Education Job Fair to be held on March 26th
East Carolina University’s Education Job Fair will be held from 9:30am to 12pm on March 26th at The Greenville Convention Center bringing various career opportunities for pirates.
The Spring Education Career Fair is organized to advise students who are pursuing careers in the field of education by networking with individuals already in the industry. ECU Career services, employee relations team, career development, and the college of education all work to make this event possible.
Associate Director of Career Development, Crystal Howard, said there will be a little over 100 educational vendors at the fair,
and the most important benefit students will get out of this event is networking. She said they are coming from different school systems all over North Carolina as well as the surrounding states.
She said the purpose of this fair is to give graduating students in The College of Education an opportunity to talk with employers and see what careers are available to them.
“The whole purpose is for them to be able to network and find internship opportunities as well as full time or part time jobs,” said Howard.
Howard said all students in The College
of Education find many opportunities at this fair regardless of whether they're new freshmen or graduating Seniors. She said this career fair helps seniors looking for a job, but also underclassmen unsure of pursuing this field. “It's an informative event for underclassmen, but for upperclassmen it's more of an opportunity,” she said.
She said it's a unique chance for pirates to gain career confidence by asking and learning about the vendors' jobs. “It's giving them the real world experience and opportunity in being able to network with several different educational vendors, hopefully finding a job,” she said.
Howard said she has seen students come in their freshman year and continue to return every year giving them higher chances of
finding employment after graduation. She said this allows the employer to get to know the students and see them grow. “We’ve seen several instances where they come to the job fair and because they were consistent they actually ended up getting an offer of employment,” she said
In addition to the vendors, Howard said there will be educational workshops. She said one will be about budgeting on a teacher's salary and another on support for beginning teachers. So, pirates are sure to benefit from attending this event in one way or another.
A plane crash near Pitt-Greenville Airport on Friday, March 14, claimed the lives of two people.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a Beechcraft Bonanza crashed around 7:50 a.m. in the area of Consolidated Pipe on North Greene Street.
On Sunday, March 16, Padgett and Associates shared a post on Facebook revealing the two victims to be Dr. Mark Bowman and his wife, Robin.
The post said “Dr. Bowman blessed our practice with over 30 years of dentistry and nurtured many relationships over those years. His work was admirable, and he was so much more than a dentist to all that were blessed to know him.”
Rico Stephens, Public Information Officer for North Carolina State Highway Patrol, said both individuals were found at the scene, during a press conference.
Stephens said “Everyone near the crash area is accounted for and no one else was hurt during the crash.”
Stephens said the Highway Patrol has the primary responsibility of the investigation and both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are conducting investigations into the cause of the crash.
According to FlightRadar24 tracking, the plane was listed as heading to Vero Beach.
The FAA said the plane was registered to Carolina Contrails LLC in Pine Knoll Shores and the airplane was destroyed in a crash just minutes after departing from runway 2 at Pitt-Greenville Airport.
East Carolina University Women’s Basketball team (17-15, 8-10 American Athletic Conference) suffered a season ending defeat at the AAC tournament last Monday.
After a victory in the opening round against the University of Memphis Tigers (7-23, 5-13 AAC), the Pirates had to face the number two seed in the tournament, the North Texas Mean Green (24-7, 15-3 AAC). Junior forward Amiya Joyner led the Pirates with 18 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes played.
The first quarter of the game saw very few shots go through the net as ECU made just three shots on 17 attempts while the Mean Green made four on 18 attempts. With just over three minutes left in the first quarter,
North Texas took an 8-7 lead and would lockdown the Lady Pirates for the remainder of the quarter, holding them to one point for the remainder of the frame. The Mean Green would head to the second quarter with a 13-8 lead.
ECU opened the second with the first four points to make it a one point game. The quarter continued as a back-and-forth battle that included one tie and five lead changes. Both teams improved their field goal percentage with the Pirates shooting 53% from the field in the quarter. That was enough to give the Lady Pirates a 25-22 lead heading to the locker rooms.
