CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — American Athletic Conference regular-season champion and No. 15 East Carolina, appearing in an NCAA Regional for the 33rd time in program history, takes on Oklahoma Friday evening at 7 p.m. in game two of the Charlottesville Regional at Davenport Field.

No. 1 seed and No. 7 national seed Virginia kicks off the tournament against No. 4 seed Army at Noon.

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The contest between the Pirates and Sooners will air live to a national audience on ESPN2 with Anish Shroff and Devon Travis handling the broadcast. Fans can also tune into 94.3 The Game as Scott Rogers will have the radio call.

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The Charlottesville Regional is paired with the Conway Regional which features No. 10 national seed Coastal Carolina, Duke, UNCW and Rider.

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ECU (45-17) enters regional action tied for third nationally in wins. The Pirates played six games at the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship where they became the first team to ever lose their first contest and advance to the title game. The top-seeded ECU club dropped a narrow 8-6 decision to No. 7 seed Tulane who was slotted into the Baton Rouge Regional and will face host LSU, Oregon State and Sam Houston State.

East Carolina’s pitching staff has ranked among the national leaders in several categories this campaign. The Pirates currently sit fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.19), fifth in WHIP (1.26), eighth in walks allowed per nine innings (3.19), 17th in hits allowed per nine innings (8.12), 20th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.2) and 20th in earned run average (4.30). ECU has also totaled 632 strikeouts against 198 walks in 558.1 innings with a .238 opposing batting average. Friday’s scheduled starter Trey Yesavage checks in 11th in the country in WHIP (0.99) and 17th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.48).

East Carolina selected to Charlottesville Regional, will face Oklahoma Friday

Offensively, the Pirates are hitting a collective .292 with 121 doubles, 14 triples and 74 home runs. Six ECU players are batting at least .302 with Carter Cunningham leading the way with a .324 average. Josh Moylan has also served as a spark at the plate, entering the weekend with 19 doubles, two triples and 15 home runs as well as a squad-best 66 RBI.

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Oklahoma (31-26) is also an at-large entrant to the NCAA Tournament, finishing the campaign with an 11-13 record and a seventh-place finish in the Big 12 Conference. The Sooners knocked off rival Oklahoma State to begin the league tournament but were eliminated following losses to Texas Tech and the same Cowboy team. Oklahoma is hitting .283 as a team with 95 doubles, 18 triples and 44 home runs while the pitching unit sports a 5.90 ERA, 402 strikeouts and 257 walks in 500.1 innings. Bryce Madron tops the team in home runs (11) and is hitting 308 in 57 games played.

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Projected Pitching Matchup
RHP Trey Yesavage (6-1, 2.80 ERA, 70.2 IP) vs. LHP Braden Carmichael (7-0, 3.15 ERA, 74.1 IP)

The Oklahoma Series
East Carolina and Oklahoma have never met on the baseball diamond. The Pirates did face off with a Big 12 Conference team in the Greenville Super Regional last season, dropping two of three to Texas.

East Carolina Puts Program-Record 11 On All-AAC Teams
A program single-season record 11 Pirate student-athletes earned all-conference honors in 2023. Sophomore RHP Trey Yesavage, junior outfielder Carter Cunningham and sophomore designated hitter Jacob Jenkins-Cowart were named to the first team while junior Josh Grosz (P), senior Carter Spivey (P), junior Justin Wilcoxen (C), junior Josh Moylan (1B), junior Jacob Starling (2B), junior Joey Berini (SS) and sophomore Luke Nowak (OF) garnered second-team honors. Zach Root (P) was also selected to the all-freshman team.

Individual Notables
Head Coach Cliff Godwin: Owns 345 career wins and is second on the East Carolina career coaching wins list … Has been part of 13 NCAA Regional and two College World Series teams at the Division I level as an assistant coach and head coach … Guided ECU to six NCAA Regional berths (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 Greenville Regional host), four Super Regional appearances, three-straight American Athletic Conference regular season titles and three AAC Tournament crowns while posting a 304-151-1 (.665) overall record … Under Godwin’s direction, 20 players have earned All-America status, 23 have been NCAA All-Regional selections, 33 have been named all-conference (26 first teamers) and 14 have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams … A four-time AAC Coach-of-the-Year selection (2015, 2019, 2021, 2022), Godwin was inducted into the George Whitfield Hall of Fame in January of 2016 … In 2018, he completed a summer stint on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team staff that posted a 12-3 record that included series wins over Chinese Taipei, Japan and Cuba … As a player, he helped former ECU skipper Keith LeClair’s teams post a 169-76 four-year ledger, including 46-plus wins in each of his final three seasons (46-16 in ’99, 46-18 in ’00 and 47-13 in ’01) … ECU won a pair of CAA Tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Regionals every season from 1999 to 2001 … The Pirates were the top seed in their regional all three years, including a No. 7 national seed in 2001 where they advanced to the Super Regional round before being eliminated by Tennessee.

