NCAA Postseason Recaps
May 4, 2006 | Baseball
1979 NCAA South Regional
Starkville, Miss. • Host: Mississippi State
The Green Wave made history in 1979, winning the Metro Conference Tournament to qualify for its first trip to the NCAA Regionals. Sent to Starkville, Miss., for the South Regional, the Green Wave opened play against Murray State, but the Racers were too much for the postseason neophytes in a 5-3 loss. Tulane held a 3-2 lead in the fourth, but Murray State tied the score in the sixth, and Greg Tooley hit a game-winning, two-run homer in the eighth to send the Green Wave to the loser's bracket.
In the second round, Tulane was matched up with the host Bulldogs who took an early 10-0 lead - including a seven-run fourth - and never looked back en route to a 12-4 win. Tulane was held to six hits and committed four costly errors in the loss. Highlights of the trip included home runs by Larry Cabeceiras and Chuck Melito against Murray State and Mississippi State, respectively.
Murray State 5, Tulane 3 Tulane 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 10 4 Murray State 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 X - 5 11 1 WP: Rice (7-2) LP: Francingues (13-12) 2B: Butera (TU), Stokes (TU), Tooley (MSU), Wagoner (MSU). HR: Cabeceiras (TU), Tooley (MSU).Mississippi State 12, Tulane 4 Miss. State 0 2 0 7 0 2 0 0 1 - 12 15 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 - 4 6 4 WP: Mundie (10-0) LP: Pursell (4-3) 2B: McDonald (MSU), Kocol (MSU), Loe (MSU), Pavlou (MSU), Hannah (MSU), Butera (TU), Retif (TU). 3B: Kelley (MSU). HR: Melito (TU).
1982 NCAA South Regional
New Orleans, La. • Host: UNO
With its first 40-win season under its belt, Tulane won its first NCAA postseason contest, an 11-5 victory over Jackson State, but a pair of losses to host UNO ended the Green Wave's season at 41-16.
After coming back from a 4-1 deficit and later tying the score at 5-all, the Green Wave dropped a heartbreaker to the Privateers in a 7-5 game-one loss as UNO's Augi Schmidt and Brian DeValk smashed ninth-inning home runs to provide the winning runs.
In game two, Tulane pounded out 15 hits, including home runs by Eric Lane, Brian Migliore and Steve Riley, to defeat Jackson State. Tulane plated three in the first and broke the game open with a seven-run third. From there, it was up to southpaw Mark Desjardin who earned his ninth win in the process.
In the rematch with UNO, Tulane once again posted a dramatic comeback only to fall to the home team. Trailing 3-1 after five, Riley tied it up with a two-run homer in the sixth, but UNO reclaimed a 5-4 lead after eight before Reggie Reginelli sent the game to extra innings with an RBI single in the ninth. In the 10th, however, Tulane's Paul Fitch was called for a balk with bases loaded and the Green Wave fell 5-4.
UNO 7, Tulane 5 UNO 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 - 7 10 0 Tulane 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 - 5 7 1 WP: Harman (5-3) LP: Murphy (4-1) 2B: Graziano (UNO), Schmidt (UNO), Albrecth (UNO), Mathews 2 (TU), Delaune (TU). 3B: DeValk (UNO). HR: Schmidt (UNO), DeValk (UNO), Zelenka (TU).Tulane 11, Jackson State 5 Jackson St. 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 5 11 5 Tulane 3 0 7 0 0 1 0 0 X - 11 15 4 WP: Desjardins (9-2) LP: Freeman (5-7) 2B: Riley (TU). HR: King (JSU), Lane (TU), Migliore (TU), Riley (TU).
UNO 5, Tulane 4 (10 innings) Tulane 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 - 4 11 1 UNO 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 - 5 7 1 WP: Harman (3-1) LP: Fitch (5-1) 2B: Delaune (TU). 3B: HR: Riley (TU), Cesario (UNO).
1983 NCAA Central Regional
Austin, Texas • Host: Univ. of Texas
Tulane earned its first at-large berth to the NCAA postseason in 1983 and was sent to Austin, Texas for the Central Regional. In Longhorn country, the Green Wave played a trio of close contests, but could manage only an 8-7 win over Grambling State in the second round to finish the year 42-13.
Mississippi State starter Jeff Brantley kept Tulane in check in game one, limiting the Green Wave to four hits and holding the team score-less until the eighth, in a 4-2 Bulldog victory. Tulane stormed out to a 3-0 lead after one inning in game two against Grambling, but the Tigers answered with two in the third and four in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead they would hold until the eighth inning. In the eighth, the Green Wave tied things up with three in the frame. After trading runs in the ninth, John Zelenka put the finishing touches on a 3-for-6 day with an RBI-double in the top of the 10th to give the Green Wave the win.
