Pirates Chest - April 2011 by ECU Pirate Club

April 2011 $5.95

A Program on the Rise Lebo & Co. give Fans a Taste of Success

inside Spring Football with Lincoln Riley & Jeff Connors

Diamond Pirates Striving for Excellence # olympic Sports Roundup Minges Family invested for the Long haul in ECU # | Pirate Club news & More

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3/21/2011 12:00:38 PM

2011 East Carolina Baseball Schedule

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 02/18/11 vs. Youngstown St. Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 02/19/11 vs. Youngstown St. Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET 02/20/11 vs. Youngstown St. Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 02/25/11 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 3:00 p.m. ET 02/26/11 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET 02/27/11 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 1:00 p.m. ET 03/01/11 vs. Campbell Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/04/11 vs. Pepperdine Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/05/11 vs. Pepperdine Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET 03/06/11 vs. Pepperdine Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/08/11 at Campbell Buies Creek, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/09/11 vs. High Point Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET Keith LeClair Classic 03/11/11 vs. Monmouth N.J. Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/12/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/13/11 vs. Liberty Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET 03/15/11 at Elon Elon, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/16/11 vs. Buffalo Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/18/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/19/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/20/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 03/25/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/26/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/27/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/29/11 at UNC Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/30/11 vs. Elon Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/01/11 at UAB * Birmingham, Ala. 7:30 p.m. ET 04/02/11 at UAB * Birmingham, Ala. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/03/11 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 p.m. ET Raleigh, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/05/11 at N.C. State 04/08/11 vs. Rice * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET

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Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 04/09/11 vs. Rice * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/10/11 vs. Rice * Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 04/12/11 at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/15/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/16/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/17/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 04/19/11 vs. UNC Wilmington Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/21/11 at Houston * Houston, Texas 7:30 p.m. ET 04/22/11 at Houston * Houston, Texas 7:30 p.m. ET 04/23/11 at Houston * Houston, Texas 2:00 p.m. ET 04/26/11 at Old Dominion Norfolk, Va 6:00 p.m. ET 04/27/11 vs. North Carolina Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/29/11 vs. Southern Miss * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/30/11 vs. Southern Miss * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 05/01/11 vs. Southern Miss * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/06/11 at Marshall * Charleston, W.Va. 7:00 p.m. ET 05/07/11 at Marshall * Charleston, W.Va. 7:00 p.m. ET 05/08/11 at Marshall * Charleston, W.Va. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/11/11 vs. Wake Forest Zebulon, N.C. 7:00 p.m. ET 05/13/11 vs. Delaware State Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 05/14/11 vs. Delaware State Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 05/15/11 vs. Delaware State Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/17/11 vs. Old Dominion Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 05/19/11 at Tulane * New Orleans, La. 7:30 p.m. ET 05/20/11 at Tulane * New Orleans, La. 7:30 p.m. ET 05/21/11 at Tulane * New Orleans, La. 2:00 p.m. ET 05/25/11 - 05/29/11 C-USA Tournament - Pearl, Miss. 06/03/11 - 06/05/11 NCAA Regional 06/10/11 - 06/12/11 NCAA Super Regional 06/18/11 - 06/29/11 College World Series * - denotes Conference Event Purple - denotes home game

3/21/2011 12:00:40 PM

Executive Committee Executive President Mr. Jim Creech Executive Vice President Dr. Emmett Floyd Immediate Past President Mr. Jerry L. Wilkins Board of Directors Mr. Donnie Bunn Mr. Douglas L. Gomes Mr. Harvey Lewis Mr. Rhett A. Raynor Mr. Henry Williamson Mr. Edwin L. Clark Mrs. Clara Darden Mr. Tyre H. Moore Mr. Jim Post Mr. Phillip Waugh Mr. Thomas A. Bennett Mr. Mike Rogers Mrs. Linda Tripp Mr. George C. Turner Mr. Carl Rogers ECU Chancellor Dr. Steven Ballard Director of Athletics Mr. Terry Holland Executive Treasurer Dr. Rick Niswander Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. David A. Dosser, Jr. Financial Director Mrs. Sherrilyn R. Johnson Director Emeritus Mr. Walter L. Williams

A Letter from Mark Wharton

April 2011

Dear Pirate Club Member: Spring has finally arrived! This winter season was unseasonably cold for eastern North Carolina, but East Carolina University athletics definitely turned up the HEAT! The women’s basketball team finished strong, and Coach Heather Macy has laid a firm foundation for future success. Our men’s basketball program had its first winning season in 13 years and set a program record for most wins in Conference USA play with eight wins, two more than our previous high of six wins. Likewise, Pirate baseball has tremendous momentum heading into the meat of Conference USA league play, with impressive performance early in the season. On February 16, with a crowd of over 800 fans, the Lady Pirate Softball team defeated the UNC Wilmington Seahawks for the grand opening of our impressive new softball stadium. Coach Tracy Kee is having another outstanding year with a 16-5 record at the time this article was written. I encourage you to mark your calendars for May 12-14 to cheer on the Lady Pirates as East Carolina University hosts the Conference USA softball tournament for the first time in ECU history. This will be an excellent opportunity to showcase not only our first class facilities, but also the enthusiasm and spirit of the Pirate Nation. I hope you will join me in extending a warm welcome to all of the visitors that come to Greenville that weekend, and in portraying a positive impression of East Carolina University as our Lady Pirates compete for another Conference USA championship. By the time you read this edition of the Pirate Chest, the Pirate Nation will have received the brochure for the “Step Up to the Highest Level” campaign, our current capital campaign to raise $15 million in support of building a 48,000-square-foot practice basketball facility on the north side of Minges Coliseum. I am pleased to report that $9 million has already been raised through major gifts. It is now time for the Pirate Nation to step up as well, and help make this dream become a reality. Coach Macy and Coach Lebo both feel that this is an important piece of the puzzle in building a basketball program that will be successful long term. Please consider making a contribution in support of this critical campaign. As with previous campaigns, bonus priority points are available for payment toward your pledge in the first two years of a five-year commitment. For additional information, please contact the Pirate Club at 252-737-4540. As a reminder, please remember to join us April 14-16 for the 28th annual Trade-Wilco Hess Pigskin Pig-Out. This annual family-oriented event includes plenty of food, fun, and entertainment for everyone. A complete schedule of activities is available at ecupirates.com. Finally, if you have not made your 2011 Pirate Club pledge and purchased your 2011 football tickets, it’s not too late to become a new member or renew online at ecupirates.com or call the Pirate Club at (252) 737-4540. Thank you for all you are doing to assist the Pirate Club and East Carolina University Athletics in “Reaching New Heights of Championship Excellence.” GO Pirates! Sincerely,

Executive Director Mr. Mark T. Wharton Counsel Mr. Walter Hinson

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Mark T. Wharton ‘93 Executive Director

