Tulane Baseball Ranked 25th in Nation
Jun 21, 1999 | Baseball
December 17, 1998
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane baseball team ranks 25th nationally according to the preseason poll released by Collegiate Baseball released on Thursday, December 17. In addition, Collegiate Baseball named Jason Sparks and Chad Sutter to the Louisville Slugger TPX preseason All-American Team.
Last season the Green Wave finished the season with a 48-15 overall record, and won the Conference USA regular-season title. The squad also won the C-USA Tournament Championship, and a berth to the NCAA South II regional. Tulane finished the 1998 season 16th nationally in batting with a team average of .340, and finished eigth in pitching with a team ERA of 3.91. The Green Wave ended the season ranked 25th in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
Senior outfielder Jason Sparks was selected as a preseason Second Team All-American. Last season, Sparks ranked 19th nationally in RBI, averaging 1.44 per game, and tenth with 27 home runs. He led Conference USA in slugging percentage, .846, and led the league with 30 home runs, after hitting three in the postseason.
Senior catcher Chad Sutter was also named to the All-American squad receiving third team honors. In 1998, Sutter led the team Tulane and finished fifth in the conference with a .392 batting average. He enters the season three home runs shy of the Tulane career home run record, which stands at 57.
For 1999, the Green Wave will return six starters and add 14 players to the roster. The season will begin February 12th on the road in San Diego, Calif., where the Wave will play games against San Diego State and Nevada-Reno. Tulane first home game will be the Winn-Dixie Showdown when they take on Mississippi, February 19th.
