East Carolina will make its 32nd postseason appearance and sixth in the last seven years after earning the No. 8 National Seed and the top seed in the Greenville Regional in this year’s NCAA Baseball Championships.
East Carolina was selected as the No. 8 overall seed and will host the Greenville Regional. It marked the fourth-consecutive championship that the Pirates have hosted a Greenville regional. An American team has hosted a regional in each of the past five championships and six of the last seven. Houston (2017) and 2015) and Louisville (2014) are the other American Athletic Conference teams to host a regional. In addition to hosting in 2018, 2019 and 2021, ECU hosted a regional at Clark-LeClair Stadium in 2009, and also hosted opening round regional tournaments on two occasions at different venues.
ECU has qualified for regional competition in 18 of the last 23 season (none in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic) and six times during head coach Cliff Godwin’s eight-year tenure after traveling to the Coral Gables (Fla.) Regional in 2015, Charlottesville (Va.) Regional in 2016 and hosting in 2018, 2019 and 2021 in Greenville.
The Pirates (42-18), who will host its fifth regional at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium, will square off against No. 4 Copping State (24-28) in the first round of regional play Friday, June 3 (time to be determined), while No. 2 Virginia (38-17) will face No. 3 Coastal Carolina (36-18-1) at a time to be determined.
Since 2008, the Pirates have faced two of the three clubs competing in the Greenville Regional, most recently Virginia in the 2016 Charlottesville Regional where the Pirates defeated the Cavaliers 8-6 (June 4) advancing to the championship game and eventually winning the regional. In 2008, ECU was the No. 2 seed in the Conway, S.C. Regional meeting Coastal Carolina twice including the championship game on June 1 falling 24-11. Overall, the Pirates are 23-30 vs. the Cavaliers, 5-7 against the Chanticleers and 3-0 versus the Eagle (last played in 1995).
Of the 64 teams announced Monday, the Pirates own an 7-4 overall record in 2022 against six institutions: Campbell (2-0), Maryland (1-0), Michigan (1-0), North Carolina (1-2), VCU (2-1) and Virginia Tech (0-1).
Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals will be played from Friday, June 3 to Monday, June 6 (if necessary). Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.NCAA.com/cws, Tuesday, June 7 at approximately 8 a.m. (ET).
The Greenville Regional was paired with the Austin Regional hosted by No, 9 overall seed Texas, which also has No. 2 Louisiana Tech, No. 3 Dallas Baptist and No. 4 Air Force.
The 75th College World Series (CWS) begins play begins play Friday, June 18 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
2022 NCAA GREENVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
*Friday, June 3 (ESPN+)
Game 1 or 2: (4) Coppin State vs. (1) East Carolina (TBD)
Game 1 or 2: (3) Coastal Carolina vs. (2) Virginia (TBD)
* = Game 1 or 2 designations have not been announced yet
Saturday, June 4
Game 3: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 (TBD)
Game 4: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 (TBD)
Sunday, June 5
Game 5: Winner G3 vs. Loser G4 (TBD)
Game 6: Winner G4 vs. Winner G5 (TBD)
Monday, June 6
Game 7: Winner G6 vs. Loser G6 (TBD - IF NECESSARY)
