Tag: ECU Baseball

‘I just try to hit line drives gap-to-gap’: a big arm and big bat accompany 2022 commit Nick DeLisi to ECU

In future ECU baseball recruiting classes, the state of Maryland is represented well. Recruiting coordinator Jeff Palumbo’s ties in the area run deep and the Pirates have garnered commitments from some of the state’s better talent.

ECU’s 2022 class alone sports two prep catchers from the state in Lamar King and Nick DeLisi who ranked first and third respectively among Prep Baseball Report’s best back-stops in Maryland.

DeLisi, who committed roughly a month before King during the summer of 2019, toured ECU on his way home from a showcase and immediately fell in love with the facilities and community.

“I loved the town of Greenville, it was pretty cool to see purple and gold all throughout the campus, but also the community,” DeLisi said last week. “I loved the stadium, it was pretty big when I first saw it. I loved the locker room, the field. It just kind of felt like home to me. All the other places were nice, but they didn’t feel like home, I didn’t get that feeling, and at ECU I got that feeling.”

Listed at 6’0” and 190 pounds, DeLisi fielded several offers before landing on ECU as his final destination. While the home-like feeling he got played a large role in his commitment, he said it also helped the Pirates’ case that head coach Cliff Godwin is a former catcher.

“I had heard a lot of good stuff about him, I had watched a lot of interviews,” DeLisi said. “I found out he was a catcher when I first started talking to him and looked at the school. That definitely helped sway my decision because he was an amazing catcher and I thought he could help me grow as much as possible from behind the plate, because that’s kind of what he specializes in.”

With aspirations of being drafted by a major league team out of the prep ranks, DeLisi uses Godwin’s feedback on game film to keep his work behind the dish progressing. During the summer and after games, DeLisi has stayed in contact with Godwin via text to discuss things the future Pirate can work on cleaning up and improving.

During the Perfect Game 2020 Junior National Showcase this summer, DeLisi posted the fastest pop time to second base at 1.85, beating out some impressive competition from around the country. In the days and weeks leading up to the showcase, DeLisi said he continuously worked on various aspects of his game that went into posting that number.

Even when he is not preparing for a showcase, however, DeLisi spends time nearly everyday honing his craft and working to get bigger, faster and stronger.

“I got a machine so I do machine receiving five or six days a week,” DeLisi said. “I do a lot of blocking, four or five days. I do more receiving than anything, low fastballs, righty curveballs, lefty curveballs. I do a lot of secondary, primary stuff and then I usually finish with a bunch of footwork after my receiving…It’s pretty much an everyday thing just overall. I try to lift five days a week, I try to throw pretty much everyday, hit pretty much everyday. Behind the plate, it’s definitely something that you can’t just pick up like that, you got to definitely get used to it and work on it. I pretty much do it five, six, seven days a week whenever I can get to my machine.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into just about everyone’s life, DeLisi is still getting his lifting in at Our Lady Good Counsel High School in Maryland. Three days a week he is there with eight other boys his age working out, while the other two days are spent at home using weights he bought off Amazon.

In-game, DeLisi’s work ethic does not wane; if anything it heightens. At showcases, he takes the time to talk to his pitchers and ask them questions ranging from what kind of target they like behind the plate to what pitches they throw in certain counts.

“I know a lot of guys throw a lot of 0-2 sliders, so sliders in the dirt or curveballs in the dirt,” DeLisi said. “I kind of talk to them before the game, especially if it’s a showcase and I’ve never met them. I just ask where they like to put their curveball or their slider on like 0-2, 1-2 or 2-1 count, if they’re trying to throw it for a strike or they’re trying to throw it for a ball in the dirt.”

Behind the plate, DeLisi is trying to help his pitchers out as much as possible. Presenting a good target and controlling the run game are important parts of that, but stealing strikes is also a critical piece of any catcher’s skill-set. That is why the Pirate commit spends so much time working on receiving between games and showcases.

“Setting up to the pitcher’s liking, just being able to show a good target at all times,” DeLisi said in regards to what makes a good catcher. “Definitely being able to control the running game, that’s a pretty big part. I think receiving is the No. 1 thing as a catcher in my opinion because you do it more than anything. So definitely present pitches to the umpire to make them look like strikes.”

A self-described defensive-first catcher, DeLisi has worked hard to make strides in the batter’s box. Distant cousins with Rockies All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, you could say hitting is in his genes. Not until recently, however, has DeLisi enjoyed sustained success at the plate, something that seemed to change this summer after numerous tweaks and adjustments, both physically and mentally.

“Definitely my mental approach, what I was looking for at the plate,” DeLisi said about what he has worked on offensively. “Just going up there hunting fastballs and just wanted to be on-time for the fastball. Whether it was 90 or 75 (MPH), I just needed to be on-time and that’s the pitch I needed to hit. I focused on my weight transfer, where I wanted to be in my swing to be the most powerful I could possibly be. I had a couple problems with my weight transfer last summer, but this summer I’ve fixed everything and feel a lot more powerful with my swing and a lot more confident.”

The knock against DeLisi at the plate is he sometimes gets out on his front foot too much, messing up his timing and causing him to be off-balance. During the winter and subsequent quarantine associated with COVID-19, DeLisi put that on his to-do list and ended up hitting .500 this summer, taking a bite out of the defensive-first narrative.

With something of an uppercut swing, the right-handed hitting catcher is at his best when he is driving balls to the gaps in the air, with the occasional one flying over the fence.

