GREENVILLE —  East Carolina’s 2012 baseball recruiting class has been ranked No. 33 nationally by Collegiate Baseball, the newspaper announced Tuesday afternoon. This year’s ranking is the highest in program history by Collegiate Baseball topping last years listing at No. 40.
The 2012 class is made up of six pitchers (Nick Durazo, Kyle Majette, Andrew Schorr, Justin Taylor, Hayden White and Ryan Williams), three outfielders (Garrett Brooks, Dylan Brown and Andrew Lamura), two infielders(Joe Brooks and Zach Houchins) and two catchers (Luke Lowery and Travis Watkins).
ECU’s class is ranked second best among Conference USA programs, behind only No. 27 Rice. Vanderbilt brought in thenation’s top incoming class according to Collegiate Baseball, followed by UCLA, Arizona State, LSU and Clemson.
In addition to the 13 newcomers, ECU returns 21 letterwinners including five positional starters and 10 pitchers from a squad that made its 12th NCAA Regional appearance in the last 14 years at the 2012 Chapel Hill Regional.

 Purple and Gold World Series
GREENVILLE — East Carolina head baseball coach Billy Godwin has announced the dates and times for the program’s annual Purple and Gold World Series, which is slated to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
This year’s annual fall intra-squad scrimmage will consist of five games over a two-week period with the 2013 roster split among two teams. The annual draft for the World Series will be held Monday, Oct. 1.
The Pirates, who started fall practice on Sept. 11, will play a pair of seven inning games on Oct. 2 (7:45 p.m.) and Oct. 13 (TBA) and a trio of nine inning affairs on Oct. 4 (3:15 p.m.), Oct. 12 (3:15 p.m.) and Oct. 14 (3:30 p.m.).Admission is free to all Pirate fans.
Coming off its 12th NCAA Regional appearance in the last 14 seasons, ECU welcomes back 21 letterwinners including 2012 Second-Team All-Conference USA performer Drew Reynolds and All-Freshman selection Jeff Hoffman. Joining Reynolds and Hoffman are All C-USA performers Ben Fultz (freshman team/ ‘11), Chase McDonald (freshman team/ ‘11) and Jack Reinheimer (freshman team/ ‘11) as well as Tyler Joyner, who was selected in the 35th round of the 2012 Major League First Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals. The duo of Fultz and McDonald were also named to the 2011 Charlottesville All-Regional Team.
Also stepping onto the diamond are 13 new faces, which consists of junior college transfers Dylan Brown (Gulf Coast Community), Zach Houchins (Louisburg) and Ryan Williams (West Valley College), as well as 10true freshmen: Garrett Brooks, Joe Brooks, Nick Durazo, Andrew LaMura, Luke Lowery, Kyle Majette, Andrew Schorr, Justin Taylor, Travis Watkins and Hayden White.

Purple & Gold World Series (free to public)
Game 1: Tuesday, Oct. 2 (7:45 p.m.)
Game 2: Thursday, Oct. 4 (3:15 p.m.)
Game 3: Friday, Oct. 12 (3:15 p.m.)
Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 13 (roughly 45 minutes after the home Memphisfootball game)
Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 14 (3:30 p.m.)