Danny Beal: Tabbed to the AAC All-Tournament Team … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll May 15 … Holds a 6-1 record and has struck out 62 batters against nine walks in 50.2 innings … Owns a team-best three saves (at Houston/April 1, Old Dominion/April 11 and Tulane/April 29) and leads the squad in appearances (29) … Fanned a career-high nine batters and picked up the win in a career long five-inning outing against Old Dominion (April 11) … Struck out six in three innings as East Carolina knocked off Charlotte April 19 at Truist Field … Registered five strikeouts in 3.1 scoreless innings at Cincinnati (May 5) … Logged two victories in the Memphis series … Tossed a career-long 6.1 scoreless innings to help ECU win its series opener at South Florida (May 18).
Joey Berini: Named to the All-AAC Second Team … Has started 57 games at shortstop … One of six Pirates hitting .302 or better … Rapped out an RBI double in the 6-5 home victory over then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 24) … Hit his first career home run in the Pirates’ 10-2 win over Liberty (March 11) … Clubbed his third home run of the season in the 13-9 win over NC State (April 4) … Notched five hits in the Memphis series.
Carter Cunningham: Tabbed to the AAC All-Tournament Team … Selected to the All-AAC First Team … Leads the team in batting average (.324) … One of six Pirates hitting .302 or better … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll May 15 … Has started 47 games in the outfield (31/RF, 13/LF, 3/CF) … Tallied two hits and two runs scored in the series opener against Liberty (March 10) while also hitting his first home run of the season … Notched a pair of two-hit efforts in the George Mason series … Collected two hits and scored three runs in the Pirates’ 17-7 run-rule win over UCF (April 6) … Went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in the win over Old Dominion (April 11) … Clubbed his fourth home run of the season at Charlotte (April 19) … Produced his first career multi-home run effort with a pair against Memphis (May 13) … Notched a grand slam versus UCF in the AAC Tournament (May 26).
Josh Grosz: Selected to the All-AAC Second Team … Tabbed the AAC Pitcher of the Week March 27 … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll March 6 and 13 … Fanned five batters in 4.0 innings in the 6-5 win at then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 26) … Struck out 10 batters and did not allow in hit in five scoreless innings against Georgetown (March 5) … Turned in his second-straight quality start in ECU’s 13-1 over Liberty (March 11), tallying a career-high 11 strikeouts in six innings while allowing just one earned run … Logged a career-long outing against Missouri State (March 19), going 7.2 scoreless innings and striking out five … Threw the first complete-game shutout for ECU since 2021 in the George Mason series finale.
Lane Hoover: Has started 53 games in the outfield (31/CF, 22/LF) … Helped ECU to a home and home sweep of then No. 12 North Carolina, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI in the 6-5 win in Chapel Hill (Feb. 26) … Recorded a hit and scored two runs in the 17-4 victory over Indiana (March 3) … Clubbed his second career home run in the 11-3 victory over George Mason (March 24) … Went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI in the Pirates’ 17-7 run-rule win over UCF (April 6) … Notched his third career home run in the victory over Old Dominion (April 11) … Scored a season-high four runs and provided the two-run walkoff single in the 11-10 series-opening victory over Tulane (April 28).
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart: Named to the All-AAC First Team … Has started 46 games in the outfield (26/RF, 11/CF, 9/LF) and 10 at designated hitter … Clubbed his first career grand slam in the second game of the doubleheader against the Colonials (Feb. 18) … Recorded a hit and run scored in both wins over then No. 12 North Carolina … Went 3-for-6 with a run scored and three RBI in the 17-4 victory over Indiana (March 3) … Became the first Pirate since Corey Kemp in 2008 to hit three home runs in a contest as he also drove in five runs in East Carolina’s victory over NC State (April 4) … Went 3-for-4 with four RBI in the series-opening win over Tulane (April 28).
Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman: Named the AAC Pitcher of the Week May 8 … Owns 27 appearances out of the bullpen and 45 strikeouts against 11 walks in 48.0 innings … Tallied wins on the mound against then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 24), at Queens (March 7) at Cincinnati (May 7) and at Old Dominion (May 10) … Notched his first career save in the 7-2 win over Liberty (March 10) … Fanned a career-high five batters at UNCW (March 14) … Collected a save in the series opener against Missouri State (March 17) … Tossed five perfect innings in the Cincinnati series finale (May 7).
Alec Makarewicz: Has started all 62 games at third base … The only Pirate to start every game this season … Named the AAC Player of the Week April 10 … Recorded his second home run of the season in the 6-5 win over then No. 12 North Carolina in Chapel Hill (Feb. 26) … Tallied his first career multi-home run contest and first career four-hit performance in the 10-2 win over Liberty (March 11) … Notched four hits and drove in four runs in the Pirates’ 17-7 run-rule victory over UCF (April 6) … Tallied three home runs in the Memphis series.
Josh Moylan: Named to the AAC All-Tournament Team … Selected to the All-AAC Second Team … Tabbed the AAC Player of the Week March 13 … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll March 6 and April 17 … Has started 59 games at first base … One of six Pirates hitting .302 or better … Tallied a double and drove in a run in the 6-5 win over then No. 12 North Carolina in Greenville (Feb. 24) … Clubbed his first career grand slam in the 11-2 victory over Georgetown (March 5) … Went 6-for-12 with five runs scored and seven RBI in the Liberty series … Logged his second career four-hit effort in the Missouri State series finale (March 19) … Drove in three runs in the Pirates’ 17-7 run-rule victory over UCF (April 6) … Notched a home run in all three games of the first Cincinnati series … Registered two home runs against Memphis (May 13) … Drove in five runs against Campbell (May 16) … Notched a home run and four RBI in the South Florida series finale (May 20).