“I hit two (home runs) this summer,” DeLisi said. “I feel like I can definitely hit home runs, I don’t necessarily go up there and try to do it, but I just try to hit line drives gap-to-gap. I try to lift the ball as much as I possibly can, I’d rather have a pop-fly than a ground ball out. I just try to lift deep line drives, deep fly balls and if I get it perfectly, it’ll pretty much go. If I don’t get it perfectly, then it’ll pretty much be a line drive or a deep fly ball.”

While DeLisi is still two years removed from graduating high school, he has already begun gaining experience calling games. Doing so more at the prep level than on the showcase circuit, DeLisi said calling games gives both he and his pitcher more confidence that they are on the same page when it comes to the next pitch.

At ECU, the pitches come from the dugout with the coaching staff utilizing a wristband laden when number combinations. A three-digit number is called out, telling both the pitcher and catcher what pitch is expected. That process cuts down on sign-stealing by the opposing team, but will take some getting used to on DeLisi’s part.

“I’ve talked to coach Godwin a bunch about it, they really like it,” DeLisi said. “I think it’s a good system. I’ll have to get used to it, I might start doing it senior year in high school just to get used to it, but I definitely think it’s a good system and it does help out with sign-stealing.”

Learning ECU’s way of doing things gives DeLisi a goal to work toward in his final two years at the high school level. Mentioned above, however, DeLisi wants to use the next couple seasons to boost his draft stock in the eyes of big league scouts to the point where he may not even make it to the Pirates’ roster.

“My No. 1 goal out of high school, I want to get drafted somewhere in the draft,” DeLisi said. “I’ve already talked to a handful of pro scouts, which is pretty cool, to get their feedback. My No. 1 goal out of high school is to get drafted and if I don’t, then I’ll be in a good situation at East Carolina. I’ll go either way, I’m just focusing on what I can control.”

Alec Burleson becomes second consecutive Pirate to win Male and Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year

With the announcement of former ECU baseball player Alec Burleson as the American Athletic Conference Male and Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year yesterday, a Pirate has now held that distinction for consecutive years.

In 2019, ECU left-handed pitcher Jake Agnos, who is now in the New York Yankees’ farm system, earned the same honor, making him the first Pirate ever to do so.

The honor comes with a $4,000 scholarship.

“It was cool, last year Agnos winning the award, and I’m able to follow in his footsteps a little bit,” Burleson told Patrick Johnson on 94.3 The Game on Wednesday. “It’s definitely awesome.”

Burleson’s recognition only further highlights the work Cliff Godwin and his staff have been putting in to ensure ECU baseball succeeds, not only on the field, but in the classroom as well. During the spring semester alone, the program posted a 3.61 team GPA, the highest in program history to push its streak of consecutive years with a 3.41 cumulative GPA to three.

“That comes before all the baseball — academics come before baseball,” Burleson said. “Anytime in the off-season, in-season, through the COVID stuff, anything, academics were No. 1. He (Godwin) pushes that and he makes sure we have all the available tools and resources to allow us to have the high GPAs that we have and be able to have honors that we do throughout the baseball team. It’s definitely a point of emphasis, and as long as coach Godwin is here, it will always be a point of emphasis.”

Just announced on Thursday, all of the 36 student-athletes in Godwin’s program during the 2020 season were part of the more than 300 ECU representatives on the AAC All-Academic Team. ECU finished second in the conference with 303 student-athletes who racked up at least a 3.00 GPA for the preceding academic year and had completed at least two consecutive semesters at a member institution.

For Burleson, capturing a 3.00 GPA was easy, as the business management major currently owns a 3.95 mark with four classes left until graduation.

“I didn’t get any ‘B’s’, I got a couple ‘A-’s’ that pulled me down a little bit,” Burleson said. “I have four classes left to graduate and I’m hoping to be able to tell my kids one day that I did not get a ‘B’ in college, so that’s what I’m shooting for.”

On the field, Burleson parlayed his status as one of the most decorated players in ECU baseball history into being a second round selection by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2020 MLB Draft. With the ink dry on his $700,000 signing bonus, however, Burleson has been unable to suit up for his new team, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Minor League season.

Nevertheless, Burleson is staying ready and in playing shape with his former ECU teammate and now Chicago Cub farmhand Jake Washer.

“Right now, pretty much, I’m doing the same thing I’ve been doing the past three or four months, however long it’s been,” Burleson said. “Just moved into an apartment with Jake Washer, so he’s my new roommate. We’re kind of working out together, hitting together. We’ve got our routine that we do. Other than that, the only thing that’s going to change is whenever classes start I’ll have a little bit of school work to do. Other than that, not really doing anything. Just trying to stay in shape and continue to act like I may get a call tomorrow or something to go play. I’m just staying prepared and just waiting.”

While Burleson waits for his shot in professional baseball, a trio of Pirates will also be enjoying some extra scholarship money after winning scholar-athlete awards for their respective sports.

Dorthea Forbrigd (women’s golf), Megan Pallozzi (lacrosse) and Patrick Stephenson (men’s golf) all took home honors for ECU and their programs, a distinction that comes with a $2,000 scholarship from the AAC.

Listen to Patrick Johnson’s full interview with Alec Burleson that first aired on 94.3 The Game on Wednesday below, beginning around the 20-minute mark:

‘It’s the best team in the nation, so why not’: Pirates add first commitment to 2023 class in Kenan Bowman

Courtesy of Perfect Game.

Late Sunday night, East Carolina University baseball picked up its first commitment of the 2023 class in Nation Ford High School product Kenan Bowman. Listed at 5’11” and 160 pounds, Bowman is a middle infielder with versatility and range that can play every position on the dirt.