But in game three, host Texas eliminated Tulane in a 7-5 decision. The Green Wave had their chances in the contest, and overcame a 4-1 deficit with a run in the third and tied the contest on a two-run homer by Dan Wagner in the fourth, but the Longhorns answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame and added an insurance run in the fifth.
Mississippi State 4, Tulane 2 Miss. State 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 - 4 13 2 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 2 4 2 WP: Brantley (11-3) LP: Desjardins (12-6) 2B: Winkler (MSU), Clark (MSU), Riley (TU).Tulane 8, Grambling State 7 (10 innings) Tulane 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 - 8 12 2 GSU 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 - 7 12 1 WP: Migliore (N/A) LP: Carter (N/A) 2B: N/A 3B: N/A HR: N/A
Texas 7, Tulane 5 Tulane 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 - 5 10 2 Texas 2 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 X - 7 11 0 WP: Capel (7-2) LP: Burdine (1-2) 2B: Mathews (TU), Fourmaux (TU), Riley (TU) 3B: Reginelli (TU). HR: Wagner (TU).
1986 NCAA South I Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
The trip to the postseason in 1986 proved to be an exciting one as the Tulane squad advanced to the championship game of the NCAA South I Regional before coming up just one run short of its first trip to the College World Series.
The Green Wave got off to a rough start - falling to Louisiana Tech 7-5 in the opening game - but Tulane came back strong to defeat Eastern Kentucky 16-6 and Oklahoma 14-5 before exacting revenge on Tech with a 9-4 victory to earn a spot in the Regional Championship game.
In game two, Tulane set an NCAA Regional record with 51 total bases on 23 hits - eight doubles, a triple and eight home runs - to extend the season with the victory over Eastern Kentucky. While the bats were doing most of the damage, the Green Wave also got a complete-game effort from Sam Amarena, who scattered five hits and struck out 11 in the win.
It was more of the same against Oklahoma as Tulane scored 10 runs in the final two innings to defeat the second-seeded Sooners. Then, in the rematch against Tech, David Smith belted two home runs and drove in five to pit the Green Wave against arch-rival LSU for the right to go to the College World Series.
Facing the host Tigers, Tulane held a 6-4 lead through seven, but the Tigers tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth to tie the game and plated the go-ahead run in the ninth. The Green Wave had something cooking with a man on first and Smith at the plate. Smith had already hit four home runs in the tournament, but with a 2-0 count, the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
Twenty-one hours later, Smith drew a one-out walk to move a runner into scoring position, but Dan Wagner popped out and Tookie Spann flied out to left to end the threat, the game and the season.
All told, Tulane pounded out 62 hits, including 32 for extra bases with 16 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs. Three players - Smith, second baseman Ronald Marigny and catcher Lou Deiley - earned All-South I Region honors, becoming the first Green Wave players to earn a spot on an NCAA postseason all-tournament team.
Louisiana Tech 7, Tulane 5 La. Tech 1 1 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 - 7 10 2 Tulane 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 - 5 9 0 WP: LeBlanc (10-5) LP: Borgatti (9-4) 2B: Colston (LTU), Spann (TU), Marigny (TU), Mahoney (TU). HR: Moore (LTU), Ortman (LTU), Colston (LTU).Tulane 16, Eastern Kentucky 6 Tulane 0 1 3 3 1 4 0 3 1 - 16 23 2 E. Kentucky 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 - 6 5 2 WP: Amarena (11-3); LP: Norkus (3-6) 2B: Marigney 2 (TU), Mitchell 2 (TU), Wagner (TU), Rivette (TU), Spann (TU), Deiley (TU), Privitra (EKU). 3B: Reich (TU). HR: Spann (TU), Smith 2 (TU), Wagner (TU), Deiley (TU), Elswick (EKU), Moranda (EKU).
Tulane 14, Oklahoma 5 Tulane 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 4 - 14 8 1 Oklahoma 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 5 10 4 WP: Little (8-3); LP: Grubb (3-2). 2B: Reich (TU), Deiley (TU), Marigny (TU), Dobson (OU), Toal 2 (OU). 3B: Wagner (TU). HR: Marigny (TU), Burdick (OU), Lavender (OU).
Tulane 9, Louisiana Tech 4 Tulane 0 0 0 0 5 0 3 1 0 - 9 12 5 La. Tech 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 - 4 8 0 WP: Harris (5-0); LP: Guillot (3-4). 2B: Rivette (TU), Mitchell (TU), Montoyo (LTU), Ortman (LTU). HR: Smith 2 (TU), Rivette (TU).
