Tulane Green Wave baseball

Tulane Green Wave
2015 Tulane Green Wave baseball team
Founded 1893
University Tulane University
Conference The American
Location New Orleans, LA
Head coach Travis Jewett (1st year)
Home stadium Greer Field at Turchin Stadium
(Capacity: 5,000)
Nickname Green Wave
Colors Olive Green and Sky Blue[1]
         
College World Series appearances
2001, 2005
NCAA Regional Champions
2001, 2004, 2005
NCAA Tournament appearances
1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2016
Conference tournament champions

Metro Conference:
1979, 1982, 1992

Conference USA:
1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005
Conference champions

Southeastern Conference:
1948

Metro Conference:
1983

Conference USA:
1997, 1998, 2001, 2005

American Athletic Conference:
2016

The Tulane Green Wave baseball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The Green Wave baseball team competes in the American Athletic Conference and play their home games on campus at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. They are managed by head coach Travis Jewett, who took over the program in 2016 coming from Vanderbilt University where he was named one of the top assistants ready to lead in college baseball by multiple publications.[2][3] In 2016, USA Today named Tulane University one of the top 10 best college baseball programs in the country.[4]

One of the most prestigious universities in the United States is also home to one of the country’s oldest baseball programs as it has enjoyed over 100 years of illustrious baseball history. Tulane University, located in the heart of the Uptown area of New Orleans, La. on the historic St. Charles Ave., first fielded a baseball team in 1893, fifty years after the school opened its doors for the first time. The program got off to a great start, and it hasn’t looked back since.

Over time, the program has seen a multitude of transitions, but one constant has remained: winning. Tulane has captured 15 conference championships in three different leagues. On top of that, Tulane has been a regular in the NCAA postseason, having made 21 NCAA Regional Appearances as well as 3 Super Regionals and 2 trips to the College World Series.

The program has also produced a slew of draft picks and Major Leaguers, as 27 former Green Wave players have seen time in the big leagues. Additionally, many former players have gone onto successful careers in a variety of fields. With some of the finest facilities in the country and the support and resources of Tulane University and the city of New Orleans, Tulane baseball is considered one of the top 10 finest baseball programs in the NCAA both athletically and academically.[5]

By the Numbers

History

The last few years have seen Tulane's college baseball team consistently ranked among the best in the nation. The NCAA named it the 17th winningest team of the 2000s in terms of winning percentage and 16th by overall wins.[6]

The College World Series

In 2001 the team's 55 wins set a school record and led the nation. The team made it to the College World Series in Omaha, only to blow an 8–0 lead against Stanford University and lose the game 13–11. The Green Wave won its next game against Nebraska 6–5 but was eliminated in the third game by Cal-State Fullerton. In 2005 the Green Wave tied its 2001 record for wins. Tulane started the season ranked first in the nation and held the top spot throughout most of the regular season. The Green Wave entered the postseason ranked No. 1 and beat Rice to win its Super Regional. Tulane advanced to the College World Series for the second time in school history. The Green Wave defeated Oregon State 3–1 in its first game but fell 5–0 to Texas, the eventual national champion. In an elimination game against Baylor, the Green Wave led 7–0 in the 7th inning before the Bears scored 8 runs in the final three innings to win the game. Brian Bogusevic won Louisiana Pitcher of the Year, was named to four All-American teams (including Louisville Slugger's first team), and was a semifinalist for three national awards. He was taken in the first round of the 2005 draft by the Houston Astros. Pitcher and first baseman Micah Owings was named Conference USA and Louisiana Player of the Year. He was drafted in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Third baseman Brad Emaus was named Conference USA and Louisiana Freshman of the Year. Head Coach Rick Jones was named Louisiana Coach of the Year.

Hurricane Katrina

In 2006, the Tulane baseball team returned to New Orleans after spending the fall semester at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. With the renovation of Turchin Stadium delayed, the Green Wave were forced to play home games at nearby Zephyr Field for 2 seasons. Despite the distractions and disruptions of their day-to-day lives, the Green Wave finished the regular season 39–17, in third place in C-USA with a 15–9 conference record. Tulane lost to Ole Miss in the NCAA Regionals to end the season.

The university's Renewal Plan called for the suspension of some of its sports, and Tulane Athletics did not return to a full 16 teams until the 2011-12 school year.

Recent history

Prior to the 2007 season the Green Wave was recognized by Baseball America as one of the top college baseball programs in the country since the NCAA expanded its tournament from 48 to 64 teams. The ratings were formulated by evaluating a program's national impact, overall competitiveness, fans and facilities, and academics. The Wave received an "A" rating, one of only 16 teams so designated.[7]

The 2007 season saw the long-term effects of Hurricane Katrina finally wear on the team. With construction underway on the new Turchin Stadium, the Wave played a second straight season at Zephyr Field. A solid 28–11 start to the season (including a sweep of in-state rival LSU) was followed by a 6–15 limp to the finish line. The Green Wave failed to garner an NCAA bid for the first time since 1997.

Due to health concerns in his 21st season as head coach, Rick Jones stepped down temporarily, handing over control of the 2014 team to recruiting coordinator and hitting coach Jake Gautreau. He was replaced by David Pierce. In his first year at Tulane, David Pierce brought the Greenwave back to postseason play for the first time since 2008. In 2016 he improved on that and brought Tulane a conference championship.[8] On June 29, 2016, Pierce left the Green Wave Baseball Team for the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns team.

Stadium

The Green Wave have played its home games at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium since 1991. The team has a .750 winning percentage in games played there[9] and consistently ranks highly among Division I baseball programs in average attendance figures.[10][11] In 2008 the Green Wave returned to a brand-new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, nearly rebuilt at the site of the old stadium after damage from Katrina forced a much larger construction project. The new stadium expanded seating to 5,000, including four luxury box suites and a partially covered seating area with 2,700 chairback seats.

Logo and Uniforms

Tulane Baseball is widely regarded year in and year out as having one of the best logos and uniforms in College Baseball. Throughout the years, multiple publications and fans have voted the Green Wave jerseys as having the #1 Logo and Uniform in college baseball, and as recently as 2016 the NCAA named it one of the top nine in the country.[12]

Known for their classic appearance, Tulane's "birds on the bat" logo pays homage to the National League's fan favorite St. Louis Cardinals, which make them one of a kind in college baseball.

Tulane has worn multiple color combinations throughout the years that include the following: olive green, sky blue, cream, white, gray, black, and padre style camo jerseys, all donning the famous Tulane "birds on the bat" logo. The baseball cap insignia features either the "T-Wave symbol" or the "Slugger Bird".

Year-by-year results

Tulane in the NCAA Tournament

Year Record Pct Notes
1979 0–2 .000
1982 1–2 .333
1983 1–2 .333
1986 3–2 .600
1987 0–2 .000
1988 1–2 .333
1992 1–2 .333
1994 1–2 .333
1996 1–2 .333
1998 1–2 .333
1999 3–2 .600
2000 1–2 .333
2001 6–3 .667 5th place at the 2001 College World Series
2002 1–2 .333
2003 1–2 .333
2004 3–2 .600
2005 6–3 .667 5th place at the 2005 College World Series
2006 2–2 .500
2008 2–2 .500
2015 1–2 .333
2016 2-2 .500
TOTAL 38–44 .463

National Award Winners

  • National Freshman Of The Year
James Jurries (1999)
Michael Aubrey (2001)
  • National Coach Of The Year
Rick Jones (2005)

Conference Award Winners

  • Conference USA All Decade Team (1996-2005)
Rick Jones - Coach of the Decade
Jake Gautreau - Player of the Decade
Michael Aubrey
James Jurries
Chad Sutter
  • Conference USA Coach Of The Year
Rick Jones (1997,2001,2005)
  • Metro Conference Coach Of The Year
Joe Brockhoff (1991)
  • Conference USA Player Of The Year
Chad Sutter (1999)
Jake Gautreau (2000,2001)
James Jurries (2002)
Michael Aubrey (2003)
Micah Owings (2005)
Mark Hamilton (2006)
  • Conference USA Pitcher Of The Year
Jason Navarro (1997)
Josh Bobbitt (1998)
Shooter Hunt (2008)
  • Metro Conference Pitcher Of The Year
Ken Francingues (1979)
  • Conference USA Freshman Of The Year
Chad Sutter (1997)
James Jurries (1998)
Michael Aubrey (2001)
J.R. Crowel (2003)
Brad Emaus (2006)
Warren McFadden (2006)
  • Metro Conference Freshman Of The Year
Ivan Zweig (1991)
  • NCAA Division I Regional Tournament MVP
Joey Charron (New Orleans, 2001)
Brian Bogusevic (Oxford, 2004)
Mark Hamilton (New Orleans, 2005)
  • Conference USA Tournament MVP
Jason Fitzgerald (1996)
Brian Hughes (1998)
Mickey McKee (1999)
Barth Melius (2001)
Nathan Southard (2005)
  • Metro Conference Tournament MVP
Ken Francingues (1979)
Mike Romano (1992)

Collegiate National team members

Over the last two decades, the Green Wave have been well represented on the nation’s most elite team – USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. There have been 7 players/coaches to don the Red, White and Blue uniform on eight separate occasions since Ivan Zweig became the first to represent Tulane as a member of Team USA in 1991.

