By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
By KEVIN TRAVIS
Sports Editor
GREENVILLE — Trent Whitehead played a big factor in East Carolina’s recent eight-game winning streak.
The junior leadoff batter is getting hot at the right time, as the No. 23 Pirates (17-9, 0-0) open Conference USA play today at home against the Tulane Green Wave (17-9, 2-1).
The first pitch at Clark-LeClair Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
“With conference play starting up, I definitely want to be seeing the ball and hitting the ball well,” Whitehead said. “I’m feeling good about going into conference play, and everybody on the team is looking really good, too.”
Whitehead, a former star at Washington High School, had been mired in a slump. A career .351 hitter, Whitehead was hitting just .246 six games ago.
However, Whitehead, who set a single-season ECU record with 105 hits last year, is finding his groove. He’s collected at least one hit in six straight games. In four of those games, he’s had at least two hits, including a career-best, five-hit game in a win over N.C. Central.
“It feels good,” Whitehead said. “I just want to help the team win. Prior to (the hitting streak), I wasn’t producing much to help the team win.
“Any time you can get multiple hits is good. A couple of (the hits) were lucky, but there were some previous at bats where I thought I hit the ball hard but I didn’t have anything to show for it. Baseball always seems to even itself out.”
Whitehead is now hitting at a .309 click. Among his 30 hits are seven doubles and one homer.
He’s driven in 13, scored 24 times and stolen three bases. Whitehead has also drawn 17 walks, which is second highest on the team.
During his hitting streak, where he is hitting .464 (13-for-28), Whitehead has scored 15 runs and knocked in seven more.
“I definitely wanted to get things going again,” Whitehead said. “When things really started turning around, I talked to coach (Nick) Schnabel and he told me to take it one at bat at a time. He told me to have a quality at bat.
“I’m doing that. Things have turned around and I’m feeling good about it.”
Whitehead hopes to continue his hot streak as the most important part of the schedule begins tonight.
“Conference USA is a tough, tough conference,” Whitehead said. “It’s not an easy road ahead of us.
“I definitely want to be playing well.”
Lebo to throw out first pitch
Jeff Lebo, the newly appointed head coach of the ECU basketball team, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Lebo, who was named the Pirates’ 23rd head coach on March 23, has averaged 18 wins per season during his 12-year head coaching career and compiled a career record of 211-156 while leading three programs to postseason or conference championship game appearances.
The numbers
The Pirates are hitting .336 with 42 home runs.
Dustin Harrington, the reigning C-USA Hitter of the Week, leads the club with a .443 average to go with five homers and 21 RBIs. He was dismissed from the team on Thursday.
Other top hitters for ECU are Corey Thompson (.381, 1 HR, 22 RBIs), Zach Wright (.369, 9 HRs, 29 RBIs), Devin Harris (.360, 8 HRs, 31 RBIs), Philip Clark (.343, 1 HR, 7 RBIs), Kyle Roller (.316, 6 HRs, 23 RBIs), Austin Homan (.316, 14 RBIs) and John Wooten (.313, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs).
Harrington dismissed from team