East Carolina pitcher Seth Maness has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason All-America second team.

The Pinecrest graduate was 10-3 for the Pirates last season as a junior and earned Conference USA Pitcher of the Year honors. He pitched a league-high 101.1 innings while registering 90 strikeouts and walking just 16 batters.

Maness was the C-USA Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2008 and has earned all-conference first-team recognition all three years. The Pinehurst native is 18-3 against C-USA teams in his career and 28-8 overall. The 28 wins place him fourth all-time in C-USA history and tied for fourth in the East Carolina record book.

During his Pirate career, the right-hander from Pinehurst has struck out 254 batters and walked 54 for a 4.7-to-1 ratio.

Maness was 21-2 on the mound during his career at Pinecrest. His strikeout-walk ratio was more than 10-to-1 (252 Ks, 21 walks). He also posted a batting average of .434.

Selected by the Florida Marlins in the 41st round of last June’s Major League amateur player draft, Maness elected to return to East Carolina for his senior year.

The Pirates will begin spring practice on Jan. 28 and open the season against Youngstown State on Feb. 18.

Contact Charlie Bergmann at cbergmann@nc.rr.com.