The third quarter was dominated by North Texas on both sides of the ball. They outscored ECU 23-12 in the quarter with a 9-0 run in a three minute span which gave them a 37-31 lead. The teams would take jabs at each other for the remainder of the quarter and head to the fourth with ECU in an eight point deficit.
The fourth was the highest scoring quarter of the game with the teams combining for 45 points. The Lady Pirates came out hot and cut the lead to two points three minutes into the quarter. North Texas was able to settle down and stop the Pirates scoring outburst while making baskets on the other end of the floor. North Texas were able to grow their lead to 15 points with 3:41 remaining in the game and ECU was not able to overcome the deficit. The Mean Green went on to win 69-58 and end the Lady Pirates season.
East Carolina heads into the offseason after a subpar season compared to previous years. With star All-Conference first teamer Amiya Joyner coming back for her senior season, the Lady Pirates will have high aspirations for a great 2025-2026 campaign.
Crystal Howard Amiya Joyner
ECU honors leaders in research and innovation
East Carolina University celebrated over 70 scholars, researchers, and innovators at the Research and Scholarship Awards Ceremony on March 4, 2025. Chancellor Philip Rogers highlighted ECU's recent achievement of R1 status, which now places ECU in the top 5% of research institutions nationwide.
Some awards included the Lifetime Achievement Award for Dr. Joseph Houmard, who is a leader in exercise physiology, and the 5-Year Research Achievement Award for Dr. Rachel Gittman, a coastal resilience expert. The ceremony celebrated ECU’s role in driving regional economic growth, fostering innovation, and advancing global research solutions.
ECU researchers record glacial melt in Antarctica
Putin limits attacks but refuses to ceasefire BRIEFS
Researchers from East Carolina University are investigating glacial melt in Antarctica to better understand climate change’s effects on polar regions. Tristan Bench, who is a postdoctoral researcher, and Dr. Regina DeWitt, a professor of physics, spent 40 days in Antarctica conducting fieldwork to track glacial melt fluctuations.
Their research focuses on past climate patterns to predict future glacial behavior and assess flood risks and freshwater availability. The Dry Valleys, which have low snow cover, provided a great location for studying climate responses because of little ecological disturbances. Bench also used luminescence dating to look at sediment deposits that were formed by glacial meltwater streams.
CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
If you feel there are any factual errors in this newspaper, please contact editor@theeastcarolinian.com.
Sullivan TEC STAFF Iain Marlow TEC STAFF
President Vladimir Putin committed in a phone call with Donald Trump to limit Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy assets but declined to agree to a broader 30-day ceasefire as the United States had sought.
Putin and Trump agreed to “an energy and infrastructure ceasefire” and to begin negotiations on a “maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House said in a statement after the two spoke by phone for more than 90 minutes. The talks will begin “immediately” in the Middle East, the White House said, without saying who would lead the negotiations.
The Kremlin’s account of the call said Putin imposed several conditions for a lasting ceasefire, including suspension of arms and
intelligence support for Ukraine. Ukraine must also stop mobilizing new recruits, it said.
“The key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working toward its resolution through political and diplomatic means should be the complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” the Kremlin said.
The Russian demands will force a tough choice on Trump, who had called for an immediate halt to the fighting for 30 days before working out details of a longer-term agreement.
Recent comments by Trump have prompted fears that the U.S. may be willing to sacrifice Kyiv’s interests as part of a push for a deal.
Before the call, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that “many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.”
Ukraine and its European allies are anxious that Russia won’t honor any deal with Trump to
end the war, leaving Kyiv vulnerable to attack in the future. After Trump came to office having pledged rapidly to end the conflict, they also worry that Putin may leverage U.S. interest in securing a deal to make additional demands that would undermine Ukraine or threaten Europe’s future security.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Trump ahead of the U.S.leader’s conversation with Putin. Starmer told Trump that Ukraine must be put in the “strongest possible position” in order to secure a “just and lasting peace,” his official spokesman said.