3/21/2011 12:00:42 PM

2011 Pirate Softball Schedule Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 02/11/11 vs. Lipscomb Athens, Ga. 9:00 a.m. ET vs. Illinois State Athens, Ga. 1:00 p.m. ET 02/12/11 vs. Iowa Athens, Ga. 9:00 a.m. ET at Georgia Athens, Ga. 1:00 p.m. ET 02/13/11 vs. Maryland Athens, Ga. 11:00 a.m. ET 02/16/11 vs. UNC Wilmington Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET Pirate Classic 02/18/11 vs. Virginia Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET vs. St. John’s Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/19/11 vs. Hofstra Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET vs. Kent State Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 02/20/11 vs. St. John’s Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 02/21/11 vs. Hofstra Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET Pirate Clash 02/25/11 vs. Towson Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/26/11 vs. Fairfield Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET vs. Lehigh Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/27/11 vs. Campbell Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET Wilson/DeMarini Invitational 03/04/11 vs. New Mexico State Tempe, Ariz. 3:00 p.m. ET at Arizona State Tempe, Ariz. 7:30 p.m. ET 03/05/11 vs. Creighton Tempe, Ariz. 11:00 a.m. ET vs. Northern Iowa Tempe, Ariz. 1:00 p.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 03/06/11 vs. Northern Col. Tempe, Ariz. 03/09/11 at Maryland College Park, Md. 5:00 p.m. ET at Maryland College Park, Md. 7:00 p.m. ET 03/10/11 vs. Maine Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/12/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/13/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/15/11 vs. Charleston South. Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET vs. Charleston South. Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/19/11 at Marshall * Huntington, W.Va. 1:00 p.m. ET at Marshall * Huntington, W.Va. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/20/11 at Marshall * Huntington, W.Va. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/26/11 vs. Tulsa * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. Tulsa * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/27/11 vs. Tulsa * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/30/11 vs. N.C. State Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET vs. N.C. State Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/02/11 at Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 2:00 p.m. ET at Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 4:00 p.m. ET 04/03/11 at Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 12:00 p.m. ET 04/06/11 at UNC Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 04/09/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/10/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 p.m. ET 04/16/11 at UAB at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 4:00 p.m. ET 04/17/11 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 p.m. ET 04/22/11 at UTEP * El Paso, Texas 5:00 p.m. ET at UTEP * El Paso, Texas 7:00 p.m. ET El Paso, Texas 3:00 p.m. ET 04/23/11 at UTEP * 04/30/11 vs. Houston * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. Houston * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 05/01/11 vs. Houston * Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 05/07/11 at Longwood Farmville, Va. 12:00 p.m. ET vs. UMBC Farmville, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET 05/08/11 at Longwood Farmville, Va. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/12/11 - 05/14/11 C-USA Tournament - Greenville, N.C. * - denotes Conference Event Purple - denotes home game

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APRIL C

Produced for the ECU Pirate Club by Bonesville Media 675 Beasley Lane Havelock, NC 28532 www.bonesvillemedia.com (252) 349-3280

Top Stories

Pirate Club Executive Director Mark Wharton Pirate Club Assistant Jeanne LeBlanc-Lecce WRITERS Bethany Bradsher Brian Bailey Jeff Charles Ron Cherubini Al Myatt

2011

SPRING FOOTBALL: Q & A with Lincoln Riley — Ron Cherubini

NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES: Hoops Alive — Al Myatt

BASEBALL: Godwin pleased with Pirates’ start on diamond — Brian Bailey

CONNORS: Busy building strength and confidence — Al Myatt

PIRATE HOOPS: New day arrives! — Jeff Charles

On the cover: Senior guard Brock Young (ECU Media Relations photo)

news & Features

GRAPHICS ASSISTANT Samuel Morris MANAGING EDITOR Sara Whitford ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Rich Goldstein (252) 567-5533 PUBLISHER Danny Whitford

THE BRADSHER BEAT: Teamwork in Women’s Golf — Bethany Bradsher

THE TIES THAT BIND: Minges Family’s Impact at ECU Spans the Generations — Al Myatt

OLYMPIC SPORTS ROUNDUP: Spring Sports Report — Bethany Bradsher

PIRATE CLUB NEWS

Right: Freshman Manon Bissat (ECU Media Relations photo)

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APPRECIATION: We extend our sincere gratitude to Tom McClellan and the ECU Media Relations Office staff. They always work professionally in response to our requests for images that make this publication more enjoyable for Pirate Club members.

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3/21/2011 12:00:51 PM

Spring Football: Q&A with Lincoln Riley By Ron Cherubini With spring football upon us, East Carolina fans everywhere are already starting to think about what the 2011 team might look like. Spring is where the veterans can become great and the young players can become good enough to be big contributors in the fall. Last year, the ECU offense sent notice to the nation that it can score and score plenty. So good the offense was, it seemed the only thing really stopping it at times was itself. There will be some notable things to work on this spring with the great Dwayne Harris moving on – most likely – to the NFL, no proven running back, and some holes on the offensive line. Yet, a veteran quarterback and an insanely deep and talented pool of receivers return with a year of knowledge under their belts looking to improve on ECU’s record setting production a year ago. Pirates Offensive Coordinator Lincoln Riley is the man responsible for ensuring that the talent is managed, the holes filled, and the offense improved in the spring. Coach Riley recently took some time to reflect on the upcoming spring practice session and the players the Pirates will have in camp and was kind enough to share those thoughts with us. Cherubini: In general, what are you expectations for spring in your second year? Will things be different this time around? Lincoln Riley: In a lot of ways, things won’t change much in that we will always be fighting to get the players on the field. There may be some potential position changes – moving guys back and forth to get the best players out there. In other ways, things probably will be a little different this time.

Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley (ECU Media Relations photo)

This spring, the guys know what we are doing out there now, so I expect it will be smoother – things like where to go, how we do a particular drill, what we do in any given period, that type of stuff – which should allow us evaluate where we are at and where we should be sooner. That should allow us to start improvement sooner and address how this group is going to emerge from spring. Cherubini: It has been well-documented in the press that even though the offense was record-setting in terms of ECU, you aren’t totally satisfied with what you saw last season. Can you elaborate on that a little bit? Riley: The biggest thing is that we didn’t consistently eliminate the three things that we know hurt drives: turnovers, sacks, and penalties. We have to eliminate those, there is no way around that. We didn’t give up many sacks, but the ones we gave up, hurt drives. We had way too many turnovers in the second half of the season and the penalties…we really stopped ourselves too much. This offense can be much better than that. They were solid, but the bar here is set much higher than that. Cherubini: You have said many times, for all the talent at quarterback, receiver, and running back, the game is won on the offensive line, so can you shed a little light on what you are looking for this spring up front from the guys? Riley: First, getting Doug Polochak back was absolutely huge for us. Last year, we really didn’t know how good he

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was because he had always been injured. Then, he stepped in and played when Corey (Dowless) got dinged up there and played in the Rice and SMU games and played enough for us to see that, really, he was our best lineman down the stretch to the bowl game. When he got in the games, we saw the he had the most knock down blocks. Getting him back is big. We have young guys who are talented, so Doug’s experience and physical presence is huge for us.

as we do, so it is really competitive. A lot of talented guys want to play quarterback for us. We have to be stocked up at the position because there can be only one starter and when you are not the started, you might start to think about if you are going to ever be the guy. You never want to be a transfer away from being weak at the position. Getting the last couple of guys we got was good for us and for each of them. The competition is critical for all of them and we will count on each of them at some point or another.

Cherubini: You mentioned the younger talent on the offensive line and the desire to bring up the physicality on the offensive line, can you expand on that a little more, maybe speaking to individual players some?