LSU 7, Tulane 6 LSU 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 1 - 7 9 2 Tulane 2 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 - 6 10 3 WP: Manuel (10-2); LP: Little (8-4). 2B: Reboulet (LSU), Smith (TU), Deiley (TU). HR: Belle 2 (LSU), Bowie (LSU), Yurtin (LSU), Rapp (TU).
1987 NCAA South II Regional
New Orleans, La. • Host: UNO
Expectations were high for the Green Wave squad in the NCAA South II Regional, but it was not meant to be as Tulane made a quick exit from the postseason, dropping a 5-3 decision to LSU in the opening round before falling to Cal State Fullerton, 4-0.
Billy Rapp went 5-for-5, David Smith had three RBI and Tulane outhit LSU 10-7, but the Tigers came away with the win. In round two, Tulane ran into Titans pitcher Mike Harkey, who threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout to eliminate the Green Wave from postseason play. The game was decided in the third inning when Cal State Fullerton batted around to score all four runs.
LSU 5, Tulane 3 LSU 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 - 5 7 1 Tulane 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 3 10 3 WP: Patterson (8-2); LP: Amarena (10-3). 2B: Rapp (TU). HR: Faulkner (LSU), Bush (LSU), Smith (TU).Cal State Fullerton 4, Tulane 0 CSF 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 7 1 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 4 1 WP: Harkey (10-2); LP: Alexander (8-3). 2B: Mota (CSF), Kaub (CSF), Parker (TU).
1988 NCAA East Regional
Gainesville, Fla. • Host: Univ. of Florida
The Green Wave got their first taste of postseason baseball in the Sunshine State and did not care much for the flavor as Tulane was bounced with a 1-2 Regional showing. After defeating North Carolina State 1-0 to open tournament play, the Green Wave were treated rudely by Florida State and host Florida as the two teams won 8-6 and 9-5, respectively.
In the game against the Wolfpack, Tulane got a stellar performance from pitcher Gerald Alexander who wrapped up his Green Wave career with a complete-game, two-hit shutout. With a no-hitter through six innings, Alexander finished the day with six strikeouts. Elliot Quinnes provided the only offense needed for Tulane with an RBI-single in the eighth to plate the only run of the game.
Tulane jumped out to a 4-1 lead against FSU, but could only muster two runs the rest of the way. Then, the Gators plated four runs in the top of the sixth, another two in the ninth, and out-hit Tulane 12-9 to eliminate the Wave.
Tulane 1, North Carolina State 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 4 0 NC State 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 1 WP: Alexander (11-4); LP: Hartsock (11-3). 2B: Boyette (NCS).Florida State 8, Tulane 6 Florida St. 1 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 0 - 8 8 2 Tulane 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 6 10 1 WP: Dunbar (3-0); LP: Herry (4-4); SV: Kimball (8). 2B: Blackwell (FSU), Ronan (FSU).HR: Alicea (FSU), Spann (TU), Elkins (TU).
Florida 9, Tulane 5 Florida 0 0 0 2 1 4 0 0 2 - 9 12 3 Tulane 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 - 5 9 3 WP: Wiggs (11-3); LP: Cloude (6-3); SV: McAndrews (9). 2B: Rutledge (UF), Edwards (UF), Brigham (UF), Dares (TU), Elkins (TU).
1992 NCAA South I Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
After a four-year hiatus from the NCAA postseason, Tulane earned a spot in the NCAA South I Regional after winning the 1992 Metro Conference Tournament. The Green Wave got a tremendous effort from Mike Romano in a game-one 4-2 win over South Alabama, but fell short in their next two games against Cal State Fullerton and host LSU to conclude the season 39-24.
Tulane had to work overtime in the victory over the Jaguars, but Romano came though with a complete-game 12-inning effort to earn his 17th victory of the season. He finished the day with 13 strikeouts while scattering eight hits on the day. His lone mistake came in the first inning as USA hit a two-run homer, but Tulane tied the score with a pair of runs of its own. The score remained 2-2 until the top of the 12th when John Livingstone and Rick Chanove posted back-to-back RBI singles to account for the final score.
It was the exact opposite in the game against the Titans as Fullerton pitchers Dan Naulty and Marcus Nelson combined to limit the Green Wave to three hits in an 8-0 decision. Against the Tigers, Larry Schneider went 3-for-4 and Todd Dyess struck out 10 in 7.1 innings of relief, but it was not enough to overcome a four-run first inning by LSU in a 7-3 loss.
Tulane 4, South Alabama 2 (12 innings) Tulane 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 4 8 0 USA 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 8 4 WP: Romano (17-4); LP: Lieber (12-5). 2B: Kontorinis (USA), Carlson (USA). HR: Kontorinis (USA).Cal State Fullerton 8, Tulane 0 CS Fullerton 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 - 8 9 1 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 2 WP: Naulty (11-3); LP: Welch (8-2). 2B: Carr (CSF), Moler (CSF). HR: Olsen (CSF), Moler (CSF), Herman (CSF).
LSU 7, Tulane 3 Tulane 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 3 9 3 LSU 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 X - 7 4 1 WP: Rantz (7-2); LP: Ibieta (3-4); SV: Hunt (1). 2B: Licciardi (TU), Morton (TU), Moock (LSU). HR: Moock (LSU).
1994 NCAA South Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
In their first season under head coach Rick Jones, the 1994 Tulane team rebounded from a 23-31 showing the previous season to advance to the Metro Conference Championship Game, earn an at-large berth in the NCAA South Regional. In Baton Rouge, the Green Wave earned a 7-5 victory over Fresno State in the first round before falling 5-0 to Southern Cal and 4-1 vs. UNC-Greensboro to finish the year 41-24.
In the contest against the Bulldogs, Brad Burckel made everyone forget about his two failed sacrifice bunt attempts in his previous two swings with a three-run homer in the seventh inning to provide the winning runs. From there, reliever Brian Gibbs struck out two Fresno hitters in 1.2 innings of no-hit baseball to set a then-Tulane record with his 10th save of the season. Senior third baseman Scott Sidwell paced the Tulane offense with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate.
In game two against USC, however, Trojan All-American hurler Randy Flores shut out Tulane with five strikeouts and did not allow a Green Wave runner past second base until the ninth inning. Then, against UNC-Greensboro, a three-run second inning by the Spartans spelled doom for the boys in Olive and Blue.
Tulane 7, Fresno State 5 Fresno St. 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 - 5 14 2 Tulane 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 X - 7 12 2 WP: Stewart (11-5); LP: Minor (11-6); SV: Gibbs (10). 2B: Sidwell (TU), Stewart (TU). 3B: Freitas (FSU). HR: Judice, Renteria (FSU), Burckel (TU).Southern California 5, Tulane 0 USC 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 - 5 5 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 6 3 WP: Flores (11-1); LP: Dyess (4-7). 2B: Hastings (USC), Allen (TU).
UNC-Greensboro 4, Tulane 1 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 6 0 UNCG 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 X - 4 8 3 WP: Huffman (8-4); LP: Cressend (4-4). 2B: Calbrese (NCG), Faulkner (NCG). HR: Giles (NCG).
1996 NCAA South II Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
The Green Wave won the inaugural Conference USA Tournament and went on to defeat UNLV in the opening round of the 1998 NCAA South II Regional in Baton Rouge, La., before falling to UNO and Georgia Tech to conclude the season 43-20.
In the first round contest against the Rebels, Tulane posted 12 hits, including seven doubles, and seven starters had two hits each to lead the Green Wave to a 10-7 victory. With the score knotted at 4-all. Keith Graffagnini's two-run double in the fourth put Tulane ahead for good, and the Green Wave broke the game open with a four-run seventh. Jason Navarro got the win for Tulane, striking out three in 6.1 innings to improve to 11-0.
Tulane trailed 5-0 against UNO before plating four in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie the game up. From there, however, it was all Privateers as UNO scored eight runs over the final three innings en route to a 13-5 win. In game three, Georgia Tech pounded out 14 hits and held off a furious Tulane comeback that featured three runs in the final two innings to earn a 7-4 win over the Green Wave.
Tulane 10, UNLV 7 Tulane 2 2 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 - 10 12 1 UNLV 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 7 10 3 WP: Navarro (11-0); LP: LaRosa (9-2). 2B: Brown (TU), Hughes (TU), Graffagnini (TU), Fitzgerald (TU), Boudreaux (TU), Pursell (TU), Johns (TU), Hankins (UNLV), Eberwein (UNLV). HR: Kleiner (UNLV).UNO 13, Tulane 5 UNO 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 4 3 - 13 13 2 Tulane 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 - 5 8 2 WP: Stanson (5-5); LP: Lontayo (7-6). 2B: Washam 2 (UNO), Cabecerias (UNO), Harer (UNO), Hughes (TU). HR: DiSalvo (UNO), Cabeceiras (UNO).
Georgia Tech 7, Tulane 4 Tulane 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 - 4 11 2 Georgia Tech 2 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 X - 7 14 0 WP: Crowder (10-5); LP: Williamson (5-2). 2B: Sutter (TU), Fitzgerald (TU), Byers (GT), Barr (GT), Byrd (GT). HR: Fischer (GT), Byrd (GT).
1998 NCAA South II Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
Coming off the best power performance in school history, the 1998 Tulane team won both the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles to earn the No. 3 seed in the NCAA South II Regional. After posting a convincing 11-5 victory over then-Southwestern Louisiana, the Green Wave fell to Cal State Fullerton, 10-6, and Harvard, 14-11, to finish the year 48-15.
Jason Sparks went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs to lead the Green Wave past the Ragin' Cajuns. Tulane tallied 14 hits - including three doubles and four homers - against USL, and wasted little time getting on the scoreboard with two runs in the third and another in the fourth. The Ragin` Cajuns answered in the top of the fifth, but Tulane came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame on a three-RBI double by Jake Burnham to put the game out of reach.
Against the Titans, Chad Sutter went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI, but it was not enough as Cal State Fullerton starter Erasmo Ramirez struck out seven in 7.0 innings to lead the Titans to victory. Against the Crimson, in a game that featured 29 hits, seven doubles and six home runs, Tulane led 11-7 after six and a half innings before Harvard erupted for four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to earn the win.
Tulane 11, Southwestern Louisiana 5 USL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 - 5 13 2 Tulane 0 0 2 1 3 0 3 2 X - 11 14 3 WP: Bobbit (13-1); LP: Devey (11-6); SV: Bell (2). 2B: Neyland (USL), Hughes (TU), Cannizaro (TU), Burnham (TU). HR: Ryan (USL), Wilson (USL), Sparks 2 (TU), Burnham (TU), Shirley (TU).Cal State Fullerton 10, Tulane 6 Tulane 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 - 6 10 4 CS Fullerton 1 5 1 0 0 3 0 0 X - 10 11 0 WP: Ramirez (11-5); LP: Echeverz (7-1). 2B: Graffagnini (TU), Sutter (TU), Pursell (TU), Moore (CSF). HR: Sutter (TU), Fukuhara (CSF), Rowand (CSF).
Harvard 14, Tulane 11 Tulane 4 0 4 0 0 2 1 0 0 - 11 13 3 Harvard 1 2 1 2 0 1 4 3 X - 14 16 2 WP: Jamieson (5-1); LP: Brown (4-3). 2B: Hughes 2 (TU), Cannizaro (TU), Pursell (TU), Keck (HU), Woodfork (HU), Huling (HU). HR: Graffagnini (TU), Sparks (TU), Burnham (TU), Ralph (HU), Carey (HU), Binkowski (HU).
1999 NCAA Auburn Regional
Auburn, Ala. • Host: Auburn University
After winning the 1999 Conference USA Tournament, Tulane earned its first No. 1 seeding and packed its bags for Alabama for the NCAA Auburn Regional. After dropping an extra-inning game to Winthrop in the first round, the Green Wave defeated North Carolina State, won a rematch against the Eagles and defeated host Auburn before falling to the host Tigers in the championship game to finish the year 48-17.
Henry Bonilla went eight innings for Tulane in the opener, but Winthrop's Jason Tarusuik smashed a solo home run in the top of the 11th to lead the Eagles to an 8-7 upset. The Green Wave led 5-3 on a double by James Jurries and a home run by Jason Sparks, but Winthrop scored three unearned runs in the top of the ninth to set up Tarusuik's game-winning bomb.
Tulane bounced back with a 15-hit, three-home run performance in an 11-5 win over North Carolina State and avenged the loss to Winthrop with two-hit showings by Steve Shirley, Jake Gautreau and Jake Burnham to earn a 15-9 victory. Raul Ech-everz pitched his first complete game of the year, striking out three and giving up five earned runs.
Facing elimination against Auburn in the first game of Championship Sunday, Gautreau drove in three runs and Jason Sparks hit his third home run of the weekend to defeat the homestanding Tigers 7-5. Tulane took a 3-0 lead in the second, but Auburn would come back with a run in the bottom of the frame and three runs in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Gautreau answered with a two-run double and Sparks sent one out to give the Green Wave a 7-4 lead they would not relinquish. Dan O'Gara went the distance for the Green Wave, and was aided by four double plays.
In the championship game, however, the Green Wave simply ran out of arms as Auburn advanced to the Super Regionals with a 13-9 win. The Tigers' Casey Dunn went 5-for-5 and closer Colter Bean gave up just one run in four innings. Auburn out-hit Tulane 17-14 and scored six runs over the final three innings en route to the victory. Entering the game with one out in the second, Brandon Belanger did an admirable job for four innings, but the closer tired late in the game and Auburn was able to take advantage. Chad Sutter, Sparks, Burnham and Gautreau all hit home runs, but it was not enough to overcome a depleted bullpen.
Winthrop 8, Tulane 7 (11 innings) Winthrop 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 - 8 13 1 Tulane 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 - 7 10 3 WP: Sundsmo (6-3); LP: Robinson (3-3). 2B: Busha (WU), Leathers (WU), Tarasuik (WU), Friedman (WU), Jurries (TU). HR: Tarasuik (WU), McKee (TU), Sparks (TU).Tulane 11, North Carolina State 5 Tulane 3 0 5 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 11 15 6 NC State 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 - 5 8 2 WP: Berkowitz (13-3); LP: Dorn (3-5). 2B: Sutter (TU), Jurries 2 (TU), Sparks (TU), Wright (NCS). HR: Sutter (TU), Sparks (TU), Gautreau (TU).
Tulane 15, Winthrop 9 Winthrop 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 - 9 11 4 Tulane 1 2 2 8 2 0 0 0 X - 15 13 4 WP: Echeverz (6-2); LP: Krosschell (10-5). 2B: Sullivan (WU), Leathers (WU), Tarasuik 2 (WU), Drayton (WU), Groff (TU), Shirley (TU), Burnham (TU). 3B: Leathers (WU). HR: Sutter (TU), Gautreau (TU).
Tulane 7, Auburn 5 Tulane 0 3 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 - 7 11 0 Auburn 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 - 5 12 2 WP: O'Gara (8-2); LP: Bootcheck (8-6). 2B: Cannizaro (TU), McKee (TU), Gautreau (TU). HR: Sparks (TU), Faulkner (AU), Reif (AU).
Auburn 13, Tulane 9 Auburn 4 2 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 - 13 17 1 Tulane 3 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 - 9 14 4 WP: Bean (5-2); LP: Belanger (3-5). 2B: Kent (AU), Dunn (AU), Wandall (AU), Reif (AU), Jurries (TU), Gautreau (TU). HR: Sutter (TU), Sparks (TU), Gautreau (TU), Burnham (TU).
2000 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
The Green Wave defeated South Alabama 4-3 in game two of the 2000 NCAA Starkville Regional, but a pair of losses to Notre Dame eliminated Tulane from postseason play as the club finished the season 38-22.
The Irish sent Tulane to the loser's bracket with an 8-4 victory in game one and sent the Green Wave packing in game three with a 10-6 decision. Against the Jaguars, however, Henry Bonilla scattered nine hits and three earned runs while striking out six to earn his fourth complete game of the season. After tallying just three hits over the first five innings, Tulane got a single off the bat of Matt Groff, James Jurries and Jake Gautreau belted back-to-back RBI doubles, and James Burgess had a pinch-hit RBI single to put the Green Wave ahead 3-2. The two teams traded runs in the eighth, but Bonilla made the score stand to earn his ninth win of the year.
Miscues cost Tulane in the first game against Notre Dame as three Green Wave errors led to five Irish runs. In the rematch, Jurries hit a three-run homer in the first and Andy Cannizaro went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, but it was not enough to counter 14 hits, including six doubles, by the Irish.
Notre Dame 8, Tulane 4 Notre Dame 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 - 8 14 1 Tulane 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 - 4 5 3 WP: Buchmeier (4-2); LP: Berkowitz (13-4). 2B: Meyer (ND). HR: Gautreau (TU).Tulane 4, South Alabama 3 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 - 4 9 0 USA 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 3 9 2 WP: Bonilla (9-3); LP: Long (5-7). 2B: Jurries (TU), Gautreau (TU), Nelson (ND).
Notre Dame 10, Tulane 6 Notre Dame 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 4 1 - 10 13 3 Tulane 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 6 10 1 WP: Corbin (5-3); LP: Bourgeois (1-2). 2B: Bok (ND), Porzel (ND), Felker 2 (ND), Maier (ND), Bushey (ND), Burgess (TU). HR: Jurries (TU).
2001 NCAA New Orleans Regional
New Orleans, La. • Host: Tulane University
After reaching an NCAA Regional title game twice before only to fall short of advancing, the 2001 Tulane team made history with a three-game sweep of the NCAA New Orleans Regional in front of a capacity crowd at Turchin Stadium. Tulane claimed a win over Southern in the opening round before taking back-to-back games over Oklahoma State to win the school's first Regional Championship.
