ECU Makes Questionable Decision Ahead of Game Against Tennessee Baseball

The ECU Pirates have made a questionable decision ahead of the Tennessee baseball game.

Jun 12, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; East Carolina Pirates head coach Cliff Godwin (23) talks with his team on the mound during the ninth inning against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the Nashville Super Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament at Hawkins Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Chapel Hill regional is quickly approaching, as the Tennessee Volunteers are set to take on the ECU Pirates in teh first game of the tournament. They make up two of the four teams in the regional, as they will be paired with the North Carolina Tar Heels and the VCU Rams.

In the first game, the Vols have already announced they will be going with a typical starter, but the ECU Pirates have made a questionable decision to start the tournament off. The Pirates, who are already viewed as underdogs, will not pitch their ace in the first contest. In fact, they will be going with a split starter. The starter they have opted to go with is Ryan Towers.

More Ryan Towers Information

Tennessee baseball coach Josh Elander returns to the dugout after taking out pitcher Taylor Tracey (29) in an NCAA college baseball game against and Texas on May 10, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Towers is a left-handed pitcher who currently has a 3.04 ERA. He also has 42 strikeouts on the season, which is a bit low considering how many innings he has pitched. He has pitched 53.1 innings, which would mean he doesn't even average a strikeout per inning.

The Vols will look to defeat the Pirates, and they will be doing so without the Pirates' pitching their ace. The winner of this game will take on the winner of the UNC vs. VSU game. This tournament is two losses, which would mean that both teams are saving their ace for later in the tournament.

If the Vols win this game, it would come as no shock if they were to pitch their ace. It is safe to say that the Vols will look to put themselves in the best position to succeed in the national tournament. The Vols have won a national championship in this decade, but there is no doubt in the minds of fans that they will be looking to win their second.

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