GREENVILLE, N.C. – Dan Roszel, who spent the past two seasons at the College of Charleston, has been appointed the pitching coach at East Carolina University according to an announcement from head coach Billy Godwin Thursday.

Roszel

We are excited to have Dan Roszel join our coaching staff at East Carolina,” Godwin said. “He is well respected in baseball circles, has an outstanding reputation as a pitching coach and recruiter and will be a great asset to our program.”

During his two seasons with the Cougars, Roszel served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He produced some of his best work in 2010, helping the Cougars receive an at-large bid and No. 2 seed at the NCAA Tournament. The College of Charleston advanced to the Myrtle Beach Regional Championship Game before falling to No. 4 national seed Coastal Carolina 11-10. The Cougars ended the season ranked 27th in the final National Baseball Writers Association poll.

“I am extremely excited to have been given the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing university and coaching staff,” Roszel said. “Coach Godwin’s enthusiasm and passion for East Carolina and the baseball atmosphere are second to none.  I am thrilled to be able to share my love of pitching with our talented staff.  I can’t wait to get started.”

Roszel helped three CofC hurlers, Heath Hembree (fifth round), Kevin Decker (39th round) and Casey Lucchese (39th round), get selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. In all, Roszel has seen 16 of his pitchers sign pro contracts, including former major leaguer, current Durham Bull and 2006 International League Most Valuable Pitcher, Heath Phillips.

In 2010, Decker was a SoCon Sports Media Association All-Conference and SoCon All-Conference Second-Teams member while rookie Christian Powell was named to the league’s all-freshman team.

During Roszel’s first season with the Cougars, the pitching staff led the team to a 35-22 overall record as it recorded 367 strikeouts in 496.2 innings. At the end of the campaign, Jesse Simpson was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 40th round of the MLB draft. Simpson was a media and coaches second-team SoCon selection as a senior. Roszel also guided David Peterson to Coaches All-Freshman Team honors.

Roszel joined the Cougars after spending two seasons as an assistant at Florida Gulf Coast University, where he helped the Eagles to a 78-32 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Regional as well as an Atlantic Sun Conference championship. In 2007, his pitching staff ranked 21st nationally in team ERA with a 3.50 mark. The staff also stood second in Division II in strikeouts per game (9.16), fourth in strikeouts (486) and held opponent hitters to a .254 batting average, all records at FGCU.

During 2008, his staff helped the Eagles to another record breaking season, becoming the only team in NCAA history to win a conference championship in its first year of Division I competition upon arrival from Division II. That year the Gulf Coast staff compiled a 3.17 earned-run average, surrendering just 170 runs in 482.1 innings pitched. Richard Bleier led the way as he was the unanimous selection for the Atlantic Sun Pitcher-of-the-Year award, going 7-1 overall with a 2.09 ERA and 76 strikeouts. Reliever J.J. Crumbley joined Bleier on the conference first team while starter Pete Woodworth was a second-team honoree. Richie Erath and Chris Sale were also all-freshman selections for Roszel. Sale was later selected in the first round as the 13th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.

“Coach Roszel brings a great amount of knowledge and passion for baseball and pitching,” Godwin added. “He will help East Carolina continue to win championships and reach our goal of playing in the College World Series in Omaha.”

Prior to his time at FGCU, Roszel spent four years at Gardner-Webb University. While at Gardner-Webb, Roszel worked as the pitching coach and the recruiting coordinator. In four years at GWU, Roszel had two of his players get drafted on the first day of the MLB draft.

He has coached four of the top-six pitchers on Gardner-Webb’s career wins list. In 2003, his pitching staff threw a school-record 20 complete games. Before becoming Gardner-Webb’s pitching coach, Roszel spent two years at Lake City Community College as an assistant coach.

Roszel, a 2000 graduate of the University of North Florida, and his wife Melissa have two daughters, Madyson (6) and Makenna (2). Roszel received his degree in criminal justice with a minor in political science.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina junior shortstop Dustin Harrington and junior pitcher Sthil Sowers have been dismissed from the baseball team according to an announcement from head coach Billy Godwin Thursday

Dustin Harrington

afternoon.

Godwin could not elaborate on a reason for the dismissal, citing federal student privacy laws.

Harrington, the reigning Conference USA Hitter-of-the-Week, started 25 games and is currently ranked fourth in the conference with a .443 (47-for-106) average. The Taylorsville, N.C., native also has five home runs, 21 RBI and 31 runs scored, all among the team leaders.

