The East Carolina baseball program completed its most successful “Mustache March” campaign with the group shave Monday afternoon.
For the third straight year the ‘shave off’ was shown live during the sports segment for WNCT-TV. With that many shavers and razors in one place anything could have happened. Thankfully, no one was injured for the third straight year as well.
Early in my career I sported a ‘stache’ and kept it until the Peach Bowl football season of 1991. I told the guys that year that they could shave my mustache if they went to a bowl game. As we all know, the Pirates had their best season in history, and the ‘stache’ was shaved during one of the pre-bowl get-togethers in Atlanta.
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I promised that team that I wouldn’t grow it back, in honor of them. I kept that promise until the baseball program asked me to participate in “Mustache March” three years ago.
Keith LeClair, who lost his courageous battle with ALS, was a hero to many of us and so each March I participate in the cause.
Funny how we change in life. I hate wearing the mustache now, but it’s all in good fun. Every time someone asks me about the facial hair it gives me a chance to ask for a donation for ALS.
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My lovely wife Melissa also isn’t a fan of the whiskers. Coach Cliff Godwin went as far as to pretty much ask her permission in front of some 800 Pirate fans at this year’s preseason baseball banquet. Even though it’s for a good cause she just isn’t a fan of the mustache.
We were at the game together on Saturday when the announcement was made that the Pirates had hit their goal of raising $7,500 for awareness and research for ALS. I smiled and told her that I had helped the cause. She smiled and said, “But you didn’t help your cause, did you!”
She is quite witty, and she laughed out loud when she saw my expression. I think, deep down, she enjoys the month as well. Perhaps way deep down, I think!
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“It’s just a really neat deal that we’ve done now for three years,” said Coach Godwin at the shave off. “Our guys have a love and respect for Coach LeClair and what he meant to this program, and this is our chance to show that and have a little fun.”
The Pirates’ goal was $7,500. The team surpassed that and then some, raising a little over $10,000 for the cause.
Charlie Yorgen came up with the idea before his junior season at ECU.
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“We wanted to come up with something a little different and raise money for this great cause,” said Yorgen. “We knew the history and thought this would be a perfect way to get people talking, and have a little fun doing it.”
Ryan Ross won the award for the best mustache, but he was pushed by West Covington and Andrew Henrickson.
Several Pirate players struggled with the challenge of growing facial hair.
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I’m not sure if Turner Brown’s effort counts. During the Central Florida series one of the Knights’ players asked Brown why he wasn’t participating. Brown laughed and told him that was the best he could do. The story simply adds to the legend of Turner Brown!
There was also great news off the field. The Pirates continue to move up the national rankings. ECU is now ranked 11th by Baseball America, up from 17th. The Pirates are 12th in the D1Baseball poll, up from 16th. East Carolina is now 17th in the Perfect Game poll, up from 22.
More importantly, East Carolina is ranked 10th in the RPI and the team’s strength of schedule is 22nd nationally. These are terrific numbers as the Pirates continue to build their NCAA resume.
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The team can continue to build that resume this week. The Pirates host rival UNC-Wilmington on Tuesday, Wofford on Wednesday and then travel to Washington for the weekend.
March was a good month for East Carolina, despite the mustaches.
Here’s hoping April and May bring equal success and the Pirates make it back to the postseason.
BB
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