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Ethan Norby (Photo by Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)

The 2026 college baseball season is almost here. As such, we’re breaking down every preseason Top 25 team in greater detail. Check out East Carolina’s 2026 season preview below.

Quick Hits

Last Season: 35-27 (13-14 American); Eliminated in Conway Regional

Final 2025 Ranking: Unranked

Coach (Record at school): Cliff Godwin (432-214-1, 12th season)

College Baseball Top 25 Skinny

East Carolina’s reputation is well earned. Few mid-major programs are as reliable when it comes to reaching the NCAA Tournament and finishing inside the final national rankings, and that consistency has carried across roster cycles. The Pirates enter the season positioned to rebound sharply from a 13-14 showing in AAC play in 2025, pairing institutional stability with a roster that looks intentionally reshaped rather than merely retained. The core remains intact, but the emphasis this offseason leaned toward refinement. East Carolina retooled with precision, keeping its identity while addressing areas that stalled momentum late last spring.

East Carolina Baseball Strengths

Ethan Norby sits near the top of any list of mid-major aces entering the year. The lefthander emerged as one of the nation’s premier strikeout artists in 2025, finishing eighth nationally in K-BB% among pitchers with at least 60 innings. That dominance was not a spike but a continuation. Through two seasons, Norby owns a 3.80 ERA with 182 strikeouts against 47 walks across 149.1 innings. His effectiveness is rooted in rare feel rather than physical intimidation. Norby is an advanced spin manipulator, and few lefthanders in college baseball demonstrate a more consistent ability to shape pitches.

Norby is supported by an experienced everyday core. First baseman Austin Irby, third baseman Colby Wallace, shortstop Alex Bouche, outfielders Braden Burress and Alex Peltier and catcher Walker Barron all return with defined roles. On the mound, Sean Jenkins and Nick Moran bring back innings, giving the staff continuity beyond the front end. East Carolina supplemented through the portal with former West Virginia pitcher Gavin Van Kempen and Liberty transfer Joseph Webb headlining its list of newcomers.

East Carolina Baseball Weaknesses

The bullpen is the largest question. The Pirates lost their top reliever, Ethan Young, to the draft, removing a stabilizing presence late in games. Among returning pitchers, Norby is the only arm who posted an ERA below 4.50 in 2025 (minimum 15 innings), placing pressure on others to elevate quickly. More broadly, improvement depends on internal steps forward. East Carolina will need multiple players to push beyond prior baselines on both sides of the ball to close the gap between consistency and contention.

East Carolina Baseball Player To Know

Norby’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s and features unusual movement, averaging 13.5 inches of armside run while spinning north of 2,500 rpm in TrackMan games. Nearly 6.5 feet of extension and a low 5-foot-1 release height produce a flat -4.19-degree attack angle that makes the pitch difficult to square. When he locates it well, the run can approach 20 inches, a premium figure for a college lefty. That profile drove a 26.4% whiff rate and a 27.4% chase rate last season.

East Carolina Baseball 2026 Projected Lineup, Rotation

PosPlayerYearAVGOBPSLGABHRRBINote/previous schoolCWalker BarronJr..250.335.3132083311BAustin IrbySo..303.424.52420812502BCarlos JacomeJr..309.409.463162434South Florida3BColby WallaceJr..248.377.4322421042SSAlex BoucheSr..251.323.417175629OFBraden BurressSo..389.488.498211433OFAlex PeltierSo..211.299.293147212OFDavin WhitakerR-So..188.264.3544828DHJack VogeleJr.Walters State JC (Morristown, Tenn.)PosGSIPERAWHIPSO%BB%SPEthan NorbyJr.1490.03.801.0632.3%6.0%SPSean JenkinsSo.1270.15.121.3216.8%6.5%SPGavin Van KempenSr.1339.26.131.6919.9%14.0%West VirginiaRPJoe WebbSr.146.13.501.0426.7%10.5%LibertyRPNick MoranSr.430.24.991.3716.4%11.0%RPLuke PayneJr.03.20.001.3629.4%23.5%Tennessee