By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — Expectations are sky high for the East Carolina Pirates this season.
The No. 11 Pirates open the season today against No. 2 Virginia, a team that played in the 2009 College World Series. First pitch at Clark-LeClair Stadium is set for 3 p.m.
Seth Maness (9-3, 4.71 ERA last year) gets the ball for the Pirates, who were 46-20 in 2009. The Cavaliers, 49-15-1 a year ago, will send out lefty Danny Hultzen (9-1, 2.17).
The series with Virginia, which includes games at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, is the first of a challenging schedule for ECU.
“We have been able to put together another great schedule for the 2010 season that consists of some of the top teams across the country,” ECU coach Billy Godwin said. “When we recruit student-athletes to East Carolina, we talk about putting them on a national stage. The conference schedule allows us to do that and I also think it’s important to go out in non-conference and play some of the top teams nationally during those five weeks away from league play.”
ECU will also battle the likes of South Carolina, Cal State Northridge, Pepperdine and N.C. State this year.
Godwin, who begins his fifth season with the Pirates, believes the tough schedule will help prepare his team for the postseason.
“Once you get into postseason play, there are no real surprises,” Godwin said. “You have already matched up against some of the best offenses and pitching staffs across the country, so you are not intimidated in what they bring to the table.
“Those are the type of teams that you have to beat to get to Omaha, and that’s what our goal is every year.”
A strong pitching rotation, which includes Saturday starter Kevin Brandt (9-2, 3.64 ERA) and Sunday starter Brad Mincey (10-5, 3.16 ERA), could carry the Pirates far this year.
“The depth that we have in our pitching staff is our biggest strength,” Godwin said. “We return 37 wins on the mound from a year ago. That coupled with the addition of five freshmen, a junior college transfer and a pair of redshirts, we have probably assembled the deepest staff since I’ve been at ECU.
“We return all three weekend starters (Maness, Brandt, Mincey) along with bullpen guys like Patrick Somers and Mike Wright and closer Seth Simmons. Freshmen Jake Harris, Joseph Hughes and Tyler Joyner will all compete for midweek starting roles and then we have rookies D.J. Jauss and Tanner Merritt looking for innings out of the bullpen. Putting together pitching depth like we have this season is something that we have tried to build since I got here, and we realize that you have to be able to pitch to get to Omaha.”
While the Pirates lost some big bats from a year ago, including the likes of Ryan Wood, Stephen Batts, Brandon Henderson and Drew Schieber that helped the team smash 108 home runs, drive in 523 runs and hit .339 collectively, plenty of talent returns.
That includes local product Trent Whitehead, ECU’s leadoff batter. The former Washington Pam Pack standout set a single-season record with 105 hits in 2009, hitting .376 and scoring 78 runs.
The power of Kyle Roller (16 homers, 75 RBIs, .336) and Devin Harris (14 homers, 48 RBIs, .344) are back with the Pirates.
“Those two guys bring back thunder, no doubt about it,” Godwin said. “We have a chance to have the most feared three and four hitters in the country. Certainly those two guys put up great numbers a year ago and we expect them to do the same thing again this season.
“Devin is a five-tool player that was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB Draft last year, but he decided to return and help this team get to Omaha and that speaks volumes for where our program is at. Kyle has improved every year he has been with our program. Last year he went out and had another great season where he was an All-American and continued to play well in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he was the league’s best hitter and is arguably the best amateur hitter in the country. So it is definitely exciting having those two sluggers back.”
Other key returning players for ECU are Jared Avchen (.330) and Dustin Harrington (14 homers, 49 RBIs, .318).
Godwin is expecting lots from his newcomers.
“We have lots of pitching depth and so far I have been really excited about lefty Tyler Joyner, who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians, and Joseph Hughes, a 2009 pick by the Washington Nationals,” Godwin said. “Jake Harris is another guy I’m really excited about this season. He was limited in action due to an injury in the fall, but I think he is going to do some really special things and battle for a midweek starter’s spot with Joyner.
“One of the things we needed to do was bring in a pair of quality left-handers and I think we have done that with the additions of both Joyner and Harris. Tanner Merritt has a great upside and will be a great player for us whether it is this year or down the road.”
On the offensive side, Godwin sees a bright future for John Wooten.
“Wooten has the most upside of any freshman offensively since I have been here,” Godwin said. “I think he has a chance to have a special career at ECU, but the key for him is how quickly he adapts to the college game. I feel that we need to have him in the lineup for us to be successful this year.”
Godwin pointed out a couple key areas that will lead to a successful season.
“The most important thing is for guys that are back like Trent Whitehead, Kyle Roller, Devin Harris, Seth Maness, Kevin Brandt and Brad Mincey to give us the type of year we know they can have,” Godwin said. “They have to have good years with no setbacks. Second is that the guys who have been waiting to play, so to speak, like Austin Homan, really need to help out. Austin was our ‘10th-man’ last season hitting .367 with some key at-bats and could get the starting nod in left field or at first base. I equate him with being what Trent Whitehead was two years ago for us.
“The old guys have to be good and the new guys have to give us quality production for us to achieve our goals of playing in Omaha. Finally, team chemistry is crucial. We have a great group of guys and the feedback that I have gotten from our older players and leaders is this team has the best chemistry of any squad we have had since I have been here.”