Cherubini: It appears we have five talented guys, but can you talk some about one…Dom Davis?

Riley: Sure. You know…Will Simmons is a guy I have said that I wish we had played more. He was arguably the guy who was ready that we didn’t play. We want a more physical line because at times we sort sat in there position blocking too much. The holes are not as a big as we would like. Well, Will is one of those you never have to worry about being intense. He will bring the nastiness and toughness needed inside to play the way we want to play. I am looking forward to seeing Anthony Garrett this spring. He was dinged up and we didn’t get to see what he can really do. He showed some flashes in fall camp before he injured, so we are looking to see if those flashes are what he brings with him all the time. I want to see how Taylor Hudson, who we red shirted works in the rotation. And, we a transfer from Campbell, Adhem Elsawi who is a big, talented kid who came here, paying his own way, to be on this team. He gives us the size we are looking for a t around 6-6, 300 pounds. I want to see how Drew (Gentry) does…really, we know what we have in guys like Grant (Harner) and Dalton (Faulds), so I am really looking forward to seeing the kids who have been in the system now for a year and see if they bring that physical, nastiness we want from them on the field. Cherubini: You mention Faulds. Are you comfortable with the center position right now, given the loss of Will Towery and with what unfolded with Faulds before the bowl game and that he is not likely to be participating in spring? Riley: We have some good options at Center. Mack (Helms) will get a ton of reps in spring and I believe he has a really bright future ahead of him. He is physical, which we like. We have some other guys – of course Doug (Polochak) could play if we needed him there- and Drew Gentry will get a lot of reps, too. We’ll tinker with it. Also, I want see how Hugh Parker (transfer from Wingate) does as well. We’ll give them all a look and then narrow it down. Cherubini: Let’s shift to a position that, in my memory, has never been as healthy in ECU history with five talented guys, well-distributed from rising senior to incoming freshman. Can you talk a little bit about where the position is in terms of what you would like to be the norm at ECU? Riley: Quarterback (position health) was a big thing for me when we first got here because we only had two of them on scholarship. That’s not enough for any offense but definitely not enough for this offense. You know, the rewards in this offense for the quarterback are very high, throwing the football as much

Riley: Sure. Dominique has continued to develop as a leader. When we named him the starter, we didn’t say it to anyone, but at the time we knew he was probably our guy, he was the third-best quarterback on the team, but the very best leader. He is respected by his teammates and the coaches. He needs to continue and do those things even better this time around. But, he is pretty good at that already. From a football perspective, he’s played the position now. I would say, first that he has to work on his footwork and truthfully, watching the cut-ups on him, I have to do a better job of coaching him. Sometimes the fundamentals get neglected and with everything he has done, that is what is going to help him tremendously this spring. And, he knows it…we talk about all the time. Cherubini: It seems like most of the Pirate fans I talk football with were pretty impressed with Brad Wornick in he few opportunities he had last season…everyone seems to think if he were needed more substantially that things would be well in hand. Thoughts on Brad and where he is? Riley: If the fans think that, then the fans are right. Brad played very well last season. Against UAB we dropped two touchdowns on him…we did get the field goal on one of his drives and then in the bowl game, he went in there late and drove us down for a score. Brad has a gamer quality about him. He is not the best practice quarterback that I have been around and we need to help him improve on that this season, but when he gets out there…he’s just a gamer…the fans are right about there not being a drop off. Cherubini: Let’s talk about the receivers. It seems pretty apparent that even with Dwayne Harris heading off to the NFL, that the cupboards are stocked at receiver at East Carolina. Can you talk abut the receiver position in general some? Riley: Well, you’re right. It’s the deepest position, maybe, on the whole team.k Definitely on the offensive side. You know, its going to be hard to play receiver for us this season, it really is. There are going to be guys who played a lot last year, who might not get as much playing time this year…its just that competitive out there. I’m excited. It is going to be interesting to see how it is going to shake out because we have a lot of talented guys who want those spots…there’s just four of them out there at a time. Guys aren’t going to be able to have many bad days out there because there is another guy who will step ahead. It gets to where no one gets in that comfort zone. Every position is one of those with interesting battles. Got a lot of good new blood coming in to challenge the older guys. We do, we have a very good group of receivers. 5

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Cherubini: There has been a lot of talk about Darryl Freeney’s return to the team. It wasn’t long ago that many people saw Freeney as a legitimate NFL-caliber receiver and then, of course, he created a bad situation there for himself and now he is back. From a talent perspective, can you talk about what he brings to table? Riley: When we first came in here, we looked at film on all the guys coming back and from what I could see, Darryl has a lot of ability. I don’t know that he is completely back on the roster, honestly. We really have a program built on trust here and that trust is tough to earn back. From a football perspective, he is like everybody else…it is going to be tough for him to play here. There are a lot of guys who have been out here, who are very good receivers, who are also competing for reps. There is a lot to seen before we talk about what he brings. Cherubini: Fair enough. With Lance Lewis, Mike Bowman, Andrew Bodenheimer, there are a lot of knowns in the group, can you talk a little more about some of the lesser knowns in the receiving corps? Riley: Ahhhh…there are just too many guys to talk about…I don’t want to leave anyone out because they all bring a lot of talent. I guess, this spring, I am really looking forward to seeing how Justin Hardy does…he has shown some bright spots and Justin Jones, too, who has shown us a little of what he can do in games already. We have the kid from Havelock, Danny Webster, in here already and really looks like he already belongs here, so I am excited to see what he can do. All of the guys, Dayon (Ar-

Coach Ruffin McNeill (ECU Media Relations photo)

rington), Joe (Womack)…the young guys like Reese (Wiggins) and Jeremy (Davis)…there are going to be some battles out there because any of these guys can step it up. Cherubini: Feast or famine, right? You have all those receivers, but you come into camp with just the three running backs on the roster. I spoke to Coach (Ruffin) McNeill during recruiting and he was pretty straight forward saying that the staff was recruiting for a starter at running back. Can you expand a little on the running back situation? Riley: The only thing I don’t like about this group we have coming back is that there are only three of them. We did beef up the numbers for the summer and fall, but this is a great opportunity for these three because the other guys won’t be there till summer and fall. So these three will be getting a lot of reps. All of them have ability and have different talents. I feel good about these three guys and is going to be great to see who the best one is this spring. I guess you have to say that (Michael) Dobson who got good reps on special teams and some carries in games comes in as the guy to beat but really it will be a three- man race and none of them can afford to take even one day off. Alex Owah is probably the fastest guy on the team and we were happy we could red shirt him last season…he could easily have been the one getting the reps. And, I am really excited about Damonte (Terry). He has been one of the hardest workers this off-season. We are going to continue to develop these guys.

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3/21/2011 12:00:55 PM

hooPS ALiVE

Retooled Program Earns First Winning Season in 14 years

Notes, Quotes & Anecdotes by Al Myatt

Lebo gives hoops some swagger In his first season at East Carolina, coach Jeff Lebo built unprecedented confidence in the basketball program. The Pirates had a winning season for the first time since 1996-97, set a program record with an 8-8 record in the Conference USA regular season, won their first ever C-USA Tournament game, knocked off the regular season champion in the C-USA quarterfinals and ventured into postseason play for the first time since 1993. The timing couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been better as Lebo has been involved with a fundraising effort to build a $15 million basketball practice facility adjacent to the northeast side of Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. A winning season had been a stated objective from the start. Seniors Brock Young, Jontae Sherrod, Jamar Abrams and Chad Wynn wanted that achievement to be their legacy. The Pirates had lost three straight to drop to 13-13 and appeared to be headed in the wrong direction going into a demanding league stretch when they hosted Texas-El Paso on Feb. 23. Abrams scored 25 points on the Miners and ECU made 35 of 45 free throws on a night in which UTEP coach Tim Floyd and an assistant were both ejected. The Pirates took an 83-76 win and used the triumph as a springboard to win three of their last Coach Jeff Lebo (ECU Media Relations photo) 7

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four regular season games. “We finally beat a team in the upper echelon of our league, which is big,” Lebo said in the aftermath. “It gives us six Conference USA wins, which is big for our kids and our program. We did some nice things tonight; but it was an odd game. I have been around a long time and just when you think you have seen it all something new happens.” The Pirates went on the road and topped Rice 71-68 before returning home to face Memphis on Senior Night. Sherrod scored 28 points and Abrams knocked down some key threes as ECU beat the Tigers for the first time ever by a 68-57 margin. It was a statement game. “It’s unbelievable,” Young said. “I think all of us came together when we were freshmen and said what we want to do is make a change around ECU. It took four long years, but it finally paid off. We stuck together. We held our head high through ups and downs.” Lebo worked at building confidence within the program. ECU’s success inspired external confidence from the fan base. “This was a big one for us,” Lebo said following the Memphis game in Greenville. “I told the kids (Tuesday) I had a good feeling that we could do it. Half the battle is getting your kids to believe they can do it. ... It’s one thing recognizing it and believing it, and it’s another thing believing in it and doing it.” The Pirates may have had a letdown after beating Memphis. ECU shot just 18.5 percent from the floor in the first half of the regular season finale at UAB and fell 66-48 to the Blazers. Spring break at ECU coincided with the week of the C-

Senior guard Brock Young (ECU Media Relations photo)

USA Tournament and Lebo took his team straight from Birmingham to the tournament site in El Paso.

C-USA Tournament The Pirates were matched up with Central Florida in the opening round of the C-USA event at the Don Haskins Center. “It’s tough to beat somebody one time and it’s very tough to beat them twice,” Lebo said. “It’s really, really difficult the third time.” But that’s what ECU did, topping the Golden Knights 75-60 for its third win of the season over UCF as Darrius Morrow scored 18 points and collected 12 rebounds. UCF had been in the Top 25 earlier in the season. That win put the Pirates in the quarterfinals against a rested UAB team that had beaten ECU comfortably just five nights earlier. “Hopefully, we’ll shoot better than 18 percent,” Lebo said. The Pirates shot well enough to stun UAB 75-70 in overtime in the C-USA quarterfinals. Morrow had 22 points and 14 rebounds. Sherrod scored 22 points and Corvonn Gaines added 14. The downside to the UAB win was a knee injury to Young that ended his season and put ECU in a shorthanded situation in the C-USA semifinals against Memphis. Without the point guard, the Sixth Man of the Year in

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C-USA who had been troubled for much of the year with an injury to his left knee, the Tigers advanced to the final with a 7656 win over ECU. “East Carolina is a very good basketball team and I think Coach Lebo has done an absolutely terrific job,” said Memphis coach Josh Pastner. “Brock Young, who was obviously out today, had a tremendous and stellar career for them.” Morrow scored 25 points in the Memphis game and became the first Pirate to make the C-USA All-Tournament team. “I thought Darrius was terrific,” Lebo said. “ ... Certainly the loss of Brock Young was a big factor in the game too. We didn’t have much depth.”

Postseason berth The Pirates’ breakout basketball season was recognized with inclusion in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. ECU hosted Jacksonville from the Atlantic Sun Conference in the first round on March 15. “It’s a very nice reward for a special season and our team is excited to continue playing,” Lebo said. “The Pirate Nation has created a significant home court advantage for us all year long and we are ecstatic to be playing in front of them at least once more. We are looking forward to them creating another great environment for us.”

Baseball nonconference scheduling approach Some of the most meaningful games to the fan base in baseball are nonconference matchups. Conference USA sets up the league schedule of course but coach Billy Godwin puts together ECU’s nonconference schedule. “First of all in our nonconference schedule, we make an attempt to play people that will prepare us for our very rigorous Conference USA schedule,” Godwin said. “We brought a team in off the West Coast (Pepperdine), that’s a nationally-recognized team for a homestand. We went on the road against a Top 10 team (Virgnia) that’s a regional team.” The Pirates welcomed Monmouth, Rutgers and Liberty for the Keith LeClair Classic at Clark-LeClair Stadium on the weekend of March 11-13. “Monmouth is a team that’s in and out of the regionals,” Godwin said. “Rutgers is a team that has had a very good program, year in and year out. A few years ago, they had a first rounder out of there.” Scarlet Knights assistant coach Bobby Brownlie was a first-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs in 2002 after pitching at Rutgers. “We try to make the most challenging schedule that we can,” Godwin said. “Certainly, our midweeks are tremendously challenging because there are so many good programs in our

Junior forward Darrius Morrow (ECU Media Relations photo)

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state. ... We’re in a good situation because we’re in a rich baseball area from a college perspective.” The Pirates were scheduled to open Conference USA play at home against Memphis with a series March 25-27. Remaining games against in-state programs included included a trip to UNC Wilmington on March 29, a home date with Elon on March 30, a matchup with N.C. State in Raleigh on April 5 and a visit to North Carolina on April 12. The Pirates were scheduled to host UNC Wilmington on April 19 and the Tar Heels on April 27. Wake Forest and ECU have a game at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, home of the Carolina Mudcats, on May 11.

Academic achievers The time spent traveling, practicing and playing during baseball season requires the Pirate players to manage their aca-

demic responsibilities judiciously. The coaching staff takes measures to encourage academic performance. “First of all, they’re in study hall four nights a week,” Godwin said. “If games interfere with that, their study hall is changed to a daytime study hall. That probably involves about 10 guys. That’s all of our freshmen and some of the ones who we feel need it so it’s not every guy on the team. I think that helps. “The guys who have shown us — the older guys who are independent and are good students — we let them be independent and continue to be good students. One thing we do is every Friday we have them do a self evaluation, academic update. It’s really to check class attendance, estimated grade, next assignment and what they’re doing. Our staff, every week, knows exactly what’s going on in every class with that student athlete. We’ve found that to be very beneficial.” Godwin said the baseball program had a 2.98 grade point average for the fall semester. “We had 20 guys make a 3.0 or better in the fall, which was a record,” said the Pirates coach. “That 2.98 was our highest GPA as a team.”

Roszel getting results Dan Roszel was off to a good start as first-year pitching coach of the Pirates. The staff earned run average was 1.87 through the first 15 games, which had helped ECU to an 11-4 start. “Coach Roszel has brought energy and passion to our pitching staff,” Godwin said. “His philosophy is very similar to mine. We want to attack and try to get a guy to make an out in the first three pitches of the at-bat. That’s the mentality that we take out there. “I think his passion and teaching has really benefitted our pitching staff. He’s doing an outstanding job.”