Luke Nowak: Selected to the All-AAC Second Team … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll Feb. 27 … Has started 52 games (29/DH, 18/LF, 5/RF) … Exploded statistically at Campbell (Feb. 21), going 3-for-5 with a RBI and three stolen bases … Has swiped a squad-best 16 bases … Recorded a hit and RBI in both wins over then No. 12 North Carolina … Tied a school record by drawing five walks in the 13-1 win over Liberty (March 11) … Notched five hits in the UCF series … Went 2-for-3 with a double in the victory over Old Dominion (April 11) … Tallied three RBI in the Cincinnati series finale (April 16) … Legged out two triples at Cincinnati (May 7).
Zach Root: Named to the All-AAC Freshman Team (unanimous) … Tabbed to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll Feb. 20 … Owns a 3-3 record and 53 strikeouts in 49.0 innings … Picked up his first collegiate victory in game one of the George Washington doubleheader (Feb. 18), tossing 3.2 scoreless with five strikeouts against just one walk … Notched his first collegiate save in the 6-5 home victory over then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 24) … Made his first collegiate start at Duke (Feb. 28), tossing three scoreless frames with three strikeouts … Earned the win at Elon (March 8) by throwing five scoreless with three strikeouts … Collected his third victory of the season in the Pirates’ 7-3 win over Old Dominion, tossing three scoreless innings to start the game … Notched a career-high six strikeouts in 4.2 innings against Tulane (April 29) in his first career AAC start.
Garrett Saylor: Named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List … Notched his 200th career strikeout in the series opener with Tulane (April 28) … Made his season debut in game one of the George Washington doubleheader (Feb. 18), tossing 1.1 scoreless innings … Turned in 0.2 scoreless frames with a strikeout at Campbell (Feb. 21) … Recorded a strikeout in the 6-5 home win over then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 24) … Delivered a strong start at Queens (March 7), striking out four batters in five innings … Enjoyed a career-long outing in the win over William & Mary (March 15), going 5.1 innings and striking out seven … Collected seven strikeouts versus Campbell (March 22) … Returned from injury in the series finale with Cincinnati (April 16), throwing the final inning … Struck out six in 4.0 frames versus North Carolina (May 3) in his third start of the season … Tallied six strikeouts in 3.2 scoreless innings in a start at Old Dominion (May 10) … Threw five scoreless innings to earn the win in the South Florida series finale (May 20) … Logged a career-high eight innings to backstop ECU to a 3-1 win over South Florida (May 27) at the AAC Tournament.
Carter Spivey: Tabbed to the All-AAC Second Team … Selected the AAC Pitcher of the Week April 17 … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll April 10 … Notched his first save of the campaign at then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 26), working out of a sizable jam in the ninth inning … Picked up his first win of the season in a 10-2 Pirate victory over Liberty (March 11), allowing just one earned run and striking out four in six innings … Turned in a quality start of 6.0 innings while striking out six in the Pirates’ 11-5 victory over UCF that clinched the series … Tossed ECU’s second complete-game shutout of the season in the 10-0 win over Cincinnati (April 15) … Threw a strong relief appearance against North Carolina (May 3), allowing no runs and striking out three in 3.0 innings … Collected a win against Memphis (May 13) in relief, allowing just one earned run in 3.2 innings.
Jacob Starling: Tabbed to the AAC All-Tournament Team … Selected to the All-AAC Second Team … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll May 1 … Has started 58 games at second base … Leads the team with 25 multi-hit efforts … One of six Pirates hitting .302 or better … Delivered both game-winning RBI in the victories over then No. 12 North Carolina via a pair of two-run doubles in the late innings … Exploded for six RBI in the 17-4 win over Indiana (March 3) … Went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a home run at Elon (March 8) … Drew six walks in the Liberty series … Provided the walkoff single in ECU’s 4-3 victory over Missouri State (March 18) that clinched the series … Celebrated his birthday April 4 by hitting a home run in ECU’s 13-9 win over NC State (April 4) … Collected three hits in the road rematch with the Wolfpack (April 25) … Went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the series opener versus Tulane (April 28) … Notched three hits and drove in three runs in the middle game of the South Florida series (May 19) … Hit a grand slam against South Florida (May 27) at the AAC Tournament.
Justin Wilcoxen: Named to the All-AAC Second Team … Is second on the squad with a .322 batting average … Named the AAC Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Feb. 20 … Selected to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll May 8 … Has started 51 games at catcher … One of six Pirates hitting .302 or better … Hit a whopping .714 (10-for-14) with nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in the George Washington series … Tallied at least three hits in every contest against the Colonials … Drove in three runs in the 17-4 win over Indiana (March 3) … Drilled the game-winning RBI single to left field in East Carolina’s 3-2, 12-inning victory over UCF (April 7) that clinched the series sweep … Clubbed a three-run home run that put ECU in the lead for good at Charlotte (April 19) … Smashed his first career grand slam at Cincinnati (May 6) … Drove in three runs against Memphis (May 12).
Trey Yesavage: Named to the All-AAC First Team (unanimous) … Selected to the midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List … Tabbed the AAC Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career on March 20 … Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll Feb. 27 … Has struck out 84 batters against 15 walks in 56.2 innings of work … Was stellar in a quality start against then No. 12 North Carolina (Feb. 24), allowing just one run on three hits with eight strikeouts in the 6-5 victory … Produced another quality start against Indiana (March 3), surrendering one run on four hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts in the Pirates’ 17-4 win … Fanned 11 batters for the third time this season in the 11-3 win over George Mason (March 24) – his fifth-straight quality start (7.0 IP, 3 ER) … Collected a career-high 13 strikeouts at Houston (March 31) … Struck out five hitters in 3.1 innings versus Memphis (May 13).