Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives

• ECU 2022 Football Schedule
• ECU 2022-23 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2023 Baseball Schedule

— Recruiting Thumbnails —
Football: 2023 • Hoops: 2023-24

Insights from Brett
Optimism in order as first pitch draws near

January 29, 2018 By Brett Friedlander Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

There are five words in the English language that can bring warmth to even the coldest winter day.

They are: “Pitchers and catchers report today!”

ECU head coach Cliff Godwin had a bone to pick with an umpire after a close play at the plate didn’t go the Pirates’ way during a game last season. (Photo by Bonesville Staff)

We’re still a couple of weeks away from being able to say those magic words with the opening of Major League Baseball spring training camps. But there’s a variation of the sentence that’s currently more apropos and much more encouraging to East Carolina fans suffering through an intolerably depressing basketball season.

It is: “College baseball practice has begun!”

The bats and balls came out of mothballs for the first official workout on Friday at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The highlight of the three-hour practice was an intrasquad scrimmage in which the Pirates’ pitchers faced live hitters for the first time since last fall.

While that might not seem like an overly uplifting occasion to some considering how disappointing the 2017 season was for coach Cliff Godwin and his Pirates, it is reason for optimism — if for no other reason than it represents the opportunity for a fresh start.

And nothing brings about hope more than a fresh start.

Besides, there are more than a few reasons to believe that the Super Regional appearance of 2016 was closer to the norm than last year’s 7-17 disaster of a conference record.

Consider the perfect storm of circumstances that went into sabotaging ECU’s 2017 high hopes.

There were the injuries to key players, including those that sidelined ace pitcher Evan Kruczynski and top hitter Dwanya Williams-Sutton for long stretches of the season. There was the distraction that led to the dismissal of closer Joe Ingle. There were the bad bounces and missed opportunities that led to close losses — starting with the three on opening weekend at Ole Miss that got things off on the wrong foot.

And, of course, the burden of lofty expectations.

The Pirates began last season ranked No. 6 nationally by Baseball America and were the overwhelming pick to win the American Athletic Conference, receiving six of eight possible first-place votes. Although the preseason predictions turned out to be fool’s gold, they weren’t completely unwarranted thanks to the return of 19 lettermen, along with the addition of a highly-regarded recruiting class.

This year’s team will be much less of a known-quantity. But even without the veteran nucleus of Kruczynski, dependable catcher Tyler Watkins, All-AAC third baseman Eric Tyler and other graduated seniors, along with signee and first-round MLB draft pick MacKenzie Gore, the 2018 Pirates will hardly be devoid of talent.

Trey Benton (pictured) and southpaw Jake Agnos displayed flashes of brilliance during their freshman campaign in 2017 and are poised to be the anchors of a capable pitching staff in 2018. (Photo by Bonesville Staff)

The pitching staff appears solid, especially at the top of the rotation where sophomores Trey Benton and Jake Agnos have the makings of an impactful 1-2 weekend punch.

Benton, a right-hander from West Columbus High School, struck out 74 in 71 innings last season.

Agnos, a lefty from Virginia, finished on a high note by throwing seven shutout innings against Central Florida to send ECU into the AAC tournament championship game.

Offensively, powerful young first baseman/DH Spencer Brickhouse, who earned Freshman All-America honors after belting 10 homers a year ago, anchors a lineup that also features a healthy Williams-Sutton and fellow veteran bats Turner Brown, Bryant Packard and Dusty Baker.

They’re joined by a freshman class ranked among the nation’s top 20, led by Gavin Williams — a hard-throwing pitcher who actually did make it to campus after getting drafted last spring (Round 30 by the Tampa Bay Rays).

It’s not the kind of team that will get a lot of love in the preseason polls, especially with the challenging schedule Godwin has put together for it. But that just helps take the pressure off and puts the Pirates in a position to overachieve.

And who knows? If the young players grow up fast and all the pieces fit together just right, maybe this will turn out to be the season ECU hoped to have a year ago.

After a 2017 campaign in which everything that could possibly have gone wrong did go wrong, the Pirates are due for a few breaks.

VIEW ECU’S 2018 BASEBALL SCHEDULE ON ECUPIRATES.COM

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

VIEW FROM THE EAST: FAU
The new American

Basketball News
Pirates rally past Tulsa to snap losing streak

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

VIEW FROM THE EAST: CHARLOTTE
The new American

Basketball News
Owls pull away from ECU in second half

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

Basketball News
Small matter costly in ECU loss

VIEW FROM THE EAST
The new American

Basketball News
Bearcats beat ECU from long range

Basketball News
Memphis run tops ECU

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

AAC Early Signing Review
New members dive into AAC recruiting wars

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review
First wave of recruits just the beginning

ECU Recruiting News
Brown finds way to ECU through portal

ECU Recruiting News
Transfer safety McDaniel destined for ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates land coveted Spartanburg quarterback

ECU Recruiting News
Swift ECU recruit ‘in a class of his own’

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates win out for Georgia prep linebacker

ECU Recruiting News
Linebacker with pedigree charts path to ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates find a gem in Palmetto State receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Official visit swayed North Mecklenburg star

ECU Recruiting News
Physical Georgia receiver poses tough matchup

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates project lineman Durant as center

ECU Recruiting News
ECU spotted potential in Conley lineman

ECU Recruiting News
ECU lands fleet-footed Georgia defensive back

ECU Recruiting News
‘Football town’ helps draw Short to Pirates

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets edge rushers

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

ECU Recruiting News
Well stocked Pirates enter fray for O-linemen

ECU Recruiting News
ECU faces uphill battle in hunt for tight ends

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates cast wide net for wide receivers

ECU Recruiting News
Loaded Pirates still courting running backs

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets quarterbacks of the future

AAC Football Recruiting News
Transfer portal reshaping AAC football programs

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, January 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, January 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, January 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, January 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 25, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 23, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, January 21, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, January 16, 2023

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2023 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy