Cunningham And Yesavage tabbed to 2024 CSC Academic All-America First Team

AUSTIN, T.X. — East Carolina senior infielder Carter Cunningham and junior RHP Trey Yesavage have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® First Team according to an announcement by the organization Tuesday.

The duo represents the first Pirate student-athletes to earn the prestigious honor since Matt Bridges garnered third-team accolades in 2021. Cunningham and Yesavage are also the sixth and seventh players recognized during head coach Cliff Godwin ‘s 10-year tenure. Godwin himself is a two-time Academic All-American with inclusion on the 1999 Third Team and 2001 Second Team. Cunningham earned his MBA back in May and finished his career with a 3.875 cumulative GPA.

The American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist led the Pirates in several categories, including batting average (.367), runs scored (77), hits (92) and home runs (17) while slotting 12th nationally in runs scored and 19th in hits. He was also one of three East Carolina players to start all 63 games this campaign. Cunningham was tabbed the AAC Player of the Week twice (Feb. 26 and April 29). Yesavage, recently named a consensus First Team All-American (ABCA/Baseball America/College Baseball Foundation/D1Baseball/NCBWA/Perfect Game), currently boasts a 3.509 cumulative GPA as a communication major.

His junior campaign ended with a bevy of recognition as he was named the AAC Pitcher of the Year and a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy. He finished the campaign ranked second nationally in WHIP (0.87) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (4.73), third in earned run average (2.03), fifth in strikeouts (145) and victories (11) and ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (13.98). In 15 appearances, Yesavage notched double-digit strikeouts eight times and ended the year tied with Jake Agnos for the single-season strikeout record. He fanned a career-high 15 batters in the Pirates’ 6-4 win over Wichita State back on April 19 and posted no fewer than five strikeouts in every contest.

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