Sthil Sowers

Sowers appeared in five games out of the bullpen, allowing six runs on 15 hits in 11.0 innings of work while posting a 4.09 ERA. In his first four outings, Sowers did not allow an earned run, which included a shutout inning of relief against then No. 2 Virginia Feb. 21.

The 23rd-ranked Pirates (17-9) are set to host Tulane this weekend in their C-USA opener at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium. First pitch for Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the two teams will play a double header Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. (EDT).

(ECU Release)

ECU GARNERS SIX PRESEASON TOP 20 RANKINGS FOR FIRST TIME

GREENVILLE, N.C. – For the first time in school history, the East Carolina baseball team has garnered a Top 20 ranking in six preseason polls, when the Pirates were tabbed No. 11 by Rivals and No. 16 by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Monday afternoon. The Pirates are also ranked No. 18 by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 20 by Ping!Baseball.

The Pirates (46-20, 17-7 C-USA), who have made 10 NCAA Regional appearances in the last 11 seasons, claimed the 2009 Conference USA regular season and 2009 Greenville Regional titles before advancing to their third NCAA Super Regional on the way to a 46-20 overall record.

ECU welcomes back 20 letterwinners including 2010 preseason All-America selections Kyle Roller and Trent Whitehead, along with 2008 All-American Seth Maness, 2009 Freshman All-American Kevin Brandt, All C-USA second-teamer Brad Mincey and  NCAA Greenville Regional star Devin Harris.

Also stepping onto the diamond are eight new faces, which consist of junior college transfer Daniel Warzon (Young Harris), as well as seven freshmen: Bryan Bass, Chris Gosik, Jake Harris, D.J. Jauss, Tyler Joyner, Tanner Merritt and John Wooten.

Head Coach Billy Godwin and the Pirates will open the 2010 season against No. 2 Virginia at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium on Feb. 19, 2010 with a 3 p.m. first pitch scheduled.

Pirate Preseason Honors:

• Kyle Roller: First-Team All-America (Collegiate Baseball, Second-Team All-America (NCBWA and Ping!Baseball), Sixth-best player in college baseball (CollegeBaseballBlog.com), First-Team All Conference USA.
• Trent Whitehead: Second-Team All-America (NCBWA) and Third-Team (Ping!Baseball), First-Team All Conference USA.
• Seth Simmons: NCBWA Stopper-of-the-Year Watch List
• Seth Maness: First-Team All Conference USA
• Devin Harris: First-Team All Conference USA

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

Murphy Was 629-284-1 In 15 Seasons At ASU

Nothing has been confirmed, but the two most prevalent theories are that Murphy’s resignation either had to do with possible NCAA infractions, a dispute over a contract extension with ASU Vice President for Athletics Lisa Love or some combination of the two.

In the time since his resignation I have talked to several people who know Murphy, and while most of them were “shocked” to hear of his depature, most of them were not shocked at the idea that Murphy might have left ASU in a huff after a disagreement with his AD.

Tim Prister played baseball at Notre Dame in the 1980s.  He currently writes for Irishillustrated.com, and he covered Murphy when Murphy was the head coach of the Irish.  When I asked Prister this week if he would be surprised at such a scenario Prister said with a wry grin “I would not be surprised at all if that were the case.”

Brian Cleary counts himself among Murphy’s supporters.  The current Cincinnati Bearcats head coach was a Murphy assistant in 1993 & 1994 in South Bend.  Cleary credits his mentor for “kick-starting” his coaching career and said that Murphy has been good for the game “There probably isn’t a more colorful personality on the national stage.  He’s passionate about college baseball and about coaching and about what we all do as coaches.  He is willing to speak on behalf of the sport”, he said.

Cleary also added “Certainly I think his personality adds to whatever event it is.  Be it a three game Pac-10 series or Omaha.  One of the things I think Murph brings is the willingness to speak his mind and speak on behalf of college

Brian Cleary

baseball.  I think the head coach at ASU is different than the head coach at a lot of places, because that program in relation to football and basketball is probably a lot different than it is at a lot of schools.  I think he was really a great ambassador for college baseball during his time there.”

Certainly Murphy’s departure at one of the premiere programs in college baseball (and possible return…somewhere) will have a ripple effect throughout the coaching ranks, whether it’s this year or next.