Simmons delivers from pen

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ECU closer Seth Simmons made an early appearance at Campbell on March 8, taking the mound in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and none out. The senior right-hander stopped the threat with three strikeouts and the Pirates eventually won 3-2 on Philip Clark’s RBI double in the ninth. “The average fan may go, ‘You brought him in in the seventh. He’s usually an eighth or ninth inning guy,’ “ Godwin said. “Sometmes the game is saved or won in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning. I felt like in that

Senior pitcher Seth Simmons (ECU Media Relations archive photo) 10

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situation with the bases loaded he’s our best guy out of the bullpen to get a punchout. “I’m not saying I was looking for all that. I was maybe looking for punchout, punchout, ground ball or punchout, ground ball double play. I saw him do that one other time here in his freshman year against The Citadel. “That was just a huge lift for us. He has one of the best breaking balls I’ve ever seen. When it’s on, it’s special and it was certainly on at Campbell.”

Rainy day adjustments Baseball is an outdoor game of course and is subject to adjustments for unsuitable weather. Games can be rescheduled and the Pirates have facilities that allow them to work out even when they can’t go outside. “We’re blessed that we do have an indoor facility,” Godwin said. “We have two full-length batting tunnels where we’re able to get as many swings as we want to get on a day when the weather’s not good. “We also have indoor mounds that we can throw bullpen. The thing that makes it tough is the team defense stuff, the ground balls and things of that nature.” ECU was faced with the prospect of inside workouts the day before the LeClair Classic. “We had played five games in six days,” Godwin said. “I don’t think taking a step back from throwing every day is a big deal. Our Thursday practices are generally a very light workout. ... They’re more just kind of like tune up and get our guys to work

First-year pitching coach Dan Roszel (ECU Media Relations photo)

on some things that they need work on individually and just prepare for the weekend.”

C-USA Tournament format The field for the Conference USA baseball tournament will expand to eight teams this year. There will be two pools of four teams each. Every team in each pool will play each team in its pool and the two pool winners will meet for the tournament championship. “The format two years ago was a standard double-elimination but there were two separate brackets,” Godwin said. “You had to win your bracket of four but it was double elimination within that bracket. “Last year we had six teams and there were some loopholes so to speak.” In 2010, the C-USA tournament teams played one game against a team in the other three-team bracket that didn’t affect their record in their own pool. The record within the pool determined who advanced to the championship game. “Every game didn’t mean something,” Godwin said. “That was a nontraditional year. Conference USA usually has four or five teams vying for a postseason bid but last year going into the conference tournament the only team that looked like a lock for the NCAA Tournament was Rice. “You saw teams start to manipulate their pitching for their pool games.” 11

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The first, eighth, fourth and fifth seeds will comprise one bracket, according to coach Godwin. He said the second, third, sixth and seventh seeds will be in the other bracket. One team will not make the tournament. Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso and Tulsa do not have baseball programs among the 12 members of C-USA. “One thing I do like about this year’s format as opposed to the eight-team format two years ago is that you were only guaranteed two games in the double-elimination format,” Godwin said. “Now you’re guaranteed three games in pool play. “The team with the best record coming out of each pool will then play a winner-take-all Conference USA championship game. Every game is within the pool so it matters. There’s no cross pool games.” The league baseball tournament is May 25-29 at Trustmark Park in Pearl, MS. The structure opened in 2005, has a capacity of 8,480 and is the home of the Mississippi Braves, the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. It’s dimensions are 330 feet down the left field line, 402 feet to center field and 332 feet down the right field line. C-USA has an agreement to play the tournament at Trustmark Park for the next three years.

LeClair event a time to remember The Keith LeClair Classic is played in memory of the former Pirates coach who passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2006. “It’s an event that we are extremely proud of and look

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forward to because of the significance of the name of the tournament and what Coach LeClair meant not only to this program but to this university and this community,” Godwin said. “It’s a special time to really honor Keith’s memory and his family. I know Lynn (LeClair’s wife) and the kids will be in (from South Carolina) as they always are. We look forward to catching up with them and seeing how they’re doing. “It’s just a special event because of the magnitude of what he meant to this program.”

Pirate potential A talented recruiting class that has gotten an opportunity to contribute early has given Godwin a variety of lineup options and created optimism about ECU potential in 2011. “I like this team,” said the ECU skipper. “I like the grits, so to speak, of this team. I think we still have our best baseball to play. I don’t think we’ve really hit on all cylinders yet. Our pitching has been very good. I think we’ve showed signs of playing great defense and our offense is startng to come around. I think when we can get all of those things clicking, it could be special but I don’t feel like we’re there yet. “We knew that going into the year, we were going to have a different type of offensive club. We needed to give some guys experience. We’re playing a lot of different guys but I see promising things coming along.” Read more from Al Myatt at Bonesville.net.

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Diamond Pirates Striving for Excellence

The Inside Slant by Brian Bailey East Carolina was a winner in eleven of the club’s first fifteen games this season. It’s a good start, especially when the stats show that the Pirate hitters started like the February weather. If the cool bats heat up with spring, Godwin and company should be in line for another post-season berth. “I’m encouraged,” said Godwin. “We’re 11-4. We’ve won some close games and that shows a lot of character from our kids. The whole season is a work in progress. We still have to get a lot better in certain areas. Our kids are committed to that. That’s what excites me the most. Our kids aren’t satisfied on where we are at. They are hungry to get better. Our coaching staff is too.” On the mound the Pirates have been lights out to date. The pitching on this team was expected to be a strength. It really has been much more than that. Through 15 games the Pirates had a staff ERA of 1.87. Among the weekend starters, Mike Wright had the best ERA at a miniscule 1.48. Seth Maness, the Pirate ace and Friday night starter, checked in at 2.39.

Above: Senior pitcher Brad Mincey (ECU Media Relations photo)

The Pirate’s bullpen has also been outstanding, led by Brad Mincey and Seth Simmons. Mincey has been stellar out of the pen with long outings. He has pitched 18.2 innings in relief, giving up just one earned run. Simmons has three saves and has yet to give up an earned run. He has 14 strikeouts in nine innings of work. “I’m really excited about what our pitching staff has done through the first fifteen games,” said Godwin. “When you look at ERA, that’s just a statistic. I’m more excited about the process and how guys have developed and what they are doing. Sometimes stats can be deceiving. It’s the process of pitching, how they are attacking the zone and I’ve been really impressed.” At the plate Corey Thompson is the Pirate’s leader after 15 games, hitting a team high .404. Thompson has 21 hits, including six doubles and a team high 10 RBI. Trent Whitehead has heated up of late. Whitehead has his average up to .290 after 15 games. Most of that came in the week of the Keith LeClair Classic when he hit .381 with three doubles and four RBI. He had three hits in games against High Point and Monmouth that week. Godwin knows that the Pirates are 11-4 despite the team’s offensive production. “We just have yet to put it all together for sure,” said Godwin. “We haven’t gotten all the guys to connect on all cylin13

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ders together so far, and we’re still 11-4.” Godwin cited a recent Monday as a prime example of how the team continues to strive to improve. Monday is usually an off day, but the Pirate hitters were in early working on their own. The Pirate coaches are also concentrating on the offense. “One of the things we’re doing is that we are watching all of their at bats on video,” Godwin explained. “We’re trying to look at some things, critique some areas and really see where we are at.” It may not all be fundamentals. Hitting is as much a mind game as anything, especially when a hitter is struggling. “I really think it comes down to approach (at the plate). I think we need to be more aggressive. I think we are taking too many pitches early in the count.” The goal every year at East Carolina is a trip to Omaha. Through 15 games, that goal is very much a part of the Pirate’s everyday thought process. “These guys believe they can win and that they can win at a higher level. We’ve beaten Virginia on the road and we had a close game with them. We beat Pepperdine in two out of three games. Our players know that we are just a tick off from doing all three phases, pitching, defense and offensive production from really being a special club.” Right: Coach Billy Godwin (ECU Media Relations photo)

Read more from Brian Bailey at Bonesville.net.

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Connors busy building speed, strength and confidence By Al Myatt Jeff Connors hit the ground running when he returned to East Carolina as assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning in January. Connors went to work determining the needs of the football players in the Pirate program. “I had about one month with these guys previous to spring break,” Connors said. “I thought the work ethic was excellent. The program was very well received. We’ve been trying to do a lot of things with regard to football position specifics, trying to test and evaluate this team to find out where we are and where we need to go.” One of Connors’ early reads was the need for more power in the trenches. “We’ve basically been trying to work on foundational strength, which I think is needed at this time and particularly up front on both sides of the ball,” Connors said. Team speed would appear to be an asset. “We’ve found through our testing that we have a respectable level of team speed, particularly throughout the skill kids — which I was encouraged about,” he said. Connors, who shaped the Pirate football program from 1991 to 2000 in virtually the same capacity, has been trying to determine what the abilities of the players are in order to find out where they need to go. “It’s been an assessment process,” said the strength guru. “It’s been a process of defining what we need right now to make sure we’re doing everything we can with the team we have to be the best football team we can put on the field in September. “It’s been something of a contingency approach. You basically prescribe your program contingent upon what the needs are for that particular group of athletes. That’s what I’ve been trying to do basically.” The Pirates were scheduled to start spring practice on March 21. The spring game was scheduled for April 16. “We’re kind of chomping at the bit to see spring practice to find out more about what these guys need as football players, which can be more readily defined after we see them play the game of football,” Connors said. “But I am very encouraged about the way they have been working. I think that they are very eager to do whatever it takes to get better and be successful.” Improving a defense that ranked 120th and last in average yards allowed per game (478.77) in the Football Bowl Subdi-

Strength and conditioning guru Jeff Connors (ECU Media Relations photo)

vision has been an offseason priority. “We had a competition at the end of our winter conditioning,” Connors said. “It lasted about a week. It’s referred to as, ‘Manuevers,’ here. I was able to implement some of the things I do within that program. At the end of the week, we had a competition between the defense and the offense. “The defense won, which is good for the defense because I think at this point the defense needs some confidence going into spring ball.” Helping develop confidence is another area in which Connors sees an opportunity to be of value. “That’s another thing that we want to do,” he said “We want to try to really uplift these guys as much as we can and point out the positives so that they can become confident.” The spring sessions will be a proving time for the players and a learning situation for the new/old strength coach. “Spring ball will be a very competitive time for offense and defense,” Connors said. “We can define more of what we need to do this summer based on what we see in spring ball. Obviously, we have to have a very high level of conditioning, which is something I’ve always believed in. When you look at the nature of what we do and the fact that not only do we have a high tempo offense but a lot of times your defense is frequently on the field without a whole lot of rest. “It’s going to be very important that we stay healthy. The injury prevention aspect of what we do in our training is going to be very important.” 15

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Connors is right at home in the strength and conditioning facility on the first floor of the Murphy Center (ECU Media Relations photo)

Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill isn’t planning a redshirt season for anyone in the incoming recruiting class at this point. Everyone in the program will have the opportunity to contend for playing time. Connors is looking forward to seeing what kind of potential the new group of Pirates will have. “I’m also very anxious to get the signees in here to see who can contribute this year because I think depth, particularly on defense, is going to be something that we’re going to need as well,” Connors said. Strength and speed should provide the potential for effective play outside the box. “I have been encouraged by the test results of a lot of the skill players,” Connors said. “I also like some of the physical attributes of our linebackers as well. I think the place that we have to develop physically the most is going to be up front.”

our change of direction, and everything we do with plyometric training right here in this facility. “It’s actually a much better situation than I just came from with regard to training a football team. I’m excited about that. We’re also putting some new surfaces in here and doing some upgrades that I think are going to be excellent as well. “I’m definitely very excited about what I can do because what I do in my program is very readily facilitated here with the way this thing is laid out.” Connors likes the view. “I can’t even tell you how good it feels to be sitting here in this office, looking out through this glass window at this cannon in front of my office,” he said. “Looking down a little further at the Boneyard and how the stadium is closed in now — it’s just really an exciting time.”

At home in Murphy Center

Connors to join Pennsylvania hall

Connors helped design the physical development facility on the first floor of the Murphy Center at the West end of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in which he now works. He spent the previous 10 years as an assistant AD at North Carolina in strength and conditioning. “This is like a dream for me to be able to come back to this facility,” Connors said. “I’m just excited to be back in a facility where I can do multiple types of training without having to travel and waste time. We can do our linear speed development,

The Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame has selected Connors among a group to be inducted during ceremonies on Friday, June 10. Connors, who had a stellar career at Salem (W. Va.) College, will join five others as football entries in the 26th class of the chapter. Connors’ honor will coincide with the 15h anniversary of the induction of his father and former high school coach, William D. Connors, into the same Hall.

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New Day Arrives!

A Visit with “The Voice” by Jeff Charles

I’ve seen more Pirate basketball games than any human being on the planet the last twenty-three years. That doesn’t mean anything, but the numbers don’t lie. It’s somewhere around six hundred fifty games. That’s a bunch of games, and a bunch of losses, so when you see just a ray of sunshine, you grab it, and savor the moment. This past season gives everyone in the Pirate Nation so much needed hope. East Carolina can compete in Conference USA and win games. There’s a long way to go, but finally there is at least one building block. Years from now we may look back at these four seniors, and the coach who got the Pirates rolling on the right track. Brock Young – The Pirate point guard from Raleigh was an All Conference USA performer who concluded his career as ECU’s all time assists leader and all time free throws made leader. Brock was also a 1,000 point scorer. He matured his senior season and became a much smarter player. A troublesome

Lebo and seniors inject winning into ECU’s hoops culture Senior guard Jamar Abrams (ECU Media Relations photo)

knee curtailed his minutes and he even lost his starting job. He never pouted and embraced his role off the bench. It will seem strange not to see him on the court next season. He’s been that kind of a fixture. Jamar Abrams – What a gifted athlete and what a great kid. The Richmond, Va. native was somewhat of an enigma throughout his career, but he saved the best for last. The best leaper I’ve ever seen in the Purple and Gold; his dunks were ESPN Sportscenter material. A 1,000 point career scorer, he’ll be missed on the floor and off. Jontae Sherrod – It’s always great when a local kid has an outstanding ECU career. The Tarboro native had a terrific senior season leading the Pirates in scoring. He’s a success story; coaching staffs stayed with him and he stayed with the program when times were rocky. Patience paid off on both parts. No one could have predicted the terrific senior season he had. Chad Wynn – All his coaches talk fondly of Chad. A fifth year senior he could have said “I’ve had enough.” He didn’t though, and he came back to be a part of a special season. He had his moments, like the twenty-one points he scored against Rice. A “gentle giant” and really good guy, he’ll be successful in life. Jeff Lebo – The coach who engineered the turnaround. He’ll also be the first one to tell you that is going to be a long journey. Situations don’t change overnight, and there will be many bumps in the road in the future. He’ll stay the course; he’s 17

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a plugger, never too high, never too low. The man knows basketball, and he has a great demeanor with his players. He’ll do it the right way too with good kids. He gets it, and is at that right age where the hunger is still there coupled with years of experience. Everyone likes Jeff. He’s a good guy. No ego, no agendas, a small town guy, the son of a high school coach who’s well grounded with a great family. This guy has a chance to be successful where so many others have failed. Next year the Pirates will have a new look. There could be as many as six new players. The foundation is being laid and it finally has some real substance. We look forward to opening that paint can on a more regular basis in the future. Till next time, keep painting ‘em purple!”

Clockwise from top right: Senior center Chad Wynn, senior guard Jontae Sherrod, Coach Jeff Lebo and senior guard/forward Jamar Abrams (ECU Media Relations photos)

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Teamwork Pays Off for Women’s Golf

The Bradsher Beat by Bethany Bradsher

Golf may be chiefly an individual sport, but ECU women’s golf coach Kevin Williams knows that his team wouldn’t be thriving this season if they relied on any one individual. His golfers have stayed on the national radar and pulled off accomplishments like the first-place trophy in the Barefoot at the Beach Challenge in Myrtle Beach in early March by acting like a team, with different players stepping up during every competition. “Probably the biggest thing is everybody’s contributing,” said Colleen Estes, one of the team’s two seniors. “If one person doesn’t have their A game, then the other person might bring their A game. I think just all around everything’s coming together nicely.” At their first tournament of the spring season, the UCF Challenge in Orlando, senior Amber Littman shined the brightest, finishing tied for 16th after shooting a 2-over 72 in the final round. But her teammates faltered in the event, and ECU ended

Senior golfer Colleen Estes (ECU Media Relations photo)

up 14th place out of 17 teams. The Pirates next appeared at the Kinderlou Forest Challenge in Valdosta, Ga., and this time it was Estes who stepped up, shooting a three-round total of 228 for 13th place. ECU made a better showing, too, finishing in 5th place. Next came Barefoot at the Beach, and the golfer of the weekend was Fanny Wolte, a freshman from Graz, Austria who made herself memorable by shooting 214 over three rounds and winning first place in the event. Wolte’s championship was aided by her 69 in the first round, which was the lowest score of the tournament. With strong performances from Estes, who finished tied for 6th, and Littman, who was 16th, Wolte led the Lady Pirates to their first tournament title of the season. The Pirates won out over 15 other teams, and Wolte was the top golfer in a field of 84. ECU prevailed against teams like Wisconsin, College of Charleston and East Tennessee State. Wolte did particularly well in the tournament, Williams said, because it was played on bent grass, which is the surface she is accustomed to. Most of the tournaments this season so far have taken place on Bermuda grass, and Williams is working with Wolte to help her make that adjustment more easily. Her win in Myrtle Beach earned her Conference USA Golfer of the Week, with fellow Pirate Harold Varner winning the same honor for the men that week. “This tournament is on bent grass, and she was a different person,” Williams said. “The rest are on Bermuda and she 19

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has to learn. She has to get better faster on that surface, but she is very capable.” Williams said that his team did the job it came to Myrtle Beach to do, since ECU, at 51st in the country, was ranked higher than the other teams in the field. “We held serve, so to speak,” he said. “We were supposed to win, but we were closely ranked with some of the other teams. We’re inside the bubble right now, but those teams are on the bubble and you need to beat those teams.” The Pirates went from Myrtle Beach to the JMU Eagle Landing Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla., which will be followed by a three-week break, a tournament at UNC-Wilmington and then the Conference USA Tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala. If they can maintain or better their ranking through those events, Williams said, they have an excellent shot of qualifying for an NCAA Regional spot. Seventy-two teams make the cut, he said, and rarely do teams ranked higher than 60 make it unless they win their conference tournaments. If they qualify for the NCAA Regional in late April it will be the Pirates’ ninth straight appearance at that level. But for Estes and Littman especially, hopes are high that this could be the year they advance to the NCAA Championship, an honor the seniors have never earned. That achievement would be possible if each of the women puts together a top performance at the same time, peaking as a team in time for the C-USA tournament. Right: Senior Amber Littman; Below: Austrian native, freshman Fanny Wolte (ECU Media Relations photo)

Read more from Bethany Bradsher at Bonesville.net.

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The Ties That Bind

From ECTC to the 21st Century, Minges Family’s Impact at ECU Spans the Generations By Al Myatt In the days of East Carolina Teachers College, the story has it that a furnace went out in one of the buildings and there was no money in the budget to fix it. M.O. Minges, who started the Orange Crush Bottling Company with his brother, L.L. Minges, in Greenville in 1923 after moving his family East from Statesville, had the furnace replaced. So began a tradition of support of East Carolina by the Minges family. Minges Bottling Group, which is based in Ayden and distributes Pepsi products in 13 counties in Eastern North Carolina, recently continued the family tradition by pledging $500,000 to the “Step Up to the Highest Level” campaign, which is funding the construction of a basketball practice facility to be built on the northeast side of Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. Jeff Minges is President and Chief Executive Officer of the bottling company. His first cousin, Tom Minges, is Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Board. Tom’s father was Dr. Ray Minges and Jeff is the son of Hoyt Minges. Ray and Hoyt were brothers among six siblings in the second generation of M. O. Minges’ family. Dr. Minges was team physician for the Pirates during the Clarence Stasavich football coaching era and also served as President of the Century Club, the forerunner of the organization

President and CEO of Minges Bottling Company Jeff Minges (left) and his cousin, CFO and Chairman of the Board Tom Minges (right) (Submitted photo)

that has evolved into the Pirate Club. Dr. Ray Minges and his brother, Jack, who used to run the Greenville Pepsi plant, were each lifetime members of the Pirate Club. “The family and the company have supported the university really since we’ve been here,” said Tom Minges, a 1976 graduate of ECU. Pepsi-Cola, of course, was originally developed by New Bern pharmacist Caleb Bradham in 1898 and was franchised in 24 states by the early 20th century. In 1935, M.O. Minges purchased the rights to sell PepsiCola in 13 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The area included Craven County, where Pepsi-Cola was born in New Bern. “He was offered a franchise for Pepsi and bought it with a very small amount of money,” said Jeff Minges. “We’ve been in the business ever since then, doing well, and trying to reinvest in the community.” Accounts vary as to the amount of the franchise fee that M.O. Minges paid. The figure ranges from $1,300 to $2,000, according to the Minges cousins. “We really don’t know,” said Tom Minges. “That goes back to legend.” It’s safe to say that there has been a substantial return on the initial investment. 21

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In 1955, the company was divided into three franchises under the direction of sons of M.O. Minges. Forrest Minges ran the New Bern operation. Hoyt Minges supervised in Kinston and John F. (Jack) Minges was in charge in Greenville. That trio of brothers, as well as Dr. Ray Minges, Max Minges in Greenville and Martha Minges Bass of Farmville made the gift of $25,000 in the late 1960s that resulted in the naming of Minges Coliseum for the family. “It was the largest single family gift at that time,” noted Jeff Minges. Minges Coliseum opened in 1968. The separate Pepsi franchises in Greenville, Kinston and New Bern were consolidated into Minges Bottling Group in 2001. Minges Bottling serves the metropolitan areas of Greenville, Jacksonville, Kinston, Morehead City, New Bern and Washington in its operations today. Now, the Minges family is involved in financial support for another facility that will promote basketball. “When they came to see us several months ago, we gathered our board together and everybody was unified on that,” said Jeff Minges. “We all agreed we wanted to participate. Based on what they were telling us, I could surely understand why they needed it. “They told us how the team had to share facilities with volleyball ... and situations like that. We knew that was important and we also believe in Jeff Lebo (basketball coach). “We felt like it will be a wonderful opportunity to help him recruit. They were sincere and we knew it was in the best interests of the university to have that facility. We all agreed unani-

mously to make the contribution.” The pledge from Minges Bottling Group is especially gracious considering that ECU recently awarded serving rights on campus to another soft drink company. “Regardless of whether we sell product on the university itself, we’re Pirate supporters, Pirate fans,” said Tom Minges. “There are a lot of supporters and fans that drink our product. The only change is that you just can’t buy it on campus now.” “It wasn’t predicated on that when we made the pledge,” said Jeff Minges. “When we made the pledge, we knew the bid hadn’t been decided,” said Tom Minges. “We knew regardless of the outcome of the bid, we were going to make the pledge. We just felt it was the right thing to do. We’ll continue to support the Pirates.” The Minges family has been unconditional in its support of East Carolina for decades, going back to that furnace at ECTC. “We were disappointed, obviously,” said Jeff Minges. “But in this corporate environment and business world, this is kind of the way things roll out now. It was disappointing for us not to have Pepsi on campus but we understand the decision and we believe in the university. We believe in what the long term goal is for the university.” “We’ll be back in 10 years,” said Tom Minges of the campus rights. Minges Bottling supported the construction of ClarkLeClair Stadium as well as many other projects that have advanced facilities and programs at ECU. The Minges family was involved in raising money to build the original Ficklen Stadium in the early 1960s as well as various expansions of the football structure. When East Carolina celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007, Minges Bottling put out a special can commemorating the occasion. “Embracing a New Century of Service,” was the theme. “We wanted to make sure we were aligned with that and we were proud to be associated with East Carolina,” said Jeff Minges. “There were millions of those images produced all over Eastern North Carolina. ... We had to go through loops to make that work with Pepsi-Cola. They’re very proud of their logo and they don’t like to do a lot of redesign work on their product can images.” The progress of the basketball program under Lebo’s leadership has served as validation for the most recent commitment of support from the Minges family. The Pirates set a program record by going 8-8 in Conference USA during the 2010-11 regular season. “We’re doing so much better and we look so much better,” said Tom Minges. “I think this facility is going to help him recruit the kind of players we need to get to the next level. “We’ve got a great arena. If we get people in there, we match up with any other homecourt advantage in the conference and the surrounding area. ... People put their best foot forward when they come to see you but Jeff really impressed us. He’s very sincere and I really believe he’s the man for the job. ... Basketball has always been the one sport we haven’t been able to get any traction in. Hopefully, this practice facility will help change that.”

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3/21/2011 12:01:37 PM

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3/21/2011 2:40:48 PM

O l y m p i c

S p o r t s

R o u n d u p

Spring Sports Report By Bethany Bradsher The athletic happenings on the East Carolina campus seem to be as plentiful these days as the spring trees blooming along the Greenville roads. After the relative wilderness of the winter sports season, the spring slate is a welcome feast. Some highlights:

Softball The softball team didn’t even have to be inside their state-of-the-art stadium to play with confidence in the early weeks of the season, traveling to Arizona for the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational and going 4-1 against West Coast opponents. The road trip gave the Lady Pirates a record of 16-5 leading up to a trip to Maryland and a six-game home stand in the stadium that opened on Feb. 24

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Above: Freshman infielder Kristi Oshiro (ECU Media Relations photo)

Most of the familiar names from last year’s lineup graduated in May, but a handful of freshmen and a junior with local roots have led the way on offense during ECU’s opening month. Junior outfielder Suzanne Riggs, a graduate of D.H. Conley High School, had six games with multiple hits and five games with multiple RBIs through March 7, and freshmen Kristi Oshiro is leading the team in hits, with 24, and had compiled a batting average of .381. Another freshman, Jordan Lewis, had 19 hits including two home runs and four doubles. On the mound, Toni Paisley has been the force she was predicted to be, winning 11 games in the first month, but Faith Sutton has also found a way to win repeatedly, taking five consecutive victories through February and early March.

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Swimming and Diving

Men’s golf

The Lady Pirate swimming and diving team took second place at the Conference USA championship meet in Houston in late February, propelled by a pair of first-place finishes from senior Jenna Stewart. Stewart won individual conference titles in both the 50-yard and the 100-yard freestyle in the meet, and her 100-meter time of 49.73 broke her own record and qualified her for the NCAA meet in mid-March. On the men’s side, freshman Attila Kiraly became the first Pirate ever to win the C-USA title in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 3:53.46, and his efforts helped the Pirates finish third overall in the conference, behind Hawaii and SMU.

The men’s golf team made an impression at the Seahawk Invitational at UNC-Wilmington in late February, finishing third overall and landing three individual golfers in the top 20. Junior Harold Varner shot a five-over 221 in the event to finish 11th overall, trailed closely by David Watkins, who earned 12th place in the tournament, and Zach Edmonson, who finished tied for 18th.

Women’s Tennis The women’s tennis team tore into March on a hot streak, sweeping UNC-Asheville 6-0 for its fifth straight victory and its tenth dual-meet win of the season. Pacing the Lady Pirates (10-2) are players like Manon Bissat and Natalie Collins, who were 7-1 and 7-3 after the UNCA victory, and Petra Vogel and Neena Wanko, who had both earned records of 8-3 through that point. The women’s dual and tri-meet season continues through April 12, and the Conference USA championships open on April 21 in Orlando.

Track and Field Four members of the ECU indoor track and field team captured individual event titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships in late February. Winning their respective events were sophomore Drew Kanz in the high jump with a jump of 6.11 meters, junior Dennis Aliotta in the shot put with an ECU-record throw of 17.81 meters, junior Aiesha Goggins with a C-USA Indoor record in the 400-meter run of 54.15 and sophomore Austin Lewis, who won the 60-meter dash by just one one-hundredth of a second, breaking the tape in 6.74.