“The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside,” the White House said in its readout. “This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.”
According to ABC News, Sudiksha Konanki,20, who was initially reported as missing, is believed to have been found from an apparent drowning.
Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, went on spring break with six other female students in Punta Cana, according to Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
According to three Dominican Republic officials, Konanki was walking on the beach with six other people after leaving a nightclub on March 5 before being believed to have drowned in the ocean.
According to the police report, at 5:55 a.m. most of the group went back to the hotel they were staying at, however one man from the group stayed with Konanski on the beach. Konanki and that person were then caught in a big wave. The man, whose name has not been dis-
closed, went back to his hotel and when he woke up, he could not find Konanki. Security camera footage saw the man coming back to his hotel room at 8:55 a.m.
Konanki was last seen at 4:15 a.m. on March 6 on the beach via security footage. On that day, Konanki’s friends did not realize she was missing until 4 p.m.
Konanki’s clothes were found on a portable beach bed close to the beach where she went missing. Konanki’s six friends were interviewed, but were not charged with anything. The man Konaki was left with on the beach is not a suspect and is cooperating with authorities according to the chief of Civil Defense in the Dominican Republic.
Konanki’s death is currently being treated as an accident.
Sudiksha Konanki is believed
Dakota Hamm TEC STAFF
During a phone call with Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin committed to
Opinion
OUR VIEW
AI responsible for inhibiting creativity and imagination
We, the editorial staff of the East Carolinian believe that, although the rise of AI brings with it technological advancement and innovation, it is also detrimental to the creativity of our world.
One major issue is AI’s ability to produce writing, music, and visuals almost instantly. While this seems impressive and can be helpful when used limitedly, it raises an important question: if algorithms can create art in seconds, will people still appreciate human-made work? The amount of AI-generated content could make originality harder to recognize and discourage people from creating their own work.
AI also isn’t truly creative as it relies on existing data and patterns rather than generating new ideas from scratch. Creativity is built on human experiences, emotions, and unique perspectives, which AI simply doesn’t have.
Using AI tools also might make people less motivated to create. When content can be generated as instantly as it is created through platforms such as Chatgpt, it’s tempting to use that rather than create. However, the process of making something such as writing a story, painting, or making music is what makes creativity meaningful.
Although AI is a powerful tool and can be helpful, it should be used in limitation and should not replace the creative nature of humans. As we are technologically advancing as a society, we must also step back and look at what makes us unique. Not even a robot can replicate what a human can do.
PIRATE RANTS
The left and centrists that oppose Trump’s policies need to organize better. I want to get involved, but these marches and protests keep falling flat. I usually don’t hear about the event until AFTER it has happened and photos/videos seem to indicate low turnout. I know people would support these efforts if they were better planned and promoted. We will *not* make a difference if we cannot connect and organize better. MAGA sucks, but they are organized.
I think spring break should be two weeks long instead of just one week. Winter break is damn near a month, and fall break is just two days after a weekend. We need two weeks, assignment and exam free because they already know how haard we work. Plus St. Pattys falls on the week after spring break.
Shake Smart is kind of disappointing. I was excited for the protein shakes, but they’re pretty chalky and hard to finish.
Why are there homeless people at Mcdonald’s? The employees need to give them a 5 dollar meal. The weather is warm and they can get to stepping.
Spring break felt like nothing at all!!! Spring and Fall break are so short but we have an annoyingly long winter break. Why?!?
It’s pretty shocking that the White House seems to be risking a recession as a pathway to some type of economic “reset.”
Anyone with an appreciation of the dislocations and pain that come with recessions would be wary of tempting fate, especially at this moment in time.
President Donald Trump campaigned on the idea that he would use tariffs to negotiate fairer trade agreements, leveling the playing field for American exporters and, ultimately, driving a manufacturing renaissance that would create high-paying jobs. Given how Trump used the economy and financial markets as measuring sticks during his first term, the thinking was that he would know when to cut back on the tough trade talk before the fallout got too damaging.