With a solid frame and plenty of pop in his bat, Bowman was being pursued by a handful of Power 5 schools before ECU swooped in and added Kenan to its growing stable of future talent.

“The recruiting process for me was fun and I had a really good time talking to all the different coaches and getting to know them,” Bowman said. “I obviously got to know coach (Jeff) Palumbo and coach (Cliff) Godwin the best, that’s why I chose ECU. It was just a really good process for me. It happened pretty fast, but I enjoyed it.”

Bowman said getting to know his future coaches well and knowing what to expect from them on a daily basis was a huge part of his decision on what school to attend. It also helped that Bowman has had a cousin and some friends go to ECU and see first-hand how Pirate Nation treats the baseball program.

“For me, it was all about getting to know the coaches,” Bowman said. “The coaches were awesome — coach Palumbo and coach Godwin — they’re going to always be honest with me, they’re going to work me hard and that’s what I really liked. When I visited, I really loved the community and how they’re all so into the baseball year, and I loved that the community is into baseball so much and they make the games fun and wild. That’s just what I love.”

ECU started recruiting Bowman about a month ago. In that time, the coaching staff struck him as a hard-working group that does not like to cut corners in its pursuit of excellence. Bowman said Godwin and staff displayed a caring attitude about more than just baseball, something that also stuck out to him.

“They’re always going to be hard on you and they’re going to always be honest with you and they’re going to push you to be the best, not just let you go,” Bowman said. “They want you to get the full extent of your athleticism. They also want to make you a better person throughout the process. That’s what I really liked about them. They’re just hard-working coaches and they want to win a national championship and that’s what I’m all about…

“I just felt really comfortable with my decision and I knew that coach Godwin and coach Palumbo are going to take care of me. It’s the best team in the nation, so why not?”

What the Pirates are getting in Bowman in a two-sport athlete that is comfortable at the top of a batting order. A defensive back and wide receiver on the gridiron, Bowman has a quiet, simple swing that generates plenty of power to the pull side.

“I play very different than most of the baseball players,” Bowman said. “I’m not a guy that’s going to hit bombs. I might put one deep maybe once and awhile, but I’m the type of kid that will get on base, cause havoc, steal bases, score runs, help the team. In the field, my range is probably the best part about me in the middle infield.”

A threat to rack up a high on-base percentage, tape on Bowman reveals he has enough speed to be a game-changer on the base paths alone.

At the plate, Bowman said his approach boils down to the desire to get on base by any means necessary. If that includes hunting fastballs to deposit into a gap or over the fence, so be it, but most of the time it means being patient at the dish, seeing a lot of pitches and setting his team up for big innings.

“It always depends on the situation,” Bowman said of his approach at the plate. “It depends like what inning, how many runners are on base. If it’s just the beginning of the game, start of the game I’m at lead-off, I’m thinking get on base no matter what, no matter how. Have a quality at-bat, make the pitcher waste pitches and just get on base no matter what because I know I got some big dogs behind me that’ll hit me in.”

Despite his commitment to play baseball at ECU, Bowman said he does not intend to stop playing football, a sport he’s played since fourth grade. In his mind, playing football makes him unique compared to most of his other competitors on the baseball diamond. Going deeper than just keeping him in shape during the winter, football presents Bowman with a different mentality that he otherwise would not have had.

“The mentality of being a dog in football,” Bowman said. “A lot of kids that just play baseball, it’s kind of different because they haven’t been in the football atmosphere of playing the game. I just feel like that dog mentality on the football field translated over to the baseball field for me and I feel like that’s a main factor in why I love football.”

Perhaps Bowman could become a two sport star in purple and gold for both Godwin and Mike Houston. During the quarantine that stemmed from the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Bowman never stopped working to prepare his body for the rigors of playing two physically demanding sports.

Working toward his goal of being a freshman starter for the Pirates, Bowman said he bulked up during the down time and took full advantage of an opportunity to learn and train with older kids.

“This quarantine was probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” Bowman said. “I really took advantage of it. I was at the field working out three times a day getting work in every chance I could with older kids, kids my age, just getting work in every single day. I probably gained 10 or 15 pounds over quarantine, got really big, hit the weight room a lot. I think it was one of the best things that ever happened to me sports-wise.”

With a number of years until Bowman steps foot on ECU’s campus as a freshman, he has plenty of time to work toward his goal of making an impact for the Pirates right away. In recent years, we have seen freshmen make their way into Godwin’s lineups, especially if they bring versatility and an edge to his program.

Intending to study business at ECU, Bowman wants to continue getting better, both in the classroom and on the field.

“I think the main thing is just getting faster and stronger and just building that power and working as hard as I can to be a freshman starter,” Bowman said. “That’s the goal for me right now. The work just started so now I got to keep rolling and start my freshman year and impact the university.”

Cliff Godwin earns two-year contact extension through 2025

ECU head baseball coach Cliff Godwin will lead the Pirates’ through at least the 2025 season after inking a two-year contract extension on Thursday. Per a release from the university, Godwin’s position is now secured through June 30, 2025.

“I’m extremely grateful to Jon Gilbert, Ron Mitchelson, J.J. McLamb and the East Carolina University Board of Trustees for allowing me and our staff to continue leading this program,” Godwin said in the release. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be the head coach at ECU. There are very few people who have the opportunity to lead their alma mater and I hold that responsibility in the highest regard.”

This extension is the third since Godwin took over the program, with the first one coming in 2016. Godwin was then extended through the 2023 campaign after the 2018 season and his most recent two-year extension will include increased performance incentives, according to the release.

“I am extremely proud of what our players, staff and fans have accomplished over the last six years and they deserve all the credit,” Godwin said. “That said, we are striving every day to be better as a team on the field, better leaders, better students and continue to be great ambassadors for ECU. Go Pirates!”

In six years with the Pirates, Godwin has took them to four NCAA Regionals and made two Super Regional appearances. ECU has also won two American Athletic Conference Championships during his tenure and racked up three 40-plus win campaigns.

Godwin is 214-113-1 and is the third all-time winningest coach in program history.

“Our baseball program has achieved comprehensive success under Coach Godwin’s leadership and this contract extension is a deserving commitment to ensure that continues well into the future,” Gilbert said. “He embodies East Carolina’s values on the field, in the classroom and in the community, and exemplifies the best of what intercollegiate athletics represents.”

Godwin’s team is also fresh off turning in a team-best 3.61 semester GPA this spring. The Pirates have also amassed a collective GPA of 3.05 or higher in 11 of the 12 semesters under Godwin.

ECU was 13-4 this season before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of spring sports.

‘I should have five solid pitches by the time I reach ECU’: Pirate commit Cade Miller is a budding star

Sixteen-year-old prospects who throw 90 MPH are difficult to find, especially when they are 5’10” and weigh 180 pounds. In Alexander Central High School product Cade Miller, however, that is exactly what ECU found when the 2022 right-hander committed to play for the Pirates on Monday.

All his life, Miller has been playing up, whether it be on school teams or travel rosters in the area. From an early age, the ability to throw hard was immediately there for the future Pirate, a trait that propelled him to continue challenging himself moving forward.

“I believe I was around seven,” Miller said. “I was playing up with the 10-year-old’s and I was keeping up with most of them, I was passing some of them. That was kind of when I realized I throw harder than most kids two or three years older than me. I just kept working from that day.”

Largely left alone to find his natural delivery until he was around 13 years old, Miller began catching the eye of trainers and pitching coaches around the Hickory, North Carolina area. It was at 13 when Miller received the advice and coaching that cleaned up his delivery, making it smoother and more efficient.

“Ages 9-13 was just all natural, like very minute coaching,” Miller said. “About 13, I met a guy over at the Heat facility in Hickory, North Carolina. He just went through — because he noticed I was throwing harder than most of the kids there — and he just tweaked like keeping my glove close to my body, keeping my arm angle up, just making sure my body was moving more fluidly and not as violent as it was before.”

In the three years since then, Miller said his main focus has been on generating velocity out of his 5’10” frame. More recently, Miller has received coaching from a local trainer that has allowed him to build that velocity that is so vital in the game of baseball these days.

“I started the season in February, I was topping 86, good delivery but very violent with a few back leg problems, not keeping it on the ground,” Miller said. “He just helped me slowly realize it by putting me through drills, keeping that back leg on the ground and I just started picking up velocity. I jumped three miles per hour that week and I’ve been building since.”

While much of Miller’s high school season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECU commit stayed in shape by formulating a home workout regiment. When his Dirtbags travel team resumed play, those workouts and preparation allowed him to come back stronger than ever and dominate the competition. Each time out, Miller has increased his velocity, topping out at 91 MPH with his fastball just last weekend.

Since Miller has retaken the mound in competitive action, he used that jump in velocity to rack up the strikeouts, which in turn, grabbed the attention of collegiate coaches around the country. Recently, Miller struck out all 12 batters he faced across four innings, needing only 50 pitches to do so. Immediately after that, he said, is when the likes of Notre Dame and others began calling, but ECU always seemed to have the inside track.

“ECU has been the one that’s been in contact the most, like most interested in me,” Miller said. “Just wanting to know me instead of like ‘hey you throw hard, I want you to come here and throw.’ They’re wanting to know how they can better me instead of just getting me to come play baseball.”

Academically, Miller said he is leaning toward studying physical therapy at ECU and will enter the university with a college degree already in-hand from a local early college. That will allow him to potentially pursue a Master’s Degree while he completes three or four years on the diamond for the Pirates.

While ECU’s approach to recruiting Miller centered more around academics and understanding him as a human being more so than his on-field performance, there is no denying that Cade is a budding star.

With a smoother delivery now, Miller hides the baseball extremely well, making his already live fastball play up even more.

“I’ve never realized I’ve done that until I started watching how I pitch more now so I can see my mechanics,” Miller said. “That’s just the way I’ve been taught to throw and the way I’ve been taught to pitch. I’ve always had the same arm slot and I hide the ball behind my back leg pretty well.

“It allows them (the batter) to not pick up what I’m throwing. Most pitchers when they’re throwing off-speed or a certain pitch they’ll shuffle in their glove or they’ll step to the different side of the mound or they’ll do something different. I’m almost always at the same spot on the mound, same delivery, same arm slot. It really just throws the hitters off. Especially when I come out with a change-up, it just looks so much harder to them than what it is and it just catches them off-guard.”

Miller said he has three top pitches right now that he feels the most comfortable throwing. His fastball is probably the most explosive offering he possesses, at least right now, but his slider has plus potential and he also throws a cutter.

For most 16-year-old’s, three pitches would be at the top-end of the scale. Miller, however, is not like other kids his age and possesses a certain maturity that comes from playing against older and more difficult competition of the majority of his life. 

Because of that, Miller has a drive to be the best he can be, and wants to develop five pitches before he steps foot on ECU’s campus his freshman year.

“I should have five solid pitches by the time I reach ECU…That’s just something I want to do on my own,” Miller said. “I want to be able to catch batters off-guard, I don’t want to have the same — 0-2 count, let’s go slider — I want to be able to throw a cutter outside, change-up inside. I don’t want to have the same pitch sequence every time I pitch.”

While some programs and coaches have snubbed their nose at Miller because of his size, there is no denying that he is more mentally mature than most 18, 19 and even 20-year-old’s. He said that is what has allowed him to stick against better competition throughout his baseball career, and that is an attribute that will only pay dividends at the collegiate level.

“Maybe I’m not physically mature but I’m mentally mature enough where I can understand what they’re saying, understand what I need to do, where the ball needs to go,” Miller said. “Just understanding baseball at the same level older kids do.”

Still two years away from pulling on the purple and gold for the first time, Miller said it will not be too hard to focus on what is right in front of him instead of dreaming about playing Division I baseball. He understands that he has an obligation to help his high school and travel teams while at the same time preparing his body for the next level.

That preparation will include bulking up and adding mass so he can reach his desired velocity goals by the time he officially becomes a Pirate.

“My goal is to be around 95 (MPH) my senior year,” Miller said. “I’m currently topping 91 last weekend. My goal is just to around 95, 96. Probably gain about 15-20 pounds, hopefully I can grow some more, that would be nice. I want to have all five pitches mastered. At least pick up one more, which it’s pretty hard to throw all five. Just keep staying unpredictable, keep changing up the way I throw and stay competitive and say ahead of the count.”

Who is Cade Miller? Get to know ECU baseball’s newest commit from his mother’s perspective

Cade Miller was an obvious target for head ECU baseball coach Cliff Godwin and his staff. A 2022 right-handed pitcher whose fastball has been clocked in the upper-80s and even 90 MPH and is from North Carolina, Cade officially announced his commitment to the Pirates on Monday, giving them 10 members in their 2022 class.

For ECU, Cade’s verbal commitment only continued to add to their stable of prep talent as the 5’10”, 180-pounder out of Alexander Central High School possesses two really projectable pitches in his fastball and slider. For Cade and his family, his commitment signaled validation for all the long, hard days on the diamond and in the weight room.

“I’m just so thankful that everything he’s done — so much hard work that he’s done day and night since he was little,” Cade’s mother, Christie Miller, said in a phone interview this week. “It’s always been something he’s wanted, college, and hopefully past that as much as he can go. I’m just so glad to finally see him realize that everything we’ve told him, everything he’s done, is worth it.”

In his mother’s own words, Cade has always been different than his teammates on various school and travel teams. Perhaps that is because, even at a young age, Cade possessed the ability to throw a baseball really hard, something that actually got him banned from playing against older competition as a 9-year-old.

“He’s just different,” Miller said. “He always really has been. If you put him in a group of 10 kids on the field, you’re going to know there’s something different about that kid. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what position he plays in, you would notice.”

As Cade got older, that is exactly what collegiate scouts began doing, taking notice. While he is not the biggest kid on the diamond, a lifetime of playing up on travel rosters and the occasional call to the varsity squad at his high school uniquely shaped Cade as he turned 14, 15 and 16 years old.

For this decision about which college to attend, Cade’s maturity beyond his 16 years showed through and allowed him to process his options in a way not many prospects his age could. That was especially important considering he had an offer from Notre Dame, as well as ECU, and interest from the likes of Kentucky and Campbell.

“He’s just always played up and it’s really helped at this point the maturity level get to where he can process everything and say, ‘OK I can commit right now 100%, 110%,’” Miller said. ‘“This is where I want to go, this is where I want to grow and see what happens.’”

Christie also said that it is her son’s “old soul” that makes her feel so comfortable about turning him loose to attend college four hours away from their hometown. ECU’s coaching staff also set Christie’s mind at ease about their ability and willingness to look out for Cade’s best interests while at the same time pushing him to be the best at what he does.

Aside from just the baseball aspect, Miller said he noticed a focus on academics at ECU that was not always present at other colleges that expressed interest in her son.

“East Carolina really cares about academics, even above baseball,” Miller said. “They make sure on a weekly basis they have a meeting and make sure those kids are in-line and whatever they need to do, if they need help. Anything they need, they’re there having their back the entire time. I’ve not heard that from some of the other people that we’ve spoken with.”

Cade, who attends an early college and is sporting a 3.9 collegiate GPA and 4.3 high school GPA, has his sights set on potentially studying physical therapy at ECU and would be able to enter the university academically as a junior.

In three or four years on campus, that puts Cade in the position to pursue a Master’s Degree in whichever field he chooses, setting him up well for post-college endeavors. In that respect, Christie said she liked what she heard from the Pirates’ coaching staff and believes the campus in second to none in terms of facilities and resources that will be available to Cade.

“I didn’t want him to be overwhelmed,” Miller said. “I knew whatever baseball program he would go to, he would excel, because he always does. I was concerned about the size of the campus, because some of them are so spread out. He got there and even his first impression, he said ‘momma, this is home.’ He said, ‘this feels like home.’ It truly did, it’s a lot like where we come from, our neighborhood and everything.

“It’s bigger, obviously as far as the town and things like that. But just having that community and that family feeling just made the difference and being able to choose East Carolina. That’s what set them above Notre Dame and things like that, because they gave an offer that was extremely hard to turn down.”

Listed as a two-way player by some showcase organizations and websites, Cade can do just about anything that is asked of him on the diamond, according to his mother. In his time with various programs, Cade has played in the outfield, at second base, shortstop and can even slot in behind the plate if needed.

While it might be too early to say whether or not Cade will continue that at ECU, it was the opportunity to be able to carry that versatility over that continued to make the Pirates more attractive.

“I think it’s definitely something he would enjoy,” Miller said. “He’s used to being put wherever he’s needed. Last Friday, he pitched four innings and came out and they said, just go to the outfield. Wherever they tell him to go, he can do it. He’s used to being a utility player to some degree, he’s always done that growing up.”

As the self-proclaimed “two-way U”, ECU has had heaps of success with those types of players, most notably Alec Burleson, who was drafted in the second round of the MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this month.

Nevertheless his abilities in the field, Cade has burst onto the scene since teams like the Dirtbags have resumed play after the COVID-19 pandemic halted most sports leagues. Since then, Cade has topped out at 91 MPH with his heater and continued to look better and better with every outing.

“He went in to close, not last week but the weekend before, 12 batters up, 12 strikeouts, only 50 pitches,” Miller said. “This is coming off COVID, this is coming off him not playing. He’s had the best games he’s had after COVID than he’s ever played. I don’t know if that’s because he’s not had to worry about school as much, once the online stuff is over…He just keeps trying to push himself and we don’t have to go after him or follow him or beg him to do anything.”

A kid with a clear-cut goal in mind of playing baseball collegiately and beyond, Cade seems to fit perfectly with the culture and mindset that Godwin and company have been building at ECU for the last several years.

“ECU, they just got it together,” Miller said. “Their whole program is top notch. To me, it’s the best around here…That culture of just, you know, you’re brothers, that’s what they truly become. Even the coach told him on the phone the other day, some of these guys will probably be in your wedding and you’ll probably be in their wedding.”

As for Cade’s family, the next two years will either fly or crawl by as they watch their son continue to grow and change in front of their very eyes. Without much maturing to do, as he has already exhibited it beyond his years, Cade can focus on honing his craft even more while his parents pick out some purple and gold clothing.

“My husband, he said, ‘I cannot wait for two years to come,’” Miller said. “We’re ready to be Pirates now, I know we are (already) but we’re ready to go out there and wear our purple and gold and start yelling.”

ECU News: Pirates get payout from AAC, baseball team adds 2022 commitment

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, collegiate athletic departments all across the country have been left reeling. East Carolina University, who’s department already projected to lose around $7 million in this fiscal year before the virus struck, all of a sudden found itself in the hole anywhere from $10-12 million after the American Athletic Conference canceled its basketball tournaments and the remaining spring sports schedule.

With the fiscal year closing on June 30, however, there has been light at the end of the tunnel for a school that has struggled to find profitability with its athletic programs over the last handful of years.

First, Pirate Nation exceeded some expectations and eclipsed the department’s football season ticket goal of 10,000 by the priority deadline of June 10. A frenzy of sales in the week leading up to that deadline allowed the department to accomplish that goal, even though the guarantee of fans in the stands this fall does not yet exist.

The other piece of good news for ECU’s financial sustainability came in the form of a $3.338 million revenue payout from the AAC that was reported by the Orlando Sentinel on Saturday. The payout, which could not have come at a better time for the Pirates, was the eighth largest in the conference, behind UCF, Cincinnati, USF, Memphis, Temple, Houston and Tulane.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the AAC reported $73.2 million in revenue for the most recent fiscal year that such information is available, a 6% decrease from the year prior. Nevertheless, the American earned around $3 million in revenue and will see its 12-year/$1 billion TV deal with ESPN go into effect at the beginning of July.

Pirates add Cade Miller to 2022 class

ECU baseball’s 2022 recruiting class reportedly received a boost on Monday with the addition of Alexander Central High School right-hander Cade Miller. The news, which was first reported by Stephen Igoe of 247Sports.com, means the Pirates now have 10 commits in their 2022 class.

Miller is a 5’10”, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and chose ECU over an offer from Notre Dame and potential interest from NC State and Campbell, according to Igoe.

While Miller is not most physically imposing pitcher on the mound, he can still run his fastball up to 90 MPH with movement, but sits in the mid- to upper-80s with the offering. Additionally, the righty throws a slider and could have some more growing to do before he gets to Greenville, North Carolina.

Other commits in ECU’s 2022 class include: shortstop Parker Byrd, first baseman Colby Thorndyke, catcher Nick Delisi, catcher Lamar King, pitcher Michael Forret, shortstop Connor Rasmussen, shortstop Dixon Williams, third baseman Cameron Burgess and pitcher Lane Essary.

Makarewicz, Whisenhunt, Worrell set to play in collegiate summer leagues

COVID-19 shortened or outright canceled most events on the spring and summer sports schedule. East Carolina University’s baseball team only played 17 games — posting a 13-4 record — before the NCAA announced all spring championships, and the season, would be canceled.

The coronavirus reached further than that, impacting many collegiate baseball summer leagues around the country. Over the last few months, most leagues chose not to play this year in an effort to do their part in limiting the spread and transmission of the virus.

For ECU baseball, those decisions obviously impacted who would be playing summer ball in 2020. Nevertheless, three Pirates will be participating in summer leagues this year, according to an announcement by the university on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/ECUBaseball/status/1276197940894158848?s=20

Carson Whisenhunt will play for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms while Bryson Worrell is set to play for the Wilmington Sharks, both of the Coastal Plain League. Alec Makarewicz, a Flordia native, will play for the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs of the Florida Collegiate Summer League.

