East Carolina has been passing tests both on and off the baseball field. The Pirates (35-8) have been getting it done competitively with an 8-game winning streak, a span that has seen the record in the American Athletic Conference improve to 14-4 for a 2-game lead in the league standings.
ECU has climbed to No. 5 in the D1 Baseball rankings.
There’s more to college baseball than baseball and this week has been an important time in terms of academics for the Pirates, who routinely turn in a team grade pound average well above the 3.0 plateau.
“We’re in the middle of exams,” said Coach Cliff Godwin, an Academic All American in his playing days at ECU, on Wednesday.
No midweek games were on the schedule this week and the practice routine was adjusted.
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“Monday and Tuesday, we gave them off from any baseball activity and they just lifted weights and then did their academic stuff and body care, recovery,” Godwin said. “And we will practice a little bit (Wednesday), short scrummage and then practice )Thursday) and be ready on Friday.”
The Pirates start a 3-gane AAC series with South Florida (22-22, 8-10 AAC) in Greenville on Friday at 6 p.m.
Scientific weight training
The weight training sessions at ECU have a scientific basis..
“It’s a little bit different for each guy,” Godwin said. “Our guys lift throughout the season, so they’re maintaining their strength if not gaining a little bit of strength throughout the season.
“There’s a lot of science behind it. So our strength coach, Dennis Wilson, does a really good job and there’s different phases throughout the season. There’s some times when guys do continue to get stronger throughout the season just because he does such a good job.”
Godwin lifted as a player.
“That was 25 years ago, so there’s just more technology,” Godwin said. “We have iPads at every squat rack in our weight room and all their data and the percentages are plugged into a computer. They’re doing everything on a touch screen.
“Most of the time we work at the Rogers Performance Center, which is right on the first base side, the brand new one. That’s most of the time where we work out, but sometimes we do use the Murphy Center.”
Root’s status
The Pirates are coming off a weekend sweep at Memphis although customary Saturday starter Zach Root (6-0) was on the shelf.
Friday starter Trey Yesavage improved to 9-1 with a near no-hitter.
“Coach (Austin) Knight (pitching coach) has done a great job on our staff and we’ve had some guys that weren’t able to pitch this past week. Root being one of them,” Godwin said, “Shenk (Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman) being one of them. Just from arm soreness and we’ve just taken the mentality of whoever’s going out there, close out the inning that they’re going out there, and if they feel good, they can go close out the next one. Just next man mentality. The pitching staff has done a really good job.”
Root may sit out this weekend.’
“He’s still day-to-day, so we’ll see how he continues to feel.” Godwin said. “I don’t think he’ll pitch this weekend, but he will be back, pretty confidently, before the season’s out.”
Poll history
The No. 5 ranking is not the highest ever for ECU.
The Pirates rose to No, 4 in 2004 prior to the Conference USA tournament in Houston. That team, coached by Randy Mazey, won an NCAA regional in Kinston before losing in a Super Regional at South Carolina to finish 51-13.
Value of national recognition
Godwin doesn’t dwell on rankings, but a high perch in the polls would correspond to a situation the Pirates want to be in — a top eight national seed with the advantage of hosting a Super Regional.
“We’ve done a really good job to put ourselves in a position to be where we want to be,” Godwin said. “But hey, the season don’t end right now. So as I’ve told our guys, ‘Every day we’re playing for a championship in some capacity,’ and that’s our mentality. … Once they get through Thursday, then it’s all baseball. So it’s the best time of year for a baseball player. You don’t have school; you just have baseball and being with your best friends in the entire world. So it’s a fun time. I want our guys to take advantage of that.”
Starling’s return
After missing 13 games, Jacob Starling came back from an oblique injury to hit for a cycle in a 10-6 win at home against N.C. State on April 23.
“So proud of him and just keeping a positive mindset,” Godwin said. “Obviously it’s not easy when you’re a senior and you’re injured and you’re having to sit there and watch, but I really think it helped him to slow the game down and really perform at the level that we know he can perform at and that he’s done over his career here.
“Of course, nobody could envision him hitting for the cycle on his first night back against N.C. State, but that was an awesome moment. And then Friday he hits a home run at Memphis, Saturday he hits a home run at Memphis, and I’m just happy that he is getting close to 100 percent. That’s the biggest thing for us. We want him to be at full strength and these two days off, for sure, will help him continue to feel better. So it’s a good thing.”
Pro potential
What kind of interest might Starling get in the MLB draft July 14-16?
“I’m not a scout, but I would take him,” Godwin said. “He’s put together a good body of work for his career. He is a really good baseball player. He can run, he can really defend at second base. He’s got more power in the bat than you think. He can steal bases. So he’s very versatile and he’s a great human being. So I would tell them to draft him.”
A-Mack factor
ECU swept its two games with N.C. State this season with former Pirate Alec Makarewicz in the lineup for the Wolfpack.
‘”Our guys did a really good job at their place and our place,” Godwin said. “It’s always been about us. It’s not about anybody else that’s on a different team and our guys focused on winning the baseball game and did a really good job of it. … That’s how our guys handled it and they handled it very professionally. Super proud of them.”
35-8 and counting
With the roll that the Pirates are on, there is the inevitable question about where the success might lead.
“We’ve had some really good teams here and this is right up there, but everybody wants to talk about a place,” Godwin said. “It’s a real thing. But we’re trying to just play our best baseball going down the stretch to continue to put ourselves in a good situation, to make a deep postseason run.
“The thing that has been working is we’ve got a really connected group. It’s the closest group that we’ve had here in 10 years, from my perception, and even guys that have been in the program for five years, they said it’s the closest-knit group they’ve been a part of. They don’t panic if we get down. They don’t get too high if we’re up. They just have taken a really professional approach of just showing up every day and going about their business in a very professional manner.”
“And of course when you;ve got Trey Yesavage going on Friday night and he’s not just a great pitcher, but he’s a great competitor and he’s a pro, then it gives you an opportunity to win every weekend. … Pitching has done great. Our offense has done great. Our defense has done great. We’ve really played well over the past couple of weeks in all three phases.”
Fresh contributors
ECU has gotten immediate production from several freshmen.”
“Bristo (Carter) has played mostly in left field and done a really good job, played well this weekend,” Godwin said. “Ethan Norby has done a really good job, whether he’s pitching out of the bullpen or starting. Colby Wallace gave us an unbelievable boost when Starling went down. I think we played 12 games. We’re 10-2 and Colby goes over to third and plays a great third base and swings the bat good. Dixon (Williams, sophomore) goes to second and plays a great second base.
“That’s really the sign, in my opinion, of a great team, is when a guy gets injured that the next man mentality just happens and nobody really talks about it. It’s just, ‘Hey man, next man up.’ And we’ve worked hard and those guys have done a really good job.”
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