CLEARWATER, Fla. – East Carolina captured the 2022 TicketSmarter American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship with a 6-1 win over Houston Sunday at BayCare Ballpark.
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With the win, East Carolina (42-18) earned The American’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. It was the Pirates’ 18th-consecutive win, the longest current win streak in the nation and one shy of the conference record.
It is the Pirates’ third tournament championship (2015, 2018, 2022) and the 300th career win for head coach Cliff Godwin. ECU is now 3-1 in championship finals. Houston (37-24) is now 2-3 in championship finals.
The Pirates found out Sunday night it will be one of 16 regional hosts for the NCAA Tournament, which starts Friday. ECU will find out the other three teams in the regional Monday at noon on ESPN2.
East Carolina struck first as Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, launched an opposite-field 3-run home run to left in the bottom of the first to score Bryson Worrell and Zach Agnos.
Jenkins-Cowart singled home Worrell in the third and then came around to score on a 2-run double by Jacob Starling to push the lead to 6-0.
Cameron Nickens singled home Ian McMillan in the seventh for the Cougars.
Josh Grosz (4-5) picked up the win, allowing one run in 3.2 innings of relief. Logan Clayton (7-4) took the loss, allowing three runs in one inning of work.
2022 TicketSmarter American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship
Most Outstanding Player
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, East Carolina
All-Tournament Team
Ben McCabe, UCF
Zach Agnos, East Carolina
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, East Carolina
Alec Makarewicz, East Carolina
C.J. Mayhue, East Carolina
Bryson Worrell, East Carolina
Santiago Garcia, Houston
Ryan Hernandez, Houston
Jose Torrealba, Houston
Anthony Tulimero, Houston
Teo Banks, Tulane
Schedule
Tuesday, May 24
Game 1: No. 4 Cincinnati 8, No. 5 Tulane 1
Game 2: No. 1 East Carolina 7, No. 8 South Florida 1
Game 3: No. 7 Memphis 7, No. 2 UCF 6
Game 4: No. 3 Houston 10, No. 6 Wichita State 7
Wednesday, May 25
Game 5: Tulane 9, South Florida 6 (South Florida eliminated)
Game 6: UCF 12, Wichita State 4 (Wichita State eliminated)
Thursday, May 26
Game 7: East Carolina 15, Cincinnati 5 (7 innings)
Game 8: Houston 8, Memphis 7
Friday, May 27
Game 9: Tulane 13, Cincinnati 5 (Cincinnati eliminated)
Game 10: UCF 15, Memphis 2 (7 innings – Memphis eliminated)
Saturday, May 28
Game 11: East Carolina 8, Tulane 5 (Tulane eliminated)
Game 12: UCF 9, Houston 8 (10 innings)
Game 14: Houston 9, UCF 6 (UCF eliminated)
Sunday, May 29
Game 15: East Carolina 6, Houston 1
