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ECU 2016 Baseball
Banquet |
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WNCT-TV
sports director and Bonesville
columnist Brian Bailey handled
the emcee duties at the ECU
Baseball Banquet on Saturday,
Feb. 6, 2016, at Williams Arena.
(Submitted photo) |
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BASKETBALL |
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Hot-shooting Huskies sink
Pirates |
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STORRS, CT �
Five players scored
in double figures
for Connecticut in
an 85-67 American
Athletic Conference
win over visiting
East Carolina on
Sunday. Shonn Miller
and N.C. State
transfer Rodney
Purvis had 16 points
for the Huskies
(17-6, 7-3 AAC).
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More... |
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Next: Tulane at ECU |
Wed. | 6:15 pm | ESPNN |
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING:
INSIDE SIGNING DAY |
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Pirates worked fast on
recruiting class |
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 GREENVILLE
� Certain elements of a real
pirate's lifestyle such as
attacking, plundering and
escaping probably had to be
done with a relatively high
degree of speed. Time was of
the essence as Scottie
Montgomery assembled his
staff and put together his
first recruiting class as
East Carolina football coach.
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More from Al Myatt... |
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Pictured: ECU football coach
Scottie Montgomery discussed
his first crop of recruits
at Wednesday's signing day
press conference. (W.A.
Myatt photo) |
Replay audio... |
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Thumbnails: ECU's
recruiting class of
2016... |
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Audio: Signing Day
Presser |
 |
 ECU
football coach
Scottie Montgomery
met with the press
on Wednesday to talk
about the Pirates'
recruiting class of
2016 (recorded by Al
Myatt):
Select clip... |
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING |
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Weber shores up thin tight end ranks |
New East
Carolina defensive line coach Deke
Adams returned to familiar territory
to land one of his first recruits
for the Pirates. Adams spent the
last three seasons in Columbia,
South Carolina, where he was
defensive line coach for Hall of
Fame coach Steve Spurrier at the
University of South Carolina.
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More
from Sammy Batten... |
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING |
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Purvis finally got the offer he wanted |
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Raequan
Purvis took a gamble that paid off
with an opportunity he'd dreamed
about. A defensive end/linebacker
from tiny Plymouth, a town of about
4,000 residents in Northeastern
North Carolina, Purvis had wanted to
play for East Carolina since making
the high school varsity as a
freshman.
...
More
from Sammy Batten... |
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By
Brian Bailey
�2016 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
VIEW MOBILE
ALPHA VERSION OF THIS PAGE
For the second straight year it was my honor to serve
as emcee for the East Carolina Pirates baseball banquet, held this past
Saturday at Williams Arena.
Some 400 fans packed the arena to get set for the
upcoming baseball season. It was quite a night, and one that I was proud
to be a part of.
ECU Hall of Fame inductee Chad Tracy was the guest
speaker. Tracy and Pirate head coach Cliff Godwin were a part of the
'glory' days of East Carolina baseball, when the squad came as close as
they have in history to making the College World Series in Omaha.
Tracy spoke about the work ethic of that team. He
spoke about the similarities of the late Keith LeClair's program and the
one that Cliff Godwin is putting together.
Both Tracy and Godwin recalled stories of the toil
they put in for Keith LeClair during those regional runs.
"My first year he (LeClair) was on me all of the
time," said Tracy. "But I realize now what it was all about � and I was
a better player then, and a better man now because of it."
The Pirate captains were introduced and each had a
chance to say a few words. This year's captains, as voted on by the
squad, are catcher Travis Watkins and outfielders Parker Lamm and
Garrett Brooks.
Lamm was especially humorous with his remarks. He
talked about his journey from Pitt Community College to ECU, which
included trying out with other walk-ons, a one-day contract from Coach
Godwin and a locker in the umpire's locker room.
"I've come a long way," Lamm joked.
Godwin deserves a lot of credit for the direction
this team is going, both on and off the field.
The team's GPA this past semester was 3.42, best in
school history. Ryan Littlefield and Travis Watkins led the way with
perfect 4.0 grade point averages.
Godwin also emphasizes giving back to the community.
During this past year the squad racked up hour after hour serving the
area. The Pirates donated their time to the Food Bank of Central and
Eastern North Carolina, NC Packs 4 Patriots, the "Good Samaritan 5K and
the Exceptional Community Baseball League (ECBL).
I know first hand about the ECBL's relationship with
East Carolina baseball. The special needs players of the league are
invited out to play a game with the Pirates each spring at Clark-LeClair
Stadium. It is a day that the players in the league and the Pirate
players cherish.
Things could get a little hairy in March. The Pirate
players plan on all growing mustaches for "Mustache March." The event
will bring awareness to ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise
known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Former coach Keith LeClair had his life
cut way too short by this dreaded disease.
I haven't grown a mustache since 1991, when the
Pirate football team shaved my decade long 'stache as a part of the
celebration heading into the Peach Bowl. I promised not to grown a
mustache back in that team's honor.
I don't think they'll mind a month long 'reneging' of
that promise for a great cause. I'm just hoping the mustache doesn't
come back all white!
The baseball season is now less than two weeks away.
ECU opens a three-game home stand with Longwood on Friday, Feb. 19.
This is a team that enters 2016 with much confidence.
The goal is to host an NCAA regional this year.
I would say the Pirates have taken care of business
off the field and now look to do the same on the diamond.
Thanks Pirate baseball for allowing me to be a part
of a fun and special night with the ECU baseball banquet!
We'll see you at Clark-LeClair stadium.
BB
The
Brian Bailey Show airs on Pirate
Radio 1250 on Mondays at 6:30
p.m. Brian's guest this week was
ECU offensive coordinator Tony
Petersen:
The
Brian Bailey Show airs on Pirate
Radio 1250 on Mondays at 6:30
p.m. Brian's guest this week was
football
recruiting
analyst Sammy Batten:
