CBA alum honored by C-USA
By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 27, 2012 1:48 PM
ECU Sports Information
IRVING, Tex. -- Charles B. Aycock alum and East Carolina senior Zach Wright is one of three Pirate baseball players to earn preseason first-team All-Conference USA recognition.
Joining Wright are senior left-hander Kevin Brandt and infielder Corey Thompson.
A sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in last summer's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Wright opted to return for one more season behind the plate. The two-time Johnny Bench Award Watch List candidate started all 62 games at catcher, led the Pirates in home runs (13) for the second straight season and logged five game-winning hits a year ago.
Wright also belted four grand slam homers, trying former ECU slugger Brandon Henderson for the all-time record.
An All-CUSA selection last season, Brandt ranked among the CUSA's top 10 in five categories -- runners picked off (nine), earned run average (2.26), innings pitched (91.3), wins (seven) and opposing batting average (.239).
Thompson, who hails from Apex, emerged the Pirates' top hitter for the second consecutive year with a .328 average. He crushed six home runs, collected 47 RBI and scored 36 runs in 60 games.
League coaches tabbed East Carolina to finish third in the preseason poll.