By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — East Carolina, currently tied for fourth with Southern Miss in the Conference USA standings, will look to improve its position this weekend.
The No. 28 Pirates (23-9, 5-4) will take on the Marshall Thundering Herd (14-16-1, 4-4-1) in a three-game C-USA series this weekend at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Coach Billy Godwin’s club, which is 15-4 at home this year, will also look to build on a four-game winning streak.
Game times are set for 6 p.m. today, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
ECU holds a 7-1 record all-time against Marshall, which includes wins of 7-4 and 13-3 last year.
ECU senior T.J. Hose (1-3, 6.00 ERA) will get the start tonight. Marshall will counter with southpaw Andrew Blain (2-2, 3.06 ERA).
Seth Maness (6-0, 2.91 ERA), a freshman who has been terrific for the Pirates, will get the start Saturday. Right-hander Steve Blevins (4-2, 5.06 ERA) will throw for Marshall.
Justin Bristow (5-1, 2.37 ERA), a junior transfer, will get the nod for ECU on Sunday. Dan Straily (3-2, 5.11 ERA), a right-hander, will start for the Herd.
ECU enters the weekend series hitting .324 with 46 home runs. Harrison Eldridge leads the Pirates with a .390 average to go with a pair of homers, 18 RBI and a team-best 21 stolen bases.
Corey Kemp, hitting .373, leads the club with nine home runs and 36 RBI.
Other top hitters for the Pirates are Drew Schieber (.372), Stephen Batts (.354, 4 HR, 31 RBI), Brandon Henderson (.350, 7 HR, 27 RBI), Ryan Wood (.344, 8 HR, 32 RBI), Trent Whitehead (.327, 3 HR, 15 RBI), Kyle Roller (.316, 6 HR, 28 RBI) and Broc Sutton (.314).
Marshall is hitting .299 with 33 homers. Nate Lape leads the Herd with 11 homers, 36 RBI and a .432 average.
Other top hitters for the Herd are Victor Gomez (.340, 4 HR, 16 RBI), Kurt Lipton (.322), Josh Valle (.321), Tommy Johnson (.315, 4 HR, 24 RBI) and Adam Yeager (.302).
C-USA Standings
Team Conf. Overall
Houston 5-1 20-11
Rice 7-2 24-10
Tulane 3-2-1 23-9-1
East Carolina 5-4 23-9
Southern Miss 5-4 20-11
Marshall 4-4-1 14-16-1
Memphis 3-6 12-19
UCF 2-7 24-11
UAB 1-5 14-17