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It's much more than just a name change, but the name really says it all.

East Carolina has gone from playing at the ECU softball field to calling the ECU Softball Stadium home.

The Pirates opened their brand new $4-million, 1,000-seat complex Feb. 16 when they hosted UNC Wilmington.

ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard and head coach Tracey Kee spoke to the crowd prior to the game, which was the first of 11 consecutive home contests for the Pirates. Ballard and Kee, along with Student Government Association Vice President Josh Martinkovic all threw out ceremonial first pitches prior to the game.

Although her team had a chance to get familiar with the ins and outs of the stadium since practice began last September, Kee admitted it didn't truly feel like home until they played a game in it.

Nerves weren't evident, however, when the Pirates played their first game in the ECU Softball Stadium with an 8-0 mercy-rule shortened win over UNC Wilmington.

“I was very pleased,” said Kee.

Kee's club has gone from playing on what was essentially an open-air stadium with no press box to taking the field in what the coach said was easily the nicest stadium in Conference USA. A brick facade encases aluminum bleachers that can seat 800 spectators as well as 200 backed seats and a press box that will house working media as well as ECU staffers.

A large video screen-digital scoreboard combination stands just beyond the center field wall and there are covered batting cages just to the right of the fence along foul territory down the right field line. It's quite a departure from the bare bones site where the Pirates have played in seasons past and Kee, who's been with the ECU program for 25 years, beams with pride when asked about the new digs.

“The only thing we brought from the old stadium were our foul poles,” said Kee, who's in her 14th season as head coach of the Pirates. “Other than that, there wasn't anything I wanted from there.

“Having been here as long as I have, and having played on that other field and then coached on it for so many years, to be able to come out here every day to one of the best facilities, I think, on the east coast. … we definitely don't take it for granted.”

Contact Tony Castleberry at tcastleberry@reflector.com or 329-9591.