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

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

Insights from Brett
Burleson, Kuchmaner fuel quest for the dream

January 27, 2020 By Brett Friedlander Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Keith LeClair’s dream of getting a team to the College World Series was at least partially realized last June when two of his former East Carolina players, Michigan coach Erik Bakich and assistant Nick Schnabel, led the Wolverines to a Super Regional championship and a trip to Omaha.

It was an accomplishment that would undoubtedly have meant the world to the late baseball coach.

About the only thing that could possibly have made him even happier is if his beloved Pirates could have gotten there, too, as they are currently coached by a notable former ECU teammate of Bakich and Schnabel — Cliff Godwin.

They came close, battling back through the loser’s bracket to win an NCAA regional for the fifth time in school history, only to fall victim to fatigue and some blatantly unfair scheduling in a Super Regional sweep at the hands of Louisville.

As disappointing as the result might have been, the 2019 season represented yet another step in the right direction on the road to Omaha for Godwin and his consistently successful program.

It also taught ECU a valuable lesson.

Not that the Pirates weren’t already aware that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Or in this case, that the most direct route to Omaha is the one that runs through your own home field.

Play well enough to earn a top eight tournament seed and somebody else has to deal with unreasonable travel demands and quick turnarounds, regardless of how many games and rain delays it takes for you to survive your regional.

Godwin and his team were in a position to accomplish that goal last season before flaming out at the American Athletic Conference tournament with a pair of quick losses to Wichita State.

So now the quest begins anew with the start of preseason practice last week.

The Pirates are once again picked to win the AAC, and are armed (literally) and ready to make another deep run into the postseason.

Will they be able to go the distance and finally realize LeClair’s dream of getting all the way to the College World Series?

Preseason All-American Alec Burleson likes their chances.

“We’re going to be good,” he said during his team’s media day event last Tuesday. “It’s just a matter of how good we’re going to be if we come together as one team.”

ECU returns a talented nucleus of 17 veteran players, led by the ACC’s preseason Player of the Year Burleson and Pitcher of the Year, Jake Kuchmaner.

Burleson burst into stardom as both a hitter and pitcher last season by leading ECU in batting average (.370), hits (91), RBI (61) and five other offensive categories while also compiling a 6-2 record with five saves on the mound.

He capped off his big sophomore year by helping the USA Baseball Collegiate National team to series wins against both Chinese Taipei and Cuba last summer.

Alec Burleson comes up throwing an opposing runner out at home plate from right field during last season’s NCAA Greenville Regional. (Photo/Dunn Area Sports/Paul Burgett)

His versatility provides Godwin a number of different options, especially with a pitching staff that promises to be the strength of this year’s team — even with the loss of ace Jake Agnos and Trey Benton to the MLB draft.

It’s a staff anchored by Kuchmaner, who threw the 28th perfect game in Division I history last March 17 against Maryland, only a week after holding Ole Miss hitless for 8⅔ innings.

He’s likely to be joined in the weekend rotation by hard-throwing Gavin Williams, who after two seasons coming mostly out of the bullpen is poised to blossom as a starter, and senior Tyler Smith, who took a step back last year after a dominant sophomore season in 2018.

Offensively, there are holes to fill. Bryant Packard, Spencer Brickhouse, Jake Washer and Turner Brown will be tough to replace. But Godwin has enough returning talent — along with a highly-regarded group of 18 newcomers — to carry on with little or no dropoff in production.

As Burleson said, it all depends on how well all pieces of the puzzle fit together.

But as Godwin warns, it takes more than just talented players, the luck of the draw and maybe even a little inspiration from above to complete the journey to Omaha and realize LeClair’s still unfulfilled dream.

“It’s harder to sustain success than to have success for the first time,” Godwin said. “It’s just human nature. Everyone wants to get comfortable and think that just because you put on an East Carolina uniform that you’re going to host a regional. That’s not something that just happens.

“So I have to educate the guys, even the older guys, every single day on what it takes to win a national championship and to play in the College World Series.”

ECU 2020 BASEBALL SCHEDULE
BURLESON, KUCHMANER FUEL QUEST FOR THE DREAM
GARDNER, MILES PROPEL PIRATES
THE PIRATES’ BIGGEST MOMENTS, 2010-2019
PIRATES DIGESTING INFLUX OF NEW TALENT
PIRATES RAN INTO ‘GROWN MEN’ AT CINCY
TROTT OUSTER SETS STAGE FOR DEFENSIVE MAKEOVER

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

Baseball News
Cougars rally past ECU in AAC opener

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates see bright side

Baseball News
Midweek struggles continue for No. 8 ECU

Baseball News
Grosz shuts out GMU

Baseball News
Throng sees Pirates claim series over GMU

Baseball News
Pirates take opener with Patriots

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Spring reps revealing

Baseball News
Camels top ECU, 2-1

THE SPORTS OBJECTIVE: ABSOLUTE EMPOWERMENT
Jeff Connors with Vonta Leach

ECU Recruiting News
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

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
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Late pitch lures lineman with pedigree

Recruiting Evaluation Part 2: Defense
Report card: Quality talent fills big holes

Recruiting Evaluation Part 1: Offense
Report card: Pirates reload at skill spots

ECU Recruiting News
Towering lineman Neolian still honing skills (updated)

ECU Recruiting News
More help is on the way to ECU secondary

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

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, March 31, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 27, 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, March 31, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, March 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, March 25, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, March 24, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, March 23, 2023

More Web Roundups

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