Here’s a “By The Numbers” look at Murphy’s career:

10…wins in his first season (1983) as a college head coach at Maryville (Tenn)

51…wins in his 25th season (2009) as a head coach at ASU

49…consecutive 30 win seasons by ASU baseball teams

2…head baseball coaches (Bobby Winkles and Jim Brock) in Sun Devil history prior to Murphy’s arrival in Tempe

17…NCAA Tournament appearances in 22 seasons as a Division I coach

12…NCAA Tournament appearances in 15 seasons at ASU

18…years between NCAA Tournament appearances for Notre Dame before earning a berth in 1989, Murphy’s second season at the Fighting Irish helm

4…College World Series appearances by ASU in the last 15 seasons

113…combined home wins by the Sun Devils over the last three seasons

12…ASU home losses in that span

441…wins since 2000 by ASU, the most by any Pac 10 team in that stretch

7…ASU players named Pac 10 Player of the Year in the last 15 seasons

506…games Arizona State played without being shutout between April 7, 1995 and February 15, 2004-an NCAA record

9.4…runs-a-game the Sun Devils scored in that 9-year stretch

119…Arizona State players taken in the MLB draft during the Murphy era-the most of any school

1…of those players tabbed a big league MVP-Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia-2008 AL MVP

914…games played in Murphy’s 15 seasons at ASU

914…home runs hit by the Sun Devils in those 15 seasons

8,084…runs scored in those games-an average of 8.8 runs-a-game

Here’s a rundown of new stuff added to the site this week (just in case you missed them)…

1. Pat Murphy resigns as head baseball coach at Arizona State.

2.  Classic Podcast with Middle Tennessee State’s Bryce Brentz.  The powerful outfielder played for Team USA over the summer.

3.  Around The Bases.  Four thoughts with CB360.com editor Sean Stires.

4.  The latest CB360.com exclusive Two Sport Report, updating college baseball players who play football & other sports.

5.  Tim Lincem (University of Washington alum) wins a second straight NL Cy Young Award.

6.  Rookie of the Year Awards go to former college stars Andrew Bailey (Wagner) and Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss).

7.  Two sport stars Golden Tate and Toby Gerhart named Walter Camp Award semifinalists.

8.  Duke announces agreement to play some home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

9.  Maryland receives major gift for stadium renovations from Bob “Turtle” Smith.

10.  East Carolina skipper Billy Godwin receives contract extension.

11.  More 2010 schedules, including South Carolina and Penn State

New Pact Runs Through 2014

ECU Skipper Billy Godwin

Godwin has guided the Pirates to three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances in four seasons, and in 2009, led ECU to its first Super Regional since 2004 after claiming the Greenville Regional title at Clark-LeClair Stadium. In addition, he joined Keith LeClair on a short list of East Carolina coaches to record three-straight 40-plus win seasons after posting a league-best 46-20 mark last spring that also included a Conference USA regular season crown.

“Coach Godwin’s teams have achieved a great deal of success on the baseball field, but just as importantly, he and his program have embraced both East Carolina University’s values and Coach Keith LeClair’s vision for ECU Baseball,” Holland said. “The coaching staff and players represent the best of intercollegiate athletics in all they do and make us proud every time they take the field. We are pleased to do everything we can to keep Billy Godwin as our coach – he is a perfect fit for this institution.”

His 2009 squad spent 19 consecutive weeks in the national polls and ranked as one of the most prolific offenses in the nation – finishing with a NCAA-best 814 hits and standing among national leaders in runs (4th/565), doubles (6th/154), home runs (7th/108), slugging percentage (12th/.546) and batting average (15th/.339). For the third consecutive season, the Pirates topped Conference USA in home runs after belting a school-record 108 to follow 89 and 68 round-tripper totals in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

The 2009 C-USA Keith LeClair Coach-of-the-Year honoree has tutored 25 all-conference performers and four various player-of-the-year selections, and produced a total of 15 Major League Baseball draft choices since 2006.

“I would like to thank (ECU Chancellor) Dr. Ballard, Terry Holland and the Board of Trustees for their support and outstanding leadership,” Godwin said. “I am humbled and honored to be the head baseball coach at East Carolina. The commitment to our baseball program is phenomenal from our administration to our loyal Pirate fans. Our coaching staff is very excited about the future of Pirate Baseball and the continued ability to compete for championships.”

