OTHER RECENT ITEMS Bonesville Audio: Coach Billy Godwin Peele: Bucs count on depth, power Myatt: Familiar stage, new actors BVL: Knights feast on Pirates BVL: Hoops schedule, scores, links Bailey: Diamond Bucs primed for opener Whitford: Extreme makeover for hoops?

On the eve of opening the 2008 East Carolina baseball season, Pirate coach Billy Godwin had a chance to look back over his first two years and compare it to this season.

�The guys are more accustomed to what I expect and what I want,� he said. �They know how we do things within our system. Too, I�ve got a lot of players who have been here for us and have proven themselves to be successful.�

East Carolina will open the year on the road, playing a three-game series at South Carolina starting Friday at 3 p.m. After a visit to Elon next Wednesday, East Carolina opens its Clark-LeClair Stadium schedule against Monmouth on Friday, Feb. 29, starting another three-game weekend series.

�It�s a tough opener,� Godwin said of challenging the Gamecocks on their home turf, �but I feel good about it. It�s a tremendous challenge and we have a lot of respect for them. They�ve been to super regionals eight of the last nine years.

�But we�re going down there with the attitude of competing from the first pitch to the last.�

Two of Godwin's star players, pitcher T.J. Hose and centerfielder Harrison Eldridge, concurred.

�We have high expectations,� Hose said. �We�ll have to take it one game at a time, win on Friday (when Hose pitches) and go from there.�

�It definitely will be a huge test,� Eldridge added, �but we�re looking forward to it.�

Godwin believes the Pirates are blessed with perhaps the best depth they�ve had in years, especially when it comes to position play.

�One thing we did in preseason was to work guys in multiple positions,� Godwin said. �Versatility should be a strength.�

At the plate, the same assessment applies.

�I believe we�re 14 deep offensively,� the coach said. �We�re going to have four or five guys who deserve to play (who won�t be in the starting lineup) come Friday, but they�re going to get their opportunity.�

�We don�t have one or two guys we�re going to have to count on this year,� Eldridge said. �We have depth beyond belief and I think the entire lineup is capable of hitting it out of the park at any time.�

Godwin said that every coach wants talent and the Pirates have it in players like (catcher) Corey Kemp (.267, 5 HR, 41 RBI), Stephen Batts (.323, 6 HR, 56 RBI); Ryan Wood (.318, 5 HR, 23 RBI); Drew Schieber (.301, 6 HR, 22 RBI); Eldridge (.295, 6 HR, 28 RBI); and Jamie Raye (.306, 2 HR, 22 RBI).

Then, on the mound, Hose (3.97 ERA, 6-5, 70 K) leads the pack. He�s expected to get help from Josh Ruhlman (6.14 ERA, 5-1, 26K), Bailey Daniels (4.53 ERA, 4-1, 61 K).

The Pirates went after a lot of pitchers in the off-season for a couple of reasons � to bolster the staff�s starters, the bullpen, and to help with the heavier in-week schedule, two games instead of one most times.

�If we have any uncertainty, it�s in the new guys we�ve brought in,� Godwin said. �They�re very talented, but they have to gain experience and maturity.�

One freshman, Seth Maness, will be given the ball to start Saturday�s game against the Gamecocks, while Justin Bristow, a transfer from Auburn who will also see action at third base, is scheduled for Saturday. Another transfer, from North Carolina, Matt Cox, could become another starter.

Daniel Holder, a junior college transfer; and freshmen Sthil Sowers (North Lenoir), Matt Laney, Seth Simmons and Brad Mincey all should see a lot of action.

While Shane Matthews turned in 15 saves last season, among the best in the nation, Godwin is looking for a new closer and some new long relief pitchers. Holder could fit into the latter job.

�We�ve got a lot of people we can count on (with experience) in the bull pen,� Hose said. �I don�t know how the young guys are going to do (in early games), but I think after the first couple of weeks, they should be fine.�

Hose said he�s been trying to be a leader on the mound, showing the newcomers things without even having to talk about it.

�Just by going out there and pitching and how I go about my business,� he said. �And I go to them with open arms since I�ve been out there, done that.�

The Pirates enter the season ranked 24th by Baseball America. Usually coaches dismiss preseason rankings, noting that it�s where you rank at the end of the season that�s important.

But Godwin is proud that his team is getting recognition, even while admitting that the Pirates must now go out and prove they belong there.

�It shows that we�ve been successful and we have good people back,� he said. �It�s great for our university and great for our program. But once the first pitch is thrown, it�s not going to help us one bit. We certainly won�t be able to rest on our laurels or spend time licking our wounds.�

OTHER RECENT ITEMS Bonesville Audio: Coach Billy Godwin Peele: Bucs count on depth, power Myatt: Familiar stage, new actors BVL: Knights feast on Pirates BVL: Hoops schedule, scores, links Bailey: Diamond Bucs primed for opener Whitford: Extreme makeover for hoops?

As to a projected second-place finish in Conference USA, one of the nation�s toughest baseball leagues, Godwin feels good about the challenge of pushing two-time champ Rice for the title.

�Both of us (Rice and ECU) lost guys, but good programs don�t rebuild, they reload,� he said. �While Rice has pretty well dominated the league since coming in two years ago, we�ve competed with them, so I like our chances.

�But right now, they are the carrot and the rest of the league is chasing them.