 Cal State Fullerton on Friday. He scattered three hits over seven innings, allowing the one run and striking out six batters.