While the Green Wave's big bats provided the offensive spark, diminutive freshman closer Joey Charron was named Most Outstanding Player after picking up all three wins, striking out seven opposing batters and giving up just one earned run in 6.2 innings of relief.
In game one, Tulane exploded for 18 runs over three innings, including an 11-run seventh, en route to a 22-9 win over the Jaguars. Southern scored four runs in the top of the fourth, but Charron pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to shut down the Jaguars. Every Green Wave starter scored at least one run, and five different Tulane players recorded three RBI. Andy Cannizaro led Tulane with four hits.
Oklahoma State drew first blood in the second round with two runs in the first, but the Green Wave scored six runs over the next two innings to take the lead. The Cowboys refused to go away, however, and matched Tulane run-for-run, tying the game at 10-all in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, pinch-hitter Aaron Feldman drove in a pair of runs with a single to spark a three-run inning as the Wave claimed a 13-10 victory.
Things came down to the wire once again In the championship game as James Jurries laced a two-out, bases-loaded, two-RBI single to plate Jonny Kaplan and Cannizaro in the bottom of the eighth to lift Tulane to a 9-8 come-from-behind victory. The OSU bats were hot early as the Cowboys took a 7-1 lead after three and a half innings of play, but Tulane scored a run in the fifth and three in the seventh before Jurries' clutch hit in the eighth. Charron picked up his third win of the tournament, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and one run with a strikeout.
Tulane 22, Southern 9 Southern 1 2 0 4 0 0 0 1 1 - 9 8 5 Tulane 2 1 0 1 4 3 11 0 X - 22 16 4 WP: Charron (7-1); LP: Anderson (6-3). 2B:Cannizaro (TU), Gautreau (TU), Aubrey (TU), Heintz (TU). HR: Woods (SU), Giarratano (TU).Tulane 13, Oklahoma State 10 Tulane 0 4 2 0 1 1 2 0 3 - 13 16 2 Okla. State 2 0 2 1 0 2 2 1 0 - 10 15 2 WP: Charron (8-1); LP: Hawk (2-4). 2B: Kaplan (TU), Giarratano (TU), Powell (OSU), Scott (OSU). HR: Jurries (TU), McAuliff (OSU), Brown (OSU).
Tulane 9, Oklahoma State 8 Okla. State 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 - 8 11 3 Tulane 0 1 0 2 1 0 3 2 X - 9 14 0 WP: Charron (9-1); LP: McCurdy (7-5). 2B: Brown (OSU), Scott (OSU), Cannizaro (TU), Jurries (TU), Giarratano (TU). HR: Powell (OSU).
2001 NCAA New Orleans Super Regional
Metairie, La. • Host: Tulane University
Nicknamed "The Shrine on Airline", Zephyr Field became a field of dreams for the Green Wave as Tulane defeated arch-rival LSU in a best-of-three series in the 2001 New Orleans Super Regional to earn its first trip to the College World Series.
After dropping a 13-inning, 4-3 decision to the Tigers in game one, sophomore centerfielder Jonny Kaplan sent the first pitch of game two over the wall in left field and the rest of the weekend belonged to Tulane as the Green Wave went on to win the next two games, 9-4 and 7-1.
Tulane fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first of game one before scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. The advantage would be short-lived as LSU's Wally Pontiff hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh to tie the game. After five scoreless innings, the Tigers' David Raymer hit a sacrifice fly to plate Chris Phillips in the 13th to provide the winning margin.
Kaplan's game-two homer sparked a four-run first, and Tulane took a commanding lead with two more runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. LSU cut the lead to 7-4 with a four-run explosion in the bottom of the seventh, but two Green Wave runs in the ninth quelled all thoughts of a comeback.
Tulane rode the left arm of Beau Richardson in game three and gave the junior plenty of run support as the Green Wave scored one in the first and six in the fourth to clinch the series. Richardson scattered seven hits and tallied a career-best eight strikeouts in the complete-game victory.
LSU 4, Tulane 3 (13 innings) LSU 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 4 13 1 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 14 1 WP: Wilson (3-2); LP: Melius (10-2). 2B: Gautreau (TU). HR: Fontenot (LSU).Tulane 9, LSU 4 Tulane 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 - 9 14 1 LSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 - 4 8 2 WP: Bourgeois (3-1); LP: Scobie (4-3); SV: Charron (2). 2B: Theriot (LSU), Linden (LSU), Moore (LSU), Raymer (LSU), Cannizaro (TU), Gautreau (TU), Aubrey (TU). 3B: Jurries (TU). HR: Fontenot (LSU), Raymer (LSU), Kaplan (TU), Cannizaro (LSU).
Tulane 7, LSU 1 LSU 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 7 1 Tulane 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 X - 7 12 0 WP: Richardson (7-1); LP: Nugent (7-3). 2B: Moore (LSU), Thibodeaux (LSU), Raymer (LSU), Burgess (TU), Heintz (TU), Madden (TU).
2001 College World Series
Omaha, Neb. • Host: Creighton University
Tulane's first trip to the College World Series was a dream come true as the Green Wave sandwiched a nail-biting 6-5 victory over Nebraska between a 13-11 loss to Stanford and an 11-2 defeat at the hands of Cal State Fullerton. The 2001 Tulane team completed its remarkable season with an NCAA-best and school-record 56 wins.
The Green Wave looked comfortable on the big stage as Tulane staked claim to an 8-0 lead over the Cardinal after three innings. The lead would not hold up, though, as Stanford scored seven runs in the fifth and five in the seventh to take a 12-8 lead. The Green Wave cut the lead to 12-9 in the top of the eighth on a two-RBI double by Jake Gautreau, but Stanford answered in the home half of the inning with a single run, and Tulane left the tying run at second base in the top of the ninth.
Andy Cannizaro and Michael Aubrey led the Tulane offense with three hits while Jonny Kaplan and Jay Heintz each tallied three RBI.
In game two against the Cornhuskers, Aubrey went 2-for-5 and picked up the first save of his career, and Gautreau went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI to lead the Green Wave to a one-run victory over Nebraska. Tulane took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Gautreau.
Nebraska answered with three runs in the second, but the Green Wave responded with a solo homer by Gautreau in the fifth and a four-run sixth to take a 6-3 lead. Nebraska chipped away at the lead with single runs in the sixth and seventh frames, but Aubrey relieved starter Beau Richardson in the eighth to close the door. Richardson earned the win, scattering seven hits and striking out four in 7.0 innings.
Game three was all Titans as Cal State Fullerton scored two in the second, one in the third, three in the fouth and a pair in the eighth to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Tulane got on the board with a pair of unearned runs in the eighth, but came right back with three runs in the ninth to eliminate the Green Wave from the postseason.
The Titans' Darric Merrell scattered six hits and did not allow an earned run in an 8.0-inning start. Kaplan and Heintz each tallied two hits in the loss.
Stanford 13, Tulane 11 Tulane 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 - 11 17 4 Stanford 0 0 0 0 7 0 5 1 X - 13 14 1 WP: Wodnicki (7-1); LP: Charron (9-2); SV: Bruksch (1). 2B: Kaplan 2 (TU), Cannizaro (TU), Gautreau (TU), Heintz (TU), Fulds (SU), Ash (SU), VanZandt (SU).Tulane 6, Nebraska 5 Tulane 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 - 6 12 2 Nebraska 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 - 5 8 2 WP: Richardson (8-1); LP: Pekarek (0-1); SV: Aubrey (1). 2B: Kaplan (TU), Aubrey (TU). 3B: Stern (NU). HR: Gautreau (TU), Johnson (NU), Morris (NU).
Cal State Fullerton 11, Tulane 2 CS Fullerton 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 2 3 - 11 13 1 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 2 7 2 WP: Merrel (8-4); LP: Aubrey (3-1). 2B: Corapci (CSF), Rifkin (CSF), Stringfellow (CSF), Lamoure (CSF). HR: Bacani (CSF).
2002 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
Despite battling numerous injuries and inconsistent pitching throughout the regular season, the 2002 Tulane team got hot late in the year and earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. The Green Wave's quest for a return trip to the College World Series was cut short, however, as Tulane defeated Southern but lost to UL-Lafayette and host LSU to finish the year 36-27.
Beau Richardson once again came through big in the postseason for Tulane, striking out four and giving up just one earned run in a complete-game, 10-2 victory over Southern in the second round. Turner Brumby led the Tulane offense with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate as Tulane out-hit the Jaguars 10-2.
The Ragin` Cajuns tripped up the Green Wave in the first round, 6-3. UL-Lafayette got a complete game from starter Justin Gabriel and a 3-for-4 outing by Corey Coles to spark the win.
Tulane had a chance to extend the season against LSU in game three. Trailing by two, Michael Aubrey doubled and Gerald Clark walked, and the pair advanced a base on a groundout to put the runners in scoring position, but Tigers hurler Bo Pettit put the finishing touches on a complete-game 4-2 victory with a strikeout.
Louisiana-Lafayette 6, Tulane 3 Tulane 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 9 3 UL-