Player / Coach Position Years at Tulane Country Year
Ivan Zweig P 1991–1994 USA 1991
Chad Sutter** C 1996–1999 USA 1996
James Jurries** C 1999–2002 USA 1999
Jake Gautreau 3B 1999–2001 USA 2000
Michael Aubrey 1B 2001–2003 USA 2001 & 2002
Tony Giarratano SS 2001–2003 USA 2001
Nick Pepitone P 2008–2011 USA 2009
Rick Jones HC 1994–2014 USA 2009
David Pierce Asst. 2015–2016 USA 2016

"**"Indicates selected to team but did not participate due to injury

Greenies in the MLB

Notable Drafted High School Commits in the MLB

Player Position Debut MLB Years Team(s)
Gerald Alexander P 09/09/1990 1990-1993 TEX
Michael Aubrey 1B 05/17/2008 2008-2009 CLE, BAL
Brian Bogusevic OF 09/01/2010 2010-2015 HOU, CHC, PHI
Bobby Brown UT 09/22/1946 1946-1954 NYY
Andy Cannizaro SS/3B 09/05/2006 2006-2008 NYY, TB
Preston Claiborne P 05/05/2013 2013-2014 NYY
Jack Cressend P 08/26/2000 2000-2004 MIN, CLE
Brad Emaus 2B 04/01/2011 2011 NYM
Jim Gaudet C 09/10/1978 1978-1979 KC
Tony Giarratano SS 08/01/2005 2005 DET
Brandon Gomes P 05/03/2011 2011-Present TB
Mark Hamilton 1B 09/20/2010 2010-2011 STL
Gene Harris P 04/05/1989 1989-1995 MON, SEA, SD, DET, PHI, BAL
Carl Lind 2B/SS 09/14/1927 1927-1930 CLE
Aaron Loup P 07/14/2012 2012-Present TOR
Tommy Manzella SS 09/08/2009 2009-2010 HOU
Kevin Mmahat P 09/09/1989 1989 NYY
Eddie Morgan 1B/OF 04/11/1928 1928-1934 CLE, BOS
Steve Mura P 09/05/1978 1978-1985 SD, STL, CHW, OAK
Micah Owings P/PH 05/06/2007 2007-2012 ARI, CIN, SD
Josh Prince OF/3B 040/6/2013 2013 MIL
Mike Romano P 09/05/1999 1999 TOR
Rob Segedin 3B,LF 08/07/2016 2016-Present LAD
Andy Sheets SS,2B,3B 04/22/1996 1996-2002 SEA, SD, ANA, BOS, TB
Scott Williamson P 04/05/1999 1999-2007 CIN, BOS, CHC, SD, BAL
Frank Wills P 07/31/1983 1983-1991 KC, SEA, CLE, TOR
Josh Zeid P 07/30/2013 2013-2014 HOU

Retired numbers

The Tulane baseball program has retired three numbers in the school's history. One player, a player/coach and a coaching legend each have their names and numbers immortalized inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. A trio of New Orleans natives are all enshrined in the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame, with head coach Joe Brockhoff (East Jefferson High School), Cary D. Livingston (West Jefferson High School) and Milt Retif (Jesuit High School) all have their numbers hung on the facade inside the Green Wave's home stadium.[13]

No. Member Position Career
12 Cary D. Livingston Outfield 1969–1972
27 Milt Retif Shortstop / Head Coach 1952–1955 / 1967-1974
25 Joe Brockhoff Head Coach 1979–1993

Other prominent former players

Andrew Friedman

Bobby Brown

Scott Sidwell

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tulane Admission: Traditions". Tulane University. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
  2. ↑ http://www.d1baseball.com/the-buzz/the-most-head-coach-ready-assistants/
  3. ↑ http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/on-campus/2012/2614502.html
  4. ↑ http://college.usatoday.com/2016/03/04/top-men-division-i-schools-for-mens-baseball/
  5. ↑ http://college.usatoday.com/2016/03/04/top-men-division-i-schools-for-mens-baseball/
  6. ↑ "Division I Baseball Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  7. ↑ Matt Eddy and John Manuel (January 16, 2007). "The Top College Programs Of The 64-Team Era". Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  8. ↑ Tammy Nunez (April 8, 2014). "Tulane baseball coach Rick Jones talks about stepping down this spring from his lifelong passion". nola.com. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Turchin Stadium". tulanegreenwave.com. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  10. ↑ "NCAA Baseball Attendance". NCAA. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  11. ↑ Tami Cutler. "2011 Division I Baseball Attendance". Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  12. ↑ http://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2016-04-20/9-great-college-baseball-throwback-uniforms
  13. ↑ http://tulanegreenwave.com/sports/2016/6/13/facilities-retired-numbers-html.aspx
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