COLLEGE

Texas should brace for super regional craziness in East Carolina's 5,000-seat 'Jungle'

Austin American-Statesman

East Carolina infielder Josh Moylan has a traffic cone placed on his head after hitting a home run against Vanderbilt in last year's Nashville Super Regional. The Pirates, who are the No. 8 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, will play host this weekend to Texas in their best-of-three super regional series that starts on Friday.

This weekend, the Texas Longhorns will take the road less traveled.

Literally. Texas has never played a baseball game in Greenville, N.C. But on Friday, that's where the Longhorns will open a best-of-three super regional series against East Carolina.

The Longhorns last went on the road for a super regional in 2005. That year, Texas beat Ole Miss twice in Oxford and went on to win its most recent national championship.

Texas will head to Clark-LeClair Stadium this time around, the Pirates' 17-year-old stadium that has a capacity of 5,000.

Texas head coach David Pierce previously worked for Rice and Tulane programs that were conference rivals of East Carolina. So he has been to Clark-LeClair. On Wednesday, he called Greenville a "really cool town." He also expects things to be rowdy in a fan section that has been nicknamed "The Jungle."

Texas head coach David Pierce knows all about what to expect at East Carolina's 5,000-seat Clark-LeClair Stadium. "I've been there many a times," the former Rice and Tulane coach said. "I've had players had beer thrown on them. I've had security issues in the bullpen. They really don't care."

"You have an outfield fence that's five feet, maybe six feet tall, that people are hanging over it. The bullpens are open, people are hanging over them," Pierce said. "The environment is going to be even different than anything we've been in.

"I've been there many a times. I've had players had beer thrown on them. I've had security issues in the bullpen. They really don't care. They call themselves 'The Jungle' and they act like it."

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The crowds that Texas is used to seeing at TCU and Texas Tech? Pierce said East Carolina will be like that but "on steroids." However, he added the Longhorns will need to ignore the fans because "once you look up, you've been distracted."

And it isn't like Texas is unaccustomed to playing in hostile environments. Texas State and Texas-Rio Grande Valley both drew record crowds when the Longhorns were in town. Even at the Big 12 Tournament, Horns Down signs were often flashed on the Globe Life Field videoboard in games that Texas wasn't even participating in.

Texas pitcher Pete Hansen is looking forward to the baseball environment in this weekend's East Carolina super regional, playing in a 5,000-seat stadium. "This isn't our first time, this isn't our first rodeo with it. I'm excited to play in a great college baseball environment."

"That's why you come to University of Texas, is to play in big games like this and play in big atmospheres," pitcher Pete Hansen said. "This isn't our first time, this isn't our first rodeo with it. I'm excited to play in a great college baseball environment."

East Carolina, the No. 8 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and ninth-seeded Texas are both coming off successful outings at the regionals they hosted. East Carolina (45-19) dropped a game to Coastal Carolina but won its other three contests by a combined score of 34-7. Texas (45-19) never trailed during its three games in Austin.

That 9-1 loss to Coastal Carolina on Sunday snapped a 20-game winning streak for the Pirates, who boast the third-best fielding percentage in Division I and a top-20 ERA. Bryson Worrell (.324, 18 HRs, 57 RBIs) leads an offense scoring 6.5 runs per game.

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Five bats in the Texas lineup are hitting over .300 and five Longhorns have bashed at least 10 home runs. On the mound, Hansen and fellow left-handed starter Lucas Gordon have combined for an 18-2 record and a 2.76 ERA.

On Wednesday, Texas first baseman Ivan Melendez was named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award alongside Oregon State pitcher Cooper Hjerpe and Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada. No Longhorn has ever won this award, which has been given annually to the country's top amateur baseball player since 1978.

The Division I leader in home runs and RBIs, Melendez has been reluctant to sing his own praises this season. His teammates and coaches, though, have not minded campaigning for the slugger.

"He's the best hitter in the country, plain and simple," Hansen said in May. "It's just fun to watch that guy come to the field every day and put in the work. He's a special guy and he's got a special talent on the field."

Said UT assistant coach Sean Allen last month: "He's the Golden Spikes winner and if he doesn't win that, that's an absolute shame."

Parada won't get to pad his résumé anymore this season. Georgia Tech was eliminated in regional play. But like Melendez, Hjerpe still has a chance to impress voters. No. 3 Oregon State hosts No. 14 Auburn in the super regionals.

Greenville Super Regional

No. 9 Texas at No. 8 East Carolina, ESPN2, 104.9

Friday (11 a.m.) — UT LHP Pete Hansen (11-1, 3.08) vs. East Carolina LHP C.J. Mayhue (5-1, 2.82); Saturday (11 a.m.) — Texas LHP Lucas Gordon (7-1 2.36) vs. East Carolina TBA; Sunday — if needed, time TBA