Alas, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Just eight weeks into his second term, it’s clear that Trump has weaponized tariffs,
or at least the threat of tariffs, to achieve non-economy objectives even if it wrecks the wellbeing of American businesses and households — something he failed to mention on the campaign trail.
“There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re OK with that,” Trump told Congress. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was more pointed, saying “there’s going to be a detox period.” Part of that detox is sweeping federal jobs cuts, which some economists say could spill over into the broader economy and result in the loss of more than half a million jobs by the end of the year.
The response has been severe. Consumer confidence has cratered, a poll of more than 220 chief executive officers found that business confidence is the lowest since November 2012 on policy uncertainty, some $6.8 trillion has been wiped from the value of U.S. stocks, and Wall Street strategists are slashing profit estimates.
Some say that’s all an overreaction.
Trump inherited an economy from the Biden administration that was widely acknowledged as the envy of the world. Surely it can withstand, as Trump put it, “a little disturbance.”
Such complacency is naive. Economic contractions are unpredictable and change behaviors. It can take years for the labor market to heal. It took four years for total nonfarm jobs to recover from the one that followed the bursting of the dot-com bubble at the turn of the century.
The big losses in the equities market led many Americans to shun stocks for years in favor of hard assets such as real estate. That led to the housing market bubble, which burst in 2007 and sparked the global financial crisis.
Thanks to the implementation of effective policy, the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States fell by nearly 24% in 2024. Members of Congress must act to preserve these policies and gains. And one of the most valuable players in combating the opioid crisis response is Medicaid, which is now very much at risk.
More than one million Americans have died from drug overdoses since 1999. I am a person in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder. I know that for many people, vacant statistics are not very meaningful, but behind this statistic are countless suffering families.
My friend Max, who I knew from treatment, died last year of an opioid overdose. He was only 26 years old. As a special education teacher, Max loved his students, and he often giggled while he watched “The Office,” his favorite show. He had his whole life ahead of him. His overdose was likely preventable and leaves a tragic aftermath.
Unequivocal evidence supports treating people suffering from opioid use disorder with medications such as buprenorphine. Just initiating a person on medications reduces overdose mortality by 50% to 80%. In addition, the longer a person takes buprenorphine, the lower their relative overdose hazard ratio.
Roughly 18% of people with opioid use disorder are treated with medications. Coverage with public insurance drives access to such medications, and particularly coverage through Medicaid expansion. In 2019, nearly 40% of people receiving medications due to opioid use disorder
were covered by public insurance, compared to 21% with private insurance and 17% with no insurance. This was enabled by Medicaid. Medicaid provided treatment for over 1.8 million people with OUD in 2021, and more than half were eligible due to Medicaid expansion. I have witnessed the importance of medications for opioid use disorder first-hand.
I have witnessed the importance of medications for opioid use disorder firsthand. t took over a decade for my brother, who is now in long-term recovery, to be even offered buprenorphine for his opioid use disorder by a health care professional, despite his high risk of overdose. He spent time in jail and prison between 2012 and 2014, and when someone is released from incarceration, their risk of death from overdose is especially high. Astonishingly, it was not until late 2020 that he began treatment with buprenorphine, which has changed —
and probably saved — his life.
Under the House of Representatives’ budget reconciliation, the House Energy and Commerce Committee must achieve $880 billion in cuts over a 10-year period. This will undoubtedly require drastic cuts in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Without a doubt, this act risks afflicting even more U.S. families with losses from fatal overdoses. Weakening Medicaid will overwhelm rural hospitals especially, compel more people needing medical care to go to emergency departments and wreak financial havoc on hospital systems. And if Congress limits access to prescription medications like buprenorphine, the nation will regress in reducing overdose deaths — even if the current administration successfully reduces the flow of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Arts & Entertainment
EVENTS TODAY
Three Tall Women Magnolia Arts Center
1703 E. 14th Street, Greenville, NC 27858
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM 1-888-622-3868
Faculty and Guest Artists: Christine Gustafson, flute, Josh Dumbleton, organ
First Presbyterian Church 1400 S Elm St, Greenville, NC 27858
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM 252-758-1901 Knife Forging Pitt Community College
6:30
TOMMOROW
Landfill on the Lawn helps reduce waste
Students at East Carolina University, on Tuesday participated in an event by ECU’s Sustainability program, known as “Landfill on the Lawn.”
