Pirates Kickstart 2022 Campaign In Conway | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of ECU Sports.



    GREENVILLE, N.C.     East Carolina begins the 2022 season under the direction of first-year head coach Shane Winkler this weekend as the Pirates travel to Coastal Carolina University for the Kickin' Chicken Classic. ECU will face off against Georgetown and Purdue both Friday and Saturday before wrapping things up Sunday against the host Chanticleers in a single contest.

    Winkler takes charge of the program following a successful three-year stint at George Washington University when he led the Colonials to a 91-43 record and captured the school's first two Atlantic 10 championships - sharing the title in 2019 before claiming the first outright championship this past season. The Colonials won both the regular season and tournament titles in 2021 to advance to the NCAA Championship for the first time and made their second overall postseason appearance.

    Last year, the Pirates put together a 16-33 overall record and 7-17 mark in American Athletic Conference play. Earning the No. 6 seed for the conference tournament, ECU nearly upset No. 3 seed UCF - falling to the Knights 4-3. East Carolina looks to return to NCAA Regional play for the first time since reaching the 2011 College Park Regional final versus Baylor.

    Winkler has retained 11 position players and two pitchers from the 2021 roster while welcoming 12 newcomers into the fold, including six transfer student-athletes in outfielder Taudrea Sinnie (Texas A&M), LHP Addy Bullis (Dayton), RHP Madisyn Davis (UCF), infielder Bailee Wilson (Georgia Southern), catcher Jo Castillo (George Washington) and infielder Jocelyn Alonso (FIU). A total of six freshmen have also joined the fold to begin their Pirate careers.

    Logyn Estes and Chandley Garner are the top returning hitters on the squad by average, posting respective .252 and .250 totals a season ago. Garner, who started all 49 games at third base, paced the team in home runs (10) and RBI (29) and was second in hits (38) and slugging percentage (.487). Estes rapped out seven doubles, a triple and five home runs while committing just one error in the outfield for a sparkling .983 fielding percentage.

    The Pirate pitching staff has a new look to it in 2022. Kama Woodall (9-19, 3.36 ERA) and Erin Poepping (4-9, 3.83 ERA) transferred to UCF and South Florida respectively but pitching coach Kiana Quolas will have an arsenal of hurlers to work with including Bullis, Davis, Estes and freshman lefty Jordan Hatch.

    ECU will play 30 games inside Max R. Joyner Family Stadium this season while also hosting the 2022 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship.

    The Purdue Series

    East Carolina is 2-4 against Purdue, but the teams have not met since 2008 when the Boilermakers defeated the Pirates 3-2 in Greenville.

    The Georgetown Series

    The Pirates hold a 2-1 series lead over Georgetown, last encountering the Hoyas in 2013 when the Pirates recorded a 3-1 victory at the ECU Softball Stadium as part of the Pirate Clash.

    The Coastal Carolina Series

    East Carolina and Coastal Carolina split two games in Conway last season as the Pirates improved to 29-19 all time against the Chanticleers. ECU is 13-14 versus Coastal on the road.

    Looking Ahead

    Following the Kickin' Chicken Classic, East Carolina opens its 30-game home slate Feb. 18-20 hosting Colgate, Wagner and Rutgers in the 2022 Pirate Clash.