GREENVILLE, N.C. - Following the July 13th signing deadline for all 2012 Major League First Year Player Draftees, left-handed pitcher Tyler Joyner is returning the East Carolina for his senior season in 2013.
The Red Oak, N.C. native, who was selected in the 35th round (pick 1,063) by the Kansas City Royals, is the lone ECU selection returning to the Pirates following the MLB Draft in June.
Joyner’s return along with fellow classmate Andy Smithmyer, junior’s Tanner Merritt and Drew Reynolds as well as sophomore Jeff Hoffman, will once again solidify a talented pitching staff that ranked 43rd nationally in ERA (3.35) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.41), while also ranking in the Top-50 in three other categories in 2012.
Under newly appointed associate head coach Dan Roszel’s tutelage, the 2012 Pirate pitching staff ranked among the Conference USA leaders in 10 statistical categories including fewest walks (176/1st), saves (20/1st), ERA (2nd), opposing batting average (.248/2nd), pick offs (14/2nd), earned runs (205/3rd), innings pitched (550.2/3rd), total strikeouts (424/3rd), strikeouts looking (133/3rd) and wins (36/4th).