Students engaged in a waste audit of trash that was disposed of in Fletcher Residence Hall on Monday. The group of students and faculty sorted the trash into three piles, recycling, compost and trash.
The initiative was created by “campus race to zero waste,” which is an annual competition that colleges and universities participate in between Feb. and March. Landfill on the lawn is one of many ways that this competition is promoted.
The event aimed to give an insight into what materials can be recycled and what materials to keep out of landfills.
Some of the most common items found from the event that were thrown away were plastic bottles and metal cans. Digging through the trash there were a range of items discovered from notebooks to straws from vapes to cigarettes.
“I think that there is a lot of trash that we
throw away that we don’t even realize is not biodegradable, like I have found at least three vapes in one trash bag,” Said Srirangan Saravanan, a sophomore majoring in Industrial Engineering Technology.
The focus for the event was letting students engage and think about what they are consuming and where it goes. “I think a lot of it comes down to reducing at source, which means consuming less and thinking about our purchasing habits,” said Chad Carwein, University Sustainability Manager.
Another factor that Carwein stated is the dorm waste which seemed to be the biggest problem when it comes to waste at ECU. Where the waste is similar to a regular household. Carwein explained that we are only composting pre-consumer food waste
Amazon packages and boxes for shipping seemed to be the biggest find in the trash pile, as volunteers ripped through bags. Which is one of the many common materials that should be relayed that sometimes are not.
Charles Suggs, a member of the recycling department and ground services department
stated that some dorms do better than others. “Each dorm is provided with recycling services, but the Greene dorm recycles the most, and takes a better initiative than I have seen compared to other buildings.”
The sustainability program has also collaborated with Campus Living to host the “Stop and Serve” Volunteer Opportunity as a replacement for Yam Jam. Which is one of many events that the sustainability program promotes that tackles food insecurity in N.C.
Carwein stated The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina no longer has the capacity to partner with the Sustainability program for this year.
“It’s nice to see things like this, this is the first landfill lawn we have done, we were trying to get approval for the longest time thankfully we did,” Said Tori Bain, a senior and intern for Sustain ECU majoring in environmental studies.
School of Music hosts Music of Our Time
On March 20 ECU School of Music will host Music of Our Time, a performance featuring faculty artist Christine Gustafson and guest artists Josh Dumbleton and Thomas KIm at the First Presbyterian Church located at 1400 S. Elm St. The instrumental performance, which is free and open to the public, will have Gustafson performing on the flute and Dumbleton on the organ, with the help of Thomas Kim on the clarinet.
Gustafson organized the event and the program which is composed of seven movements by the names of Introit, Scripture, Gospel, Homily, Offertory, Meditation, and Benediction each one featuring different composers from
different years.
The composers featured are David Evan Thomas, Robert Muczynski, Jehan Alain, FukWing Yim, Hans-Andre Stamm and Gabriel Fauré. Having a mix of church and non-church musicians.
Dumbleton describes the music as “contemporary” and says there’s enough diversity in the selections that the people will enjoy.
Gustafson says, “Whether you’re religious or not…what I hope is to convey a feeling of spirituality and maybe hope to reflect the intent of the composers.”
The recital is intentionally shaped like a church service and the venue has been chosen because she wants to have it be a “tribute to the space” and the people who compose the work.
Dumbleton will be playing the organ, which
he says will be special because “ First Presbyterian has a beautiful pipe organ that was made by a North Carolina Company.”
Gustafson hopes that “the people enjoy the sounds and the beautiful setting,” that the Church and the music will offer.
