By Staff
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — He’s No. 1 in the program and, during the Conference USA Tournament, he was No. 1 in the hearts of all East Carolina Pirates’ fans.
Harrison Eldridge came up big during the C-USA Tournament, smacking a winning three-run home run in a 4-2 win over Tulane in the first game. The junior followed that up the next night by stealing home in the 10th inning to lift the Pirates to a 3-2 victory over Southern Miss.
Eldridge’s play landed him a spot on the all-tournament team.
He came up big in the clutch, something he’s done time and time again this year.
It’s those clutch-type of performances that helped Eldridge earn a spot on the C-USA First Team.
Eldridge is hitting .300 with six home runs and 27 RBIs. His 55 runs lead the team, while his 14 stolen bases are tied for the team-lead.
This is the third straight year Eldridge is hitting at least .300. He hit .336 with two homers and 26 RBIs last year after a freshman season that saw him hit .313 with four homers and 34 RBIs.
Eldridge started off red-hot this season, only to cool off at the midway point. The junior seems to have found his swing again as he’s hit safely in six straight games.
It’s Eldridge’s job to get the Pirates going offensively. The ECU leadoff batter said he does whatever it takes to get aboard.
Besides coming up big offensively, Eldridge has been solid in center field. Eldridge, who has a .973 fielding percentage, has a cannon for an arm and can cover a lot of ground thanks to his speed.
He’ll be looking to do just that when the Pirates play Western Carolina in the NCAA Regional at Chapel Hill. The Pirates and Catamounts play Friday at 2 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
Eldridge and his teammates missed out on regionals last year, ending a string of seven straight appearances.