Double Threat
May 19, 2005 | Baseball
May 19, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, La. - By Richie Weaver
Tulane Athletic Media Relations
At the youth level, it is not uncommon to see it happen: the best athlete on the team pitches the "big" games and then plays in the field the rest of the time until his turn in the rotation rolls back around. Little League and Connie Mack teams do it. High Schools do it. The typical NCAA Division I program, however, does not.
The Tulane baseball team is not a typical program.
In what reads as a "Who's Who Among Green Wave Baseball Greats," two-way standouts have been a staple on the Tulane roster since Rick Jones took over the program prior to the 1994 season. The list includes 2003 No. 1 draft pick Michael Aubrey, 1999 All-American closer Brandon Belanger, Houston Astros prospect Nick Bourgeois and USA Baseball Board Member Craig Brown.
This year is no different, except for the fact that Tulane has not one, but a pair of two-way starters in juniors Micah Owings and Brian Bogusevic, and another waiting in the wings in freshman Sean Morgan.
"Any time you have a two-way guy, it helps to maximize your roster," Jones said. "Because of the limited number of scholarships in college baseball (11.7), it makes it really tough to have as productive of a position player lineup and still have a deep pitching staff.
"At Tulane, it's even more important because the cost of tuition is so high. You're giving partial scholarships across the board, and to get two players in one really helps you have your offense as potent as possible and have the kind of pitching staff that can get you deep in the postseason."
When not taking their regular weekend starts on the mound, Owings is the Green Wave's first baseman, while Bogusevic takes his station in right field. Through the first 50 games of the 2005 season, the duo have combined to go 15-5 with 180 strikeouts and a 3.29 ERA in 174.2 innings of work on the mound while joining forces to hit .329 with a .598 slugging percentage at the plate.
Owings leads the team and Conference USA in home runs and ranks second on the team in runs batted in. Bogusevic, who was hampered by an early-season hamstring pull, is hitting over .330 and ranks among the team leaders in stolen bases.
While toeing the rubber, Bogusevic has a team-leading 2.83 ERA and is averaging one strikeout per inning while holding opponents to a team batting average below .250. Owings, meanwhile, leads the Green Wave in strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .231 batting average while tallying a 3.78 ERA.
"Micah and Brian mean a lot to our program in a lot of different ways," Jones said. "They're both tremendous players - both outstanding pitchers and offensive players - and they're both very good students. The big thing they bring to the table is a team concept and a work ethic as good as you're going to find. Both of those guys have a great work ethic and both exemplify the team-first attitude every day."
And while the dynamic duo has similar numbers both offensively and from the mound, the pair has received equal play in the honors department as well.
Bogusevic, the preseason choice for Conference USA Player of the Year, claimed C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors twice and Louisiana Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week recognition once. Owings, meanwhile, claimed National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball once, was named to the College Baseball Honor Roll three times and claimed league Co-Pitcher of the Week recognition once.
Both were named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List for the award which goes to the nation's top baseball player.
"The recognition is nice and all, but I don't think about the awards much," Bogusevic said. "And really, nobody on the team really talks about them. The situation we're in this year is we've got a very good team and we've got a chance to do some very good things as a club. Nobody's worried about individual accomplishments or draft status or anything like that. We're all focused on winning games, and if we do that, the rest of it will take care of itself."
While Bogusevic and Owings claim the headlines, Morgan has been one of Tulane's top arms out of the bullpen with a team-best six wins in relief to go along with five saves. And while at-bats have been hard to come by for the talented rookie from Sugar Land, Texas, due to the Green Wave's glut of talent this season, Morgan has been used as a pinch-hitter and often puts on a display in batting practice.
"Sean is a guy that obviously has more time on the mound than at the plate, but he's a very talented pitcher who has the potential to be an outstanding hitter," Jones said. "He's got great power. He's just now starting to refine his swing a little bit, and as the years go by, he'll have a lot more opportunities. He's somebody we're going to count on in a two-way role in years to come."
Morgan may be the future face of Tulane baseball, but right now, that honor is shared by Bogusevic and Owings. The two-way pair was featured on the cover of Baseball America's college preview edition, and while the cover boys share similar stats and national recognition, each arrived at his current situation at Tulane under drastically different circumstances.
 Junior Brian Bogusevice paces the Tulane pitching staff in ERA and opponent batting average, and despite being limited at the plate due to an early-season hamstring pull, has his swing back in full form heading into the postseason.  | |
Owings, meanwhile, arrived at Tulane in the fall of 2004 after spending two seasons at Georgia Tech where he starred in a dual role from day one. During his time with the Yellow Jackets, Owings was a two-time first-team All-ACC selection and earned All-America honors as a rookie.
Following his sophomore season in Atlanta, Owings was drafted in the 19th round by the Chicago Cubs. But instead of turning pro or returning to Georgia Tech for his junior season, he toured several schools around the country before deciding to transfer to Tulane.
"The fact that Tulane had successful two-way players in the past definitely attracted me," Owing said. "Getting in a routine during a season is tough, and coming to a program that has had players who have had great success in doing both was a big attraction. Not many college coaches even give kids the opportunity to do both these days.
"Baseball is something I've done since l was four. I always played first or short, and when they let us start pitching, I did both. In high school, your best pitcher is generally your shortstop or one of the best position players on the field. I don't know why coaches get away from letting us do both at the next level."
Both players agree that one of the biggest hardships involved with being a two-way athlete is the rigors of playing every day. In the course of a 56-game regular-season schedule, nearly every player suffers from fatigue at some point in time. That is magnified for two-way athletes as the every-day approach is two-fold since they have to prepare both as hitters and pitchers.
"I think it's definitely important to get in shape during the preseason," Owings said. "During the season, you have to be careful what you do between games to not wear down your body. The coaches have kind of held me back during the week sometimes, and I feel a heck of a lot stronger this year than I have in the past."
While several schools still frown upon two-way players, Tulane has used the multi-talented student-athlete as a program builder. And while Bogusevic, Morgan and Owings have enjoyed outstanding 2005 seasons individually and as team members, they all realize that there is a bigger prize on the horizon that the team strives for every day.
"We want to go to Omaha and win," Bogusevic said. "That was my goal when I came in here as a freshman. It's the reason Micah transferred. That's everyone's goal - that's why you play college baseball. All three years I've been here, our goal was to go to Omaha and try and win a national championship.
"This year, with the depth and experience we have, it's a different feeling than in years past. There's a certain confidence that I can't explain. We're no longer just hoping to get there. We feel that we have the ability to get there, and most importantly, everybody's keeping everything in perspective."