On the other hand, Dumbleton wants those who attend to leave knowing the “Nice dialogue” between the flute and the organ and appreciation for how well they pair.
Be sure to stop by and show support on Wednesday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church for the great people at ECU’s
GABE KEY I THE EAST CAROLINIAN
An event participant carrying recyclable items to be sorted by volunteers at the Landfill on the Lawn. The event was hosted by ECU’s Sustainability program.
Classifieds & Puzzles
Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 9 — Follow your heart. You’re in your element this month, with the Sun in your sign. Achieve personal objectives with determination. Go for a dream.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 6 — Finalize old projects over the next month, with the Sun in Aries. Meditate in peaceful privacy. Get productive behind the scenes. Adjust plans.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Get involved with community causes. Enjoy a four-week social phase, with the Sun in Aries. Collaborative efforts thrive. Team projects lead to victory.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 9 — Advance your work with energized performance. Gain professional respect and authority over the next month, with the Sun in Aries. Your career blossoms.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Begin a monthlong research, travel and exploration phase. Indulge your curiosity under the Aries Sun. Get obsessed with a fascinating project. Discover wonders.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Collaborative efforts can be abundantly rewarded this month. Support your partner for common gain, with the Sun in Aries. Invest for long-term growth.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8— Collaboration and romance flourish this month. Partnerships grow stronger under the Aries Sun. Work together to magnify gains exponentially. Share a common dream.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 9 — Prioritize work, health and vitality. Raise your physical performance this month, with the Sun in Aries. Build stamina, endurance and strength. Exceed your goals.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Enjoy a mutual attraction. You’re especially lucky in love this month, with the Sun in Aries. Deepen a romance. Share your beautiful heart.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize home and family. Focus on home improvement over the next four weeks, with the Sun in Aries. Domestic efforts earn sweet rewards.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Explore new terrain. Concentrate on your studies and discoveries, with the Sun in Aries for a month. Satiate your curiosity. Investigate and research.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Conserve resources. Carefully track cash flow. It’s easier to make money this month, with the Sun in Aries. Make hay while the sun shines.
by Jacqueline E. Mathews
©2025
The East Carolinian Sports experts predict this week’s events
Garett Skillman TEC Sports Editor
ECU VS. UM
Score Prediction?
ECU 2-1
Why?
The Pirates are on a roll right now after winning five straight games. The bullpen looks unstoppable and the bats have come together from the start of the season. We’re not leaving as many runners on base and Cliff Godwin has his team fired up. While we are on a hot streak right now, we’re bound to lose a game eventually so I think we go 2-1 on the weekend and still win the series.
Cannon Gates WZMB Station Manager
ECU VS. UM Score Prediction?
ECU 3-0
Why?
I gotta ride with the pirates, I expect us to come into Clark Le-Clair Stadium and dismantle the Tigers in all three games. The major question is when do we expect to see Towers and Antolick in the bullpen and Ryley Johnson back in the lineup. For now though, this team is rolling and I expect a clean sweep.
Nick
Green WZMB Sports & News Director
ECU VS. UM Score Prediction?
ECU 3-0
Why?
The optimism never ends with this team.
After a 5-0 week there’s no reason we can’t sweep our first conference opponent of the season. The bats are starting to get hot and I think our bullpen is good enough to take care of business this weekend.
ECU baseball vs Memphis preview
East Carolina Baseball (12-8, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) will open up conference play this weekend vs the University of Memphis (11-8, 0-0 AAC). Both teams have had a similar start to the season record wise but down the stretch the Pirates have played some tougher competition based on opponent records.
The Pirates were tabbed as favorites to come out on top in the American Conference in 2025 and will look to start off with a sweep against projected ninth place team in Memphis. After a rocky start to the season East Carolina has found a way to put it all together going 5-0 in their last five games.
In Memphis’s last five games they are 2-3.
