GREENVILLE – Former Pirate and two-time honorary No. 23 jersey recipient Austin Homan has been named Director of Baseball Operations at East Carolina University head coach Billy Godwin announced on Wednesday. Homan replaces Brian Cavanaugh who resigned in early January to take a teaching position within the university in the health and education department.
“We are ecstatic about having Austin joining our staff as the Director of Baseball Operations,” said Godwin. “Austin is another former player that has a great devotion and loyalty to East Carolina University. His energy and work ethic will be a positive influence in our program.”
Homan will handle a variety of administrative duties, including team travel, game day organization, summer and winter camps, special events coordination and community outreach.
“I am extremely blessed and thankful for the opportunity to work for East Carolina,” said Homan. “Coach Godwin and his staff have the Pirate ship moving in the right direction and I look forward to working with everyone and helping ECU take the next step of getting to Omaha.”
The State College, Pa. native helped the Pirates to three NCAA Regional appearances (2008-09, 2011), one Super Regional (2009), a combined 144-88 record and became the first two-time recipient of the honorary No. 23 jersey, which was the number worn by ECU head coach Keith LeClair throughout his coaching and playing career.
Homan, a two-time team captain and four-year letterwinner, started 60-of-132 games where he batted.304 (84-for-276) with 61 RBI, 13 doubles and 52 runs scored.
Limited in action in 2011 with an injury, Homan appeared in just 28 games making 10 starts. During his junior campaign, he established career-highs in hits (40), doubles (7), RBI (28) and belted his first collegiate home run against Conference USA foe Tulane as the Pirates top utility man. He played in 43 games (33 starts) batting .313, which ranked fifth on the team.
In 2009 he was a member of the Super Regional squad that posted a 46-20 record, claimed the regular season C-USA title with a 17-7 conference record. The Pirates tied a school-record by spending 19 consecutive weeks in the national polls, which started on Jan. 13 with a No. 27 preseason ranking by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and closed the year garnering Top 20 rankings in six final polls. Homan played in 43 games batting .354 (28-for-79) with five doubles, 19 RBI and 24 runs scored.
After redshirting in 2007, he made his collegiate debut against No. 2 South Carolina in the 2008 season opener as a pinch hitter where he drew a walk and later scored. On the season he batted .214 (3-for-14) in 18 games with five RBI.
Off the field Homan was a five-time C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll and an 11-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll selection. In 2011 he earned the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal, was named to the 2011 C-USA Baseball All-Academic Team and earned his bachelor’s degree as a health fitness specialist in May. He is currently pursuing his master’s in recreation and parks administration.