East Carolina Baseball: A Look at the 2017 Season

East Carolina Baseball is gearing up for the 2017 season. Check out our preview of what to expect from the team this year.

2017 Season Outlook

The 2017 East Carolina baseball season is just around the corner, and the Pirates are looking to build on their successes of last year. East Carolina finished the 2016 season with a 37-23 record, good for second place in the American Athletic Conference The team made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012, but ultimately fell short of their goal of winning a National Championship

This year, East Carolina will be led by a core group of experienced seniors who will look to end their college careers on a high note. The team’s pitching staff should be strong once again, anchored by senior right-hander Evan Kruczynski. The offense will look to improve upon last year’s performance, and will be counting on senior first baseman Graham Wolfe and junior outfielder Dwanya Williams-Sutton to provide some power at the plate.

With a mix of experience and talent, the East Carolina baseball team has all the pieces in place for another successful season

Position-by-Position Breakdown

The nation’s top-ranked Baseball Team according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper enters the 2017 season with high expectations. The team is loaded with talent and should contend for a National Championship Here’s a look at the team position-by-position:

Catcher: The team will be relying on two juniors to handle the catching duties this season. Starter Andrew Knizner is a Preseason All-American and one of the best in the country at his position. He’s a great receiver with a strong arm who threw out 22 runners last season. His backup, Travis Watkins, is also an excellent defender who hit .273 in limited action last year.

First Base: Senior Luke Bolanos returns as the starter at first base after hitting .306 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs last season. He’s a good defender and gives the team some needed left-handed power in the middle of the lineup. Sophomore Sam Brooks will also see some time at first base and is an excellent hitter (.333 average in 2016) who can also play third base and in the outfield.

Second Base: Another Preseason All-American, junior Alec Burleson returns as the starter at second base. He’s an excellent hitter (.358 average, 7 HR, 37 RBIs in 2016) with good speed (15 stolen bases). He’ll be backed up by freshman Bryson Worrell, who was one of the top recruits in the country last year.

Third Base: Junior Cory Wood returns as the starter at third base after hitting .293 with 9 HR and 40 RBIs last season. He’s a good all-around player who can also play first base when needed. His backup will be freshman Connor Jones who was also a highly touted recruit out of High School

Shortstop: One of the best players in the country, senior Errol Robinson returns as the starter at shortstop. He hit . 327 last year with 6 HR and 41 RBI while also stealing 21 bases. He’s an excellent defender with good range and a strong arm. Freshman Will Holland will back him up and is also an excellent defensively shortstop with good speed (11 stolen bases in high school).

Outfield: The team has three solid outfielders returning in senior Dwanya Williams-Sutton (center field), junior Turner Ward (left field), and sophomore Alec Makrides (right field). Williams-Sutton is a leadoff hitter who had a breakout year last season, hitting .351 with 10 HR and 48 RBI while stealing 19 bases. Ward is another good hitter (.305 average) who provides some needed power from the left side of the plate (7 HR, 36 RBI). Makrides is more of a contact hitter (.282 average) but still has some pop (5 HR, 30 RBI) and excels defensively in right field

The Pitching Staff

The East Carolina University baseball team will have a strong pitching staff in the 2017 season. The staff is led by senior left-hander Jake Kuchmaner, who has been named a preseason All-American by several publications. Kuchmaner is joined by a core of experienced pitchers who will provide depth and talent.

The staff is anchored by Kuchmaner, who has a career record of 20-6 with a 3.27 ERA in three seasons at East Carolina. He has struck out 246 batters in 259 innings pitched and his opponents’ batting average is just .234. Kuchmaner has been named a preseason All-American by Baseball America the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Perfect Game/Rawlings.

In addition to Kuchmaner, the Pirates’ pitching staff includes senior right-hander Joe Ingle (5-5, 4.04 ERA in 2016), junior right-hander Johnta Hebert (3-1, 5.68 ERA in 2016), sophomore right-hander Connor Litton (2-3, 3.86 ERA in 2016), and freshman right-hander Gavin Williams (0-0, 4.50 ERA in 2016).

The pitching staff will be bolstered by the return of senior right-hander David Lucroy from injury. Lucroy missed the 2016 season after suffering a stress fracture in his pitching arm. In 2015, he was 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 13 games (12 starts).

The Pirates also added two graduate transfers to the pitching staff for the 2017 season: left-hander Chris Holba (Georgetown) and right-hander Troy Ruddell (Wake Forest).