ECU has been playing behind solid all around performances on the mound to start the season and has really started to come around offensively scoring 40 runs in their last three games. As a team the Pirates are batting with a .277 average on 649 at bats and that number has been improving game by game. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Memphis is batting with a .240 average on 605 at bats.
Defensively the Pirates have been fielding the ball at a rate of .979 which is top 30 in the nation according to the NCAA. On the flip side, Memphis is fielding it at a similar rate of .972. In terms of earned run average the Tigers are ranked 40th in the
nation according to the NCAA at just 3.98 per game. East Carolina is right behind them ranked 46th in the nation at 4.08. Given the statistics, these two teams are playing very similarly in many aspects. But the Pirates have been doing it against tougher competition playing two series against two of the top 25 teams in the nation. The series will be played in Greenville at Clark-LeClair Stadium March 21-23. All games will be broadcasted on ESPN+. The Friday game will start at 6 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.
This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.
Pirates basketball beat UTSA in AAC
Logan Harlow TEC
STAFF
East Carolina (19-14, 10-8 American Athletic Conference) fought past The University of Texas at San Antonio (12-19, 6-12 AAC), 70-65 in the AAC tournament opener behind a dominant performance from senior guard Jordan Riley and clutch execution down the stretch of the game. The Pirates shot just 38% from the field, with the win sending ECU into the quarterfinals to face The University of Alabama at Birmingham (22-12, 13-5 AAC).
The Pirates leaned on Riley’s all around effort, as the junior forward tallied a gamehigh 22 points on 8 of 17 shooting while
adding 12 rebounds and three steals. Senior guard RJ Felton provided key buckets as well, finishing with 17 points and knocking down a pair of three-pointers. Senior guard Cam Hayes stepped up with 16 points and dished out four assists, helping ECU withstand a feisty second half comeback from the Roadrunners.
ECU set the tone early in this game, leaning on their physical defense to build the lead early. Riley and Walker’s presence on the glass helped the Pirates out rebound UTSA, creating second chance opportunities that proved critical. Senior forward C.J. Walker anchored the inside, grabbing 10 rebounds and scoring eight points while playing a key role in limiting UTSA’s post scoring.
Despite ECU’s early lead, UTSA stayed within striking distance behind the efforts of sophomore guard Marcus Millender and senior guard Primo Spears. Millender led the Roadrunners with 24 points, making two three pointers and attacking the paint with confidence. Spears added 19 points and four assists, but ECU’s defense forced him into difficult shots, as he finished 8 of 20 from the field. ECU’s defense pretty much held the rest of the team in check, with only 5 total points outside of their top 3 guys.
After leading 34-28 at halftime, ECU saw its advantage slip in the second half as UTSA ramped up defensive pressure. The Roadrunners briefly took a 63-62 lead with just over a minute remaining after a strong drive from Spears, but the Pirates responded immediately.
RJ Felton delivered in crunch time, knocking down a key shot to take the lead with 55 seconds to go and they never relinquished the lead. From there, ECU sealed the win at the free throw line, finishing 16-of-21 (76.2%) on the night. Hayes and Felton each converted late free throws to keep UTSA at bay.
Defensively, ECU’s perimeter pressure forced UTSA into just 38.1% shooting overall and an inefficient 8 of 20 from three-point range. The Pirates also capitalized on their defensive stops, scoring 14 points off turnovers. East Carolina’s season came to a close
with a 94-77 loss to UAB in the quarterfinals. The Pirates finished the season with a 19-14 record, a significant improvement from 15-18 last season. Key players like Jordan Riley, RJ Felton, C.J. Walker and more gave it their all this season. ECU showed the potential to compete at a high level in the AAC in the coming years. Although the season ended without an NCAA Tournament bid, the Pirates can take pride in their progress and look forward to building on this success in the next seasons to come.
Caleb Johnson TEC STAFF
COURTESY OF ECU PIRATES
Senior left-handed pitcher Nick Moran starts against Virginia Commonwealth University. The Pirates would lose their first match against VCU.