East Carolina baseball, Campbell set for top-20 matchup at Fayetteville’s Segra Stadium

East Carolina baseball and Campbell, a pair of teams ranked inside the top 20 nationally, will square off this week at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville.

The 10th-ranked Pirates (16-4) and 18th-ranked Camels (15-3) are set to play Wednesday evening at 6 on the home field of minor league baseball’s Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

Fans can purchase tickets at milb.com/fayetteville/tickets/special-tickets or by visiting the Truist Box Office at Segra Stadium. Tickets start at $11.

Campbell won 6-5 in 10 innings against ECU on Feb. 21 in Buies Creek. Both programs racked up more than 40 wins last season and had players selected in the MLB Draft.

Here are some things to know about ECU and Campbell ahead of Wednesday’s top-20 showdown at Segra.

East Carolina still chasing College World Series 

With 32 NCAA Tournament appearances, ECU has the greatest college baseball program never to make it to the College World Series. This could be the year for the Pirates to breakthrough and give G-Vegas something to celebrate in the “Jungle” beyond the outfield wall at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Head coach Cliff Godwin has led the program to more than 300 wins in eight seasons.

Campbell continues rise 

The Camels moved to No. 18 in the latest D1Baseball poll, setting a record for their highest ranking in program history. Entering his ninth season as the head coach, Justin Haire has created a consistent winner in Buies Creek with tough non-conference scheduling and a string of conference championships. The Camels have won four league titles in a row with four NCAA Tournament appearances, including two berths in the regional final.

Campbell’s Drake Pierson and Cade Kuehler living up to hype

Drake Pierson, the preseason Big South Player of the Year, and Cade Kuehler, the preseason Big South Pitcher of the Year, are making the voters look smart through 18 games.

A redshirt senior infielder for the Camels, Pierson is a prime candidate to send a ball to Healy’s Bar beyond the right-field wall. He leads Campbell with nine home runs, the 12th-best mark in the nation.

It’s unclear who will get the start on the mound against the Pirates, but Kuehler – Campbell’s right-handed ace – has a 4-0 record and is among the country’s strikeout leaders with 39 in 27 innings. The junior, whose fastball reportedly reaches the high 90s, could be a first-round pick in the MLB Draft.

Trey Yesavage, Jacob Starling shining for ECU

ECU sophomore pitcher Trey Yesavage, the reigning American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, is 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA – the 27th-best mark in the nation. Yesavage is tied for 11th with 43 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. As for the Pirates’ leader in the batter’s box, junior Jacob Starling has a .324 average with 24 hits – including three home runs – and a team-best 23 RBIs to go with 18 walks. He logged a hit in 14 of ECU’s first 20 games.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: ECU baseball to play Campbell at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville