Short Hops
May 17, 2004 | Baseball
May 17, 2004
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Hello Wave fans! Welcome back to another week of Short Hops. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to post anything last weekend. My last final was on Tuesday, which was followed by an assignment that needed to be completed, and since it wasn't until Thursday that I was able to write it, I decided to wait until after the weekend series vs. Saint Louis. So, as a result, there is a lot of stuff I want to talk about today.
This is the best time of the year for college baseball. Not only is our commitment to school finished, but it's also time for the postseason! With only one series left until the C-USA Tournament, the focus is all on baseball. This weekend, the team celebrated the end of finals with a three-game sweep of the Saint Louis Billikens (interesting side note: what's a Billiken?). Anyways, after we took care of Saint Louis in the first two games with a combined score of 22-6, we decided to make the game on Sunday a little more interesting for the fans. I'm excited about the way that the team came together to come back from a three-run deficit in the eighth before taking the win in the ninth.
In a 3-game series against any Division I team, all the breaks aren't always going to fall our way. Sunday's game was definitely a case in point of that theory. However, we proved that we're the type of team that won't let anything get in the way of achieving the goals we've been working so hard to achieve since the day we walked back on campus last August. All in all, though, we won three important games and are now only three wins away from a 40-win regular season. Our pitching staff is a little depleted right now due to injuries, but I'm sure the right people will step up when we need them to. I'm really excited about the way our hitters are swinging right now, though. Coach Kingston has all of us right where we need to be at this point in the season. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep our offense rolling like it is right now to put even less pressure on the injured pitching staff.
Sunday was also Senior Day at Turchin Stadium. On behalf of the seniors (Brian, Cory, Joey, and Matt), I want to thank all of the fans that came out to show their support. Those four guys have put so much into the program and made Tulane baseball something that I couldn't be more proud to be associated with. I'm sure all of you feel the same way. Standing there, watching those guys being announced, I realized how much fun I've had with them on and off the field over the past three years. All of them are really great guys and great friends, which is why I've always felt like our team has been so special. They will be greatly missed, but I don't think it's too far fetched to say that Sunday's game won't be the last time those guys play a game at Turchin. We have to take care of business this weekend in Houston, though.
We have an interesting two weeks ahead of us. Our last conference series is at Houston, which is also the host of the C-USA Tournament. So, pack up the PlayStation and the guitar because we're in for the long haul. After we play our last game on Saturday, we're staying in Houston until the tournament starts on Wednesday. It should be fun, though. I've heard the St. Louis Cardinals will be in town to play the Astros, so I'm sure we'll be able to find ways to pass the time. I hope we can get as many Wave fans as we can out in H-town for the series and the tourney. It should be a fun week and a half of baseball, and we're all really excited about the opportunity finish off the season on a roll.
Oh, before I forget, I wanted to thank the Grounds Krewe for their hard work to get the field ready after the monsoon that past through New Orleans this past week. Those guys are amazing. On Saturday, I couldn't get from the front step of my uptown apartment to my car without a boat and a paddle, but we were able to play a game on the baseball field a couple blocks away. Everyone should thank them whenever you see them for all the hard work they put into the Tulane baseball program. They understood the importance of getting all three games in this weekend, and I'm just happy we could reward them with three wins.
Well, it's off to Houston. After a couple practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, we jump on the bus to head west. Rumor is that we're getting our old bus driver, Thomas, back for the whole time we're in Houston. I know we're all excited about that for two reasons. One is because we've run into some bus problems on our last two road trips and we welcome the change with open arms. Two is that Thomas was our bus driver, not only during my freshman year, but also the year before when the team went to Omaha. So, you've got to be feeling good about that. I tell you, it's all falling into place at the right time!
Okay, that's enough for now. I'm going enjoy what's left of my off day. I'll dial in from Houston next Monday to let you guys know how things are going. Enjoy your week. Hopefully, we'll be sending good news back to New Orleans come Thursday. I'm out.
Roll Wave,
Tommy
