GREENVILLE, N.C. – Former ECU Baseball standout, Bryant Ward and his wife, Anna, have invested $100,000 in the baseball building expansion project. Both Bryant and Anna are ECU Alums and met while students.

Ward was a four-year starter for the Pirates under Hall of Fame coach Keith LeClair and was a teammate of current Pirate head coach Cliff Godwin. During Ward’s time in Greenville, the Pirates made four consecutive NCAA Regional appearances and one Super Regional appearance. He finished his career ranked fifth at ECU in games played (194), seventh in at-bats (687) and left as the winningest player in school history.

“I have known the Ward family for a long time, and Bryant and I have a special bond that started at ECU and continues to this day as lifelong friends,” ECU Baseball Head Coach Cliff Godwin said. “The expansion of our current baseball footprint is headed toward the finish line, and we are so appreciative of every individual that has stepped up to make the project a reality.” 

Bryant is a Greenville native and helped lead J.H. Rose High School to the NCHSAA baseball state championship in 1997 under coach Ronald Vincent. He is entering his ninth season as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for the UCLA Bruins Baseball program. Bryant and Anna live in Hermosa Beach, California with their daughter, Harper, and their sons, Jackson and Dylan.

“Pirates Unite: The Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence,” is a bold, $60 million fundraising campaign that was initiated to create an opportunity for donors to partner and invest with ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club. More than $24 million has been raised in the first 16 months of the campaign. This campaign will provide critical funds, essential training spaces that will transform the experiences of our student-athletes and make an impact on all our programs’ ability to succeed.

The campaign comprises several facility projects and renovations for the athletics department. Including:

• A newly constructed swimming locker room has been completed in Minges Natatorium.
• A state-of-the-art Multipurpose Indoor Practice Facility which includes a full-length football field to be used by all sports programs.
• A Williams-Harvey Team Sports Building expansion to enhance the overall footprint for Olympic sports.
• Renovations are completed to the lower bowl of Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum including additional premium seating options and a hospitality space.
• Expansion of the current baseball footprint including an enlarged locker room and team space with a designated area for premium seating.
• A Sport Programs Restricted Fund and Athletics Excellence Fund to emphasis sport-specific giving and designated support in areas of priority.

For more information about the campaign, please visit ecupirateclub.com or call (252) 737-4540.