Whisenhunt, who collected only seven at-bats and made one appearance on the mound for the Pirates as a freshman, will be the first ECU player in action when the HiToms take on the Catawba Valley Stars tomorrow night at 7 at Finch Field in Thomasville, North Carolina.

Worrell was well on his way to a breakout season at the plate in 2020 before things were cut short. The junior started all 17 games for the Pirates and slashed .373/.465/.729 with a team-best five home runs and 14 RBI. With just another week of action, Worrell likely would have surpassed many of his statistical career-highs, but he will have to settle for attempting that in 2021.

In the meantime, Worrell, who is from Sims, North Carolina, will suit up for the Sharks who begin their season on July 3. Like the HiTom’s, Wilmington plays through mid-August while the team’s currently have 28 and 21 home games scheduled, respectively.

Coastal Plain League games will be restricted to 50% capacity in accordance with state and local guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

Makarewicz, who, like Whisenhunt was a freshman in 2020, will begin his first summer of collegiate baseball on June 29 against the Leesburg Lightening. The Dawgs’ first home game is scheduled for July 2 at Historcic Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, Florida.

The Dawgs are only slated to play 15 games this summer, with the season ending in mid-July. Up to 50% capacity will be allowed at Florida Collegiate Summer League games, according to the league’s website.

If you are unable to attend games in-person, you can follow the three Pirates’ season statistics here.

ECU baseball standout Darryl Lawhorn shares secret to record-setting freshman campaign

Flip through the East Carolina University baseball record books and it is difficult to miss Darryl Lawhorn’s name. A three-year member of the Pirates before being drafted in 2004 by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Lawhorn was part of many great moments while wearing purple and gold, including three consecutive Regional appearances and a Super Regional berth in 2004.

“It was one of the best times of my life,” Lawhorn said about his time at ECU. “Met some of the most memorable people, some of my best friends to this day still. I would not change a thing, that’s for sure. I loved it the most that I could absolutely love anything.”

A product of New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, Lawhorn was recruited to ECU by Keith LeClair as a pitcher. One recruiting visit and a good day at the plate, however, changed the Pirates’ plans for Lawhorn and set him on a track to become one of the best freshmen hitters in ECU baseball history.

“Going into it, I didn’t expect to do much because I was brought in as a pitcher,” Lawhorn said. “Coach LeClair came and watched me pitch one game. I had a really good day at the plate and he was like ‘you think you can hit, too?’ I’m like ‘yeah, I’ll give it a go.’”

Never much of a power threat in high school, Lawhorn recalls hitting just two home runs during his high school career, but 18 over two seasons of legion ball in the summer’s of his junior and senior campaigns.

With that kind of success spilling over into his freshman fall in 2001, the pieces were beginning to slide into place for Lawhorn becoming a full-time hitter with the Pirates. The 2001 version of the Pirates made a Super Regional appearance behind a stout pitching staff that included Sam Narron and Will Brinson.

By season’s end, the pitching staff had turned in the 15th-best ERA in the country (3.62) and had several pieces returning for the 2002 season and beyond.

“Coming into the fall of my freshman year in 2001, they brought back the sixth-best pitching staff in the nation from that previous season, the Super Regional team,” Lawhorn said. “In the fall, coach LeClair let me hit, I didn’t really do a whole lot of pitching because they didn’t really need me. They just threw me in the lineup and I just tore it up.”

As a newcomer to a roster that still possessed its wealth of experience and leadership, Lawhorn leaned heavily on the players around him. That group included names like Ben Sanderson and Jamie Paige, both successful players in their own right while at ECU.

“Working a lot with (hitting coach) Kevin McMullan, coach (Tommy) Eason, and just kind of studying the guys that were around me and picking their brain on what to expect,” Lawhorn said. “They helped me out a lot. I guess I would attribute my success that year to the guys around me and all the help I got from the coaching staff.”

The success came in bunches for Lawhorn during his initial season in purple and gold. As a freshman, Lawhorn led the Pirates in every meaningful offensive category including batting average (.416), hits (104), home runs (19), RBI (68) and runs scored (56). He also paced the team in stolen bases with 15.

To this day, Lawhorn still holds the ECU freshman records for runs, hits, batting average, RBI, home runs and total bases. His 64 games played and 250 at-bats during the ‘02 season also still stand as freshman records.

While Lawhorn’s entire body of work doing the 2002 season sticks out, perhaps the most impressive aspect was his home run hitting capability. His 19 are tied for fourth for a single season in ECU history, while his 43 career long balls stand alone in fourth place.

For two seasons Lawhorn paced the Pirates in home runs, earning the team’s triple crown honors in both 2002 and 2003. 

“I knew it was there, but I didn’t quite know the capability that I could do,” Lawhorn said. “Not to mention being 18 years old — I only weighed about 155 pounds soaking wet. I got challenged with fastballs a lot. I was really, really good at hitting fastballs, as most hitters are.

“That attributed to my success as well. It seemed like the guys that I faced, they were like ‘this is the one that they’re talking about?’ ‘OK, whatever, I’m just going to try to blow it by him,’ and it didn’t really work out for them all that much.”

Lawhorn said much of his success came from hunting fastballs early in the count. Early in his career at ECU, the undersized Lawhorn saw a lot of those juicy fastballs that he turned into long balls or solid base hits around the diamond. 

For his first two seasons at ECU, Lawhorn was the beneficiary of pitchers not respecting him as a hitter, something he turned into a slew of freshman accolades and All-America honors.