Godwin, who was elevated to the head coaching position during the fall of 2005 after a brief tenure as an assistant, has compiled an overall record of 161-90 as East Carolina’s skipper.

(Release)

Jeff Stevens Named Volunteer Assistant

Stevens

”We are excited to have Jeff Stevens join our staff,” said Godwin. “He understands my coaching philosophy after playing for me at Louisburg and brings a great deal of collegiate and professional experience to East Carolina.”
From 2006-2009, he spent four years in minor league baseball after signing a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves in 2006. Stevens played in 65 career games where he batted .272 (47-for-173) with three home runs, 24 RBI, 12 doubles and scored 21 runs. During his four-year stint in the minors, he played for the Danville Braves, Rome Braves and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, while also playing independently for the River City Rascals, Wichita Wingnuts, Traverse City Beach Bums, Brockton Rox and the Fargo-Morehead Red Hawks.

Stevens played two seasons (2005-06) at the University of Pittsburgh under head coach Joe Jordano where he helped the Panthers make an appearance in the 2005 Big East Conference Championship Game after hitting six home runs, 31 RBI and 11 doubles as a junior. Behind the dish, he threw out 45 percent of would be base stealers and boasted a .979 fielding percentage. In the night-cap against Villanova on Apr. 16, 2005, Stevens belted two home runs and drove in three in a 9-8 loss in 10 innings.

In his two years with the Panthers, he started 86 games behind the plate smacking seven homers, 41 RBI, 16 doubles and 51 runs scored. Stevens collected 14 multi-hit games, 12 multi-RBI contests and hit safely in a career-best nine games from April 9-20 in 2005.

Stevens’ played one season at Louisburg College under Godwin’s direction where he batted .270 with nine home runs and 36 RBI as a sophomore. During his prep career at Dan River High School, Stevens started all four years, led his team to the 2002 Regional Championship and garnered first-team all-district, all-regional, all-metro and all-state honors as a senior.

A native of Danville, Va., Stevens earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from The University of Pittsburgh (2006) and an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Louisburg College (2004).

(Release)

Baseball Team Will Be Recognized For Conference USA and Greenville Regional Crowns

• Stephen Batts: ABCA All-Atlantic Region, First-Team All C-USA, Two-time C-USA Hitter-of-the-Week.
• Kevin Brandt: Freshman All-America (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball), Second-Team Freshman All-America (Ping!Baseball), NCAA Greenville Regional All-Tournament Team, C-USA All-Freshman Team, C-USA Pitcher-of-the-Week.
• Billy Godwin: C-USA Keith LeClair Coach-of-the-Year
• Brandon Henderson: NCAA Greenville Regional All-Tournament Team, ECU’s honorary No. 23 jersey.
• Chris Heston: First-Team All C-USA, C-USA Newcomer-of-the-Year.
• Seth Maness: First-Team All C-USA, Two-time C-USA Pitcher-of-the-Week.
• Brad Mincey: Second-Team All C-USA, C-USA Pitcher-of-the-Week.
• Kyle Roller: First-Team All-America (ABCA/Rawlings and Ping!Baseball), First-Team All C-USA, NCAA Greenville Regional All-Tournament Team, C-USA Hitter-of-the-Week, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) National Hitter-of-the-Week, Collegebaseballinsider.com Central Regional Player-of-the-Week.
• Ryan Wood: First-Team All-America (Ping!Baseball), Second-Team All-America (NCBWA), Third-Team All-America (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and ABCA/Rawlings), First-Team All C-USA, NCAA Greenville Regional All-Tournament Team.
• Trent Whitehead: NCAA Greenville Regional Most Outstanding Player, Second-Team All C-USA, C-USA All-Tournament Team, set ECU’s single-season hit record with 105 base knocks.

(Press Release)

Roller

The East Carolina slugger had a monster 2009 summer in the Cape Cod League.  Roller helped the Bourne Braves win their first ever Cape championship by hitting .342 with 10 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a 1.093 OPS (including a .644 slg. %).  He was named the Cape Cod League MVP and Cape Cod Championship MVP as well.  Roller also helped his Pirate teammates advance to a Super Regional in June by winning the Greenville Regional.  He has slugged 39 home runs with 155 RBIs in his first three seasons at ECU, and in this interview with Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires he talks about his ultimate goal of going to the College World Series.

6’1 - 255 - Sr. - Rockingham, NC      Head Coach: Billy Godwin