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