By MALCOLM GRAY

ECU Athletic Media Relations

 

CLEARWATER, Fla. — First-year head coach Cliff Godwin, who has guided East Carolina to a 36-20 record and a second place finish in the American Athletic Conference, has been named the 2015 AAC Baseball Coach of the Year, according to an announcement by the league office Monday as voted on by the eight head coaches.

Godwin becomes the fifth Pirate skipper in school history to take home coach-of-the-year accolades, joining Monte Little (Southern Conference, 1977), Gary Overton (Colonial Athletic Association, 1990), Keith LeClair (Colonial Athletic Association, 1999 & 2000), Randy Mazey (Conference USA, 2004) and Billy Godwin (Conference USA, 2009). He is the second first-year coach in school history to earn the honors following Little in 1977 and his 36 wins are the most by any first-year skipper.

Senior Reid Love and junior Luke Lowery joined Godwin with postseason honors after being tabbed First-Team All-American Athletic Conference. With their selections, the Pirates have had at least one player selected to a first-team for 12-straight years (2004-present).

Love, the only player in the league this season to claim Player and Pitcher-of-the-Week honors, was named a first-team pitcher and a unanimous first-team selection as a utility player. On the mound, Love owns a 7-3 record with four saves in 20 appearances (nine starts). The left-hander sports a 2.79 ERA with 68 strikeouts to just nine walks in 80.2 innings of work.

Since league play began March 27, Love is 5-1 in eight appearances (seven starts) with a pair of complete games — one a shutout (vs. Tulane on April 2). The Dunnellon, Fla., native has allowed just 14 runs (13 earned) with 56 strikeouts in 55.1 innings.

At the plate, Love is batting .301 (47-for-156) with three home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs. He has registered 13 multi-hit games, which included career-best five hits, four RBI and three run against Elon on March 15. In league games, he leads the club with a .342 (26-for-76) with a pair of home runs and nine RBI.

Lowery was named the first-team designated hitter after belting a team-best 12 home runs, which ranks fourth in the AAC. This year he is batting .313 (57-for-182) with 45 RBI, 37 runs scored, nine doubles and 24 walks. Lowery, who leads the club in 11 offensive categories, has registered 16 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games – both new career-highs.

Back on March 16, Lowery became the sixth player in school history to earn Collegiate Baseball National Player-of-the-Week honor (presented by Louisville Slugger) after helping the Pirates to a 4-1 week, which included ECU’s first road non-conference sweep since 1966, taking all three games at Elon (10-3, 11-8, 20-4). Lowery batted .500 (9-for-18) with four home runs 13 RBI and eight runs scored to go along with three walks, two hit by pitches and a pair of sac flies during the week. He also earned AAC Hitter-of-the-Week accolades along with College Sports Madness National Player and NCAA.com Player-of-the-Week honors.

The Pirates will open the 2015 AAC Championship on Wednesday at Bright House Field against No. 7 seed UCF (31-25) with an 11 a.m. scheduled first pitch.