The Infield

The infield is the heart of any baseball team and the East Carolina Pirates are no exception. The team is led by senior third baseman Erick Gonzalez, who was named to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. He is joined by fellow seniors Jake Washer (first base) and Bryant Packard (outfield). The infield also features junior catcher Alec Burleson, who was named a Preseason All-American by perfect game

The infield will be anchoring a strong East Carolina team that is looking to make some noise in the 2017 season.

The Outfield

In the outfield for ECU this season will be a mix of experience and youth. In left field Jay Cannon enters his senior season looking to build off a very successful junior campaign in which he hit .308 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. Freshman Bryant Packard will most likely see time in right field. Packard was a highly touted recruit out of high school and has the potential to be a star at the collegiate level. centerfield will be patrolled by redshirt sophomore Dwanya Williams-Sutton. Williams-Sutton had a breakout year last season, hitting .330 with 5 homers and 26 RBI. He will look to build on that success this season and solidify himself as one of the best outfielders in the American Athletic Conference

The Catchers

The catcher is the most important position on the baseball field They are responsible for handling the pitching staff and controlling the game from behind the plate. The East Carolina Pirates have a strong group of catchers that will be key to their success in 2017.

Leading the way is senior Jason Morante, who has been a starter for the past two seasons. He is a great leader and has a strong arm that can keep runners from stealing. Behind him is junior Luke Bolka, who provides a solid option as a backup. He is a good hitter and has a strong arm as well. Rounding out the group is freshman Alec Burleson, who has impressed in limited action so far. He is a good hitter with power and has a strong arm as well.

The Catchers will be a strength for the Pirates in 2017 and will be key to their success.

The Coaching Staff

The East Carolina baseball team is coming off a disappointing 2016 season in which they finished last in the American Athletic Conference with a record of 13-17. However, there is reason for optimism heading into the 2017 season. The Coaching Staff led by first year Head Coach Cliff Godwin, has implemented a new system that should help the team be more successful.

The coaching staff is made up of Godwin, Assistant Coach Kevin Strong, pitching coach Robert Woodard, and director of operations Mason Harrell. All four coaches have experience either playing or coaching at the collegiate level. This experience should prove to be invaluable as they look to turn the program around.

Cliff Godwin is no stranger to winning. He played for ECU from 1992-1995 and was a member of the team that won the College World Series in 1994. He then went on to have a successful career as an assistant coach most recently at Clemson. He was hired as the head coach at East Carolina in June of 2016.

Assistant coach Kevin Strong played collegiately at Louisiana Tech from 2002-2005. After his playing career ended, he served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for one season before moving on to Mcneese State where he served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

Pitching coach Robert Woodard also has experience both playing and coaching at the collegiate level. He played his college ball at Old Dominion from 2006-2009 before serving as an assistant coach there from 2010-2012. He then spent two seasons as an assistant at ECU before being promoted to pitching coach prior to the 2015 season.

Mason Harrell rounds out the Coaching Staff as the director of operations. He graduated from ECU in 2015 and served as a student assistant for the Baseball Team while he was completing his degree.

The Schedule

The 2017 ECU baseball schedule has been released, and there are some tough tests early on for the Pirates. They open the season at home against Toledo on February 17th, and then have a three-game set at South Carolina the following weekend. Other notable games include a home series against conference foe Cincinnati and a road series at Virginia Tech

The Fans

It’s no secret that college baseball is a sport with a large and devoted following. From the die-hard fans who follow their team through thick and thin to the students who pack the stands on a warm spring day, college baseball has something for everyone.

East Carolina fans are no exception. The Pirates have one of the most passionate fanbases in the country, and they show up in force to support their team. In 2017, they averaged 3,731 fans per game, good for fourth in the conference and 25th in the nation.

Pirate fans are some of the most die-hard in all of college baseball They show up in force to support their team through thick and thin.”

In 2017, East Carolina averaged 3,731 fans per game, good for fourth in The American Athletic Conference and 25th in the nation.

Conclusion

The 2017 season was filled with promise for the East Carolina Baseball team After a strong showing in 2016, the team was looking to take things to the next level this season. Unfortunately, injuries and nt play led to a disappointing campaign. The team finished the year with a 26-28 record, missing out on the postseason.

Despite the disappointing finish, there were some bright spots on the team. Sophomore pitcher Jake Kuchmaner had a strong season, finishing with a 3.21 ERA. Junior outfielder Bryant Packard also had a good year, hitting .308 with 10 home runs

Looking ahead to 2018, the East Carolina baseball team will need to stay healthy and find more consistency if they want to make a return to the postseason.