East Carolina’s Austin Homan awarded Number 23

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FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Junior outfielder Austin Homan will wear East Carolina’s honorary No. 23 jersey during the 2010 season according to an announcement made by head coach Billy Godwin during the program’s annual "Meet the Pirates" fan session, which was held inside the Murphy Center Saturday afternoon.

The No. 23 jersey, which was the number worn by the late ECU Head Coach Keith LeClair throughout his coaching and playing career, became an honorary number for the Pirate baseball program in 2003.

Homan, one of four captains for the Pirates in 2010, set career-highs in every offensive category including hits (28), RBI (19), runs (24) and slugging percentage (.452) a year ago. He played in 43 games with 15 starts in the outfield and ranked third on the team with a career-best .354 batting average.

The State College, Pa., native was the Pirates 10th-man, where he batted a team-best .421 with six RBI as a pinch hitter. Homan played in seven post-season games in 2009 and in his lone start was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI in the Pirates 16-9 win over Binghamton. As a two-year letterwinner, Homan has started 17-of-61 games played boasting a .333 career average with five doubles, 24 RBI and 26 runs scored.

"Austin is a good player, but he is a great ambassador for our program," said Godwin. "He has excelled both on the field and in the class room, where he has been on the Conference USA honor roll for three-straight years, and he exemplifies everything that Coach LeClair was about.

"He has worked very hard to gain the respect and trust of his teammates. Since stepping on campus in 2007 as a walk-on catcher, he has put himself in place to be a front line player at East Carolina with his work ethic and attitude."

The number is awarded annually to a deserving player who best displays the hustle, determination and desire that made LeClair a great coach and player.

Homan becomes the third junior to wear the No. 23 jersey and the eighth Pirate overall, following Ben Sanderson (2003), Jamie Paige (2004), Brian Cavanaugh (2005), Adam Witter (2006), Chris Powell (2007), Drew Schieber (2008) and Brandon Henderson a year ago.

LeClair’s courageous battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, has garnered support and admiration throughout the ECU community.

The No. 11 Pirates will open the 2010 season on Feb. 19 when they square off No. 2 Virginia at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium with a first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.