<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1nZm4l_0tHh1HO500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1nZm4l_0tHh1HO500" width="1200" height="631" >Something about BayCare Ballpark brings out the absolute best from the Tulane baseball team.Trying to repeat as the American Athletic Conference tournament champions, the third-seeded Green Wave (32-24) already was in good position as it enjoyed an off day before its winners’ bracket matchup with No. 7 seed Charlotte (24-32) on Thursday afternoon. First pitch will be 47 minutes after the noon East Carolina-Wichita State game ends.The Wave played just seven innings and used only two pitchers while run-ruling Florida Atlantic late Tuesday night after the 49ers blew through five arms in a 12-inning nail-biter against Texas-San Antonio.“That’s huge, especially in a tournament like this,” said Tulane second baseman Connor Rasmussen, whose leadoff home run set the tone for Tulane’s 14-2 blowout victory. “We know our offense can score in bunches. Our goal once we got up early was to put them away and save some pitching for later in the week.”It was not the first time Tulane run-ruled an opponent in Clearwater, Florida, under Jay Uhlman’s watch. In his 15 games as either hitting coach or head coach, the Wave has ended four games early with leads of 10 or more — twice as many as any other team in the league. During that same span, the Wave has been ahead by 10 runs or more before the ninth inning only three times in 102 regular-season conference games.“I’d like to think as we continue this journey and continue to get better, hopefully you’ll say we played in the tournament like we played all year,” Uhlman said. “What I do know is our guys are believers. They are tough. They are competitive. When you have that and there’s extra motivation there, you see the focus show up.”Starting pitcher Chandler Welch did not relax after Tulane went ahead of Florida Atlantic 3-0 in the first inning. He recorded eight strikeouts from the second through the fourth innings.When he returned for the fifth, the Wave led 13-0.“A lot of it is just the environment,” Welch said. “You come here to a great facility (the Philadelphia Phillies conduct spring training there) with great energy. It’s great vibes. We’re locked in on the game, but we’re also having fun with each other."When it comes to tournament time, we turn it up a little bit and it brings out the best in us whenever it matters the most.”Tulane nearly went ahead of Florida Atlantic 17-2 in the fifth, but Marcus Cline’s attempt at a second grand slam in as many innings (Jackson Linn had the first) came up a foot short when Owls right fielder John Schroeder made a leaping catch at the wall.Uhlman expects a major challenge from Charlotte. None of the runs the Wave scored Tuesday will count Thursday, and both projected starting pitchers will be on the same rest.Tulane’s Luc Fladda threw 57 pitches in the opener of last Thursday’s doubleheader at Charlotte, allowing two runs in five innings. Charlotte’s Adam Stanton threw 77 pitches in the second game, permitting two runs in four innings.The 49ers are on just as much of a tournament roll as the Wave, having won five straight to capture the Conference USA championship last season after losing their opener. They survived bases-loaded, one-out situations in the bottom of the 10th and 11th innings before beating Texas-San Antonio on Tuesday.“Charlotte showed tremendous toughness, so I’m not going to expect anything different when we see them Thursday,” Uhlman said. “If it (Tulane playing five fewer innings) ends up being an advantage, so be it, but we’re not going to take anything for granted.”All three games in the Tulane-Charlotte series last week could have gone either way, with the Wave winning 5-4 and 10-8 in 10 innings after dropping the opener 9-7.“Coach has stressed it’s playoff time for us, and we’ve been in that mode for these past couple weeks,” Rasmussen said. “We’re comfortable, and we love playing when the lights are brightest.”</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Tournament tough: Tulane baseball team thrives in Clearwater, Florida, setting

Something about BayCare Ballpark brings out the absolute best from the Tulane baseball team. Trying to repeat as the American Athletic Conference tournament champions, the third-seeded Green Wave (32-24) already was in good position as it enjoyed an off day before its winners’ bracket matchup with No. 7 seed Charlotte (24-32) on Thursday afternoon. First pitch will be 47 minutes after the noon East Carolina-Wichita State game ends.

Tournament tough: Tulane baseball team thrives in Clearwater, Florida, setting

Comments / 0