A lot of times, collegiate players will struggle in their first year on campus due to a variety of factors. New environments, better competition, inconsistent playing time and possible injuries can detail many freshmen campaigns. For Lawhorn, many of those challenges were overcome pretty easily as he posted one of the best rookie campaigns in ECU history.

“My teammates were kind of shocked at the ability to be able to do it,” Lawhorn said of hitting home runs. “After every game, coach Mac (McMullan) would always come up to me and tell me to eat my slice of humble pie. I took that to heart, I don’t really like to take a whole lot of credit upon myself for a lot of the things that I’ve done because if I didn’t have the guys around me, I wouldn’t have been able to do those things.”

Lawhorn’s outstanding freshman season helped the Pirates win 43 games, hit .294 as a team and make a Regional appearance in Clemson, South Carolina. While they were unable to break through to a College World Series, Lawhorn was also part of the 2004 team that won 51 games, setting a program record for single season victories.

That year, Lawhorn slashed .298/.397/.515 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI. Darryl’s brother Trevor paced the team with 21 long balls as the Pirates hit a collective .318.

Lawhorn’s solid numbers during his final season in Greenville, North Carolina placed him solidly in the top-ten in some important career hitting categories. His .353 life-time batting average is tied for fourth-best, while his 162 RBI and 417 total bases stand alone in seventh. Lawhorn’s aforementioned 43 career home runs rank fourth in program history.

“I wouldn’t have had the success I had if it wasn’t for the seniors pushing me my freshman year, all of the juniors pushing me and the guys around me just to be a good, humble, hard-working baseball player,” Lawhorn said.

Alec Burleson’s draft selection adds to Cardinals’ cache of ECU products

It is not uncommon to see baseball organizations draft players from the same collegiate program in the same year or over a handful of years, especially from top-tier teams like East Carolina University.

On Thursday, Alec Burleson became the fourth Pirate selected by the St. Louis Cardinals since 2011 when they took him off the board with the 70th overall pick. Just four days later, Burleson signed with St. Louis for $700,000, giving the Cardinals three ECU products in their system.

Chris Holba, an 11th round pick by the redbirds in 2018, and Evan Kruczynski, a ninth round selection in 2017, both played their college ball in Greenville, North Carolina and have both already reached out to Burleson to congratulate him.

“They both reached out to me last night (Thursday) congratulating me,” Burleson told Patrick Johnson on 94.3 The Game on Friday. “I’m sure I’ll have more conversations with them once we kind of get everything settled in the next couple of weeks. From what I’ve heard from them, the organization is great and I’m excited to start my journey. They’ll be more conversations with them just to get a feel for what I’m about to go into and I’m glad to have those guys as resources.”

Burleson played with Holba during his freshman campaign with the Pirates in 2018. The two-way standout at ECU also spent time learning from Kruczynski who came back to campus in the fall of 2017 after getting a taste of pro ball in Peoria.

“I had just finished up my first half season of pro ball and I went back to finish up my degree and he was a freshman,” Kruczynski said. “He was a standout right away, I mean two-way star. I knew he was going to be a good player for ECU.”

Kruczynski, who, like Burleson, earned his fair share of accolades and achievements while wearing the purple and gold, could relate to Burleson as he himself is a southpaw pitcher who throws a curveball and changeup.

“I didn’t want to mess anything up pitching-wise, he had a good changeup, good curveball,” Kruczynski said. “All we really did was kind of work on his pick-off move a little bit and more of the mental aspect of the game. What kind of stuff he would run into in the college game compared to high school.”

Recruited to ECU as a pitcher-first two-way guy, Burleson was drafted by the Cardinals as an outfielder, a position he often filled when he was not DH’ing on days he pitched. While Burleson’s career numbers on the mound are nothing to shake your head at (3.47 ERA in 137.2 innings), there is no doubt his bat is what propelled him to be a second round pick in the 2020 MLB draft.

During Burleson’s freshman fall, Kruczynski received an up close look at just how advanced the future Cardinal’s approach was at the plate.

“One thing I remember was a weekend where (pitching) coach (Dan) Roszel was out of town and I was calling pitches,” Kruczynski said. “I just remember I called like a 1-0 changeup and he made a little adjustment in the box before the pitch was thrown and moved up toward the pitcher, basically anticipating changeup.

“When the pitcher threw the changeup, he smacked it in the gap for a double. I asked him why he — we call it a box check — and he said he saw the pitcher give a little tip. That’s something, as a freshman, is impressive for him to come in and have that kind of approach.”

As a freshman, Burleson slashed .252/.325/.282 with no home runs and 18 RBI, a solid performance for a newcomer that did not get to play everyday. Well last year, Burleson tapped fully into that standout potential Kruczynski saw in 2017 as he hit .370 at the plate with nine home runs while posting a 3.28 ERA on the mound.

Burleson’s 2020 offensive numbers before the shutdown only continued to improve his draft stock and impressed the Cardinals enough that they made him the fourth-highest drafted Pirate in program history.

Now, the next step for Burleson, like so many other minor league players, is unknown. It is unlikely there will be a minor league season in 2020, meaning players will have to stay in shape on their own and any way possible. For the recent draftees, they must now begin building relationships within their respective organizations, a task that has been made difficult with social distancing rules and restrictions on group sizes.

Nevertheless, Burleson has the advantage of having two familiar faces in Holba and Kruczynski ahead of him in the Cardinals organization, people that can give him advice and guidance throughout this process.

“Those are two guys that I’m definitely going to lean on going through this process,” Burleson said.

Listen to Patrick Johnson’s full interview with Alec Burleson that first aired on 94.3 The Game on Friday below: