East Carolina Baseball Ranked 10th in USA Today/Coaches poll

NATIONALLY RANKED PIRATES ENTER SEASON FIRED UP

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina baseball team earned its fifth preseason national ranking of the 2017 season after being tabbed No. 10 in the USA Today/Coaches poll, which was released Thursday afternoon. The Pirates have also garnered a No. 6 ranking by Baseball America, No. 10 by D1Baseball and Perfect Game to go along with a No. 13 standing by Collegiate Baseball.

The Pirates (38-23-1, 15-8-1 American), who have made 28 NCAA Regional appearances, claimed the 2016 Charlottesville Regional and advanced to their fourth NCAA Super Regional in Lubbock, Texas picking up the programs first-ever Super Regional win (8-6) against No. 5 National Seed Texas Tech in game one of the three-game series.

A year ago, the Pirates finished ranked in the top 16 in five major polls (Baseball America/No. 15, Collegiate Baseball/No. 15, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association/No. 15, D1Baseball/No. 16 and USA Today/No. 16) marking the first time since 2009 ECU had finished ranked in four or more polls.

The Pirates, who were picked first by the American Athletic Conference coaches in the preseason poll, will begin spring practice on Friday, Jan. 27 and are set to open the 2017 season on the road at Ole Miss on Friday, Feb. 17 with a 5 p.m. (ET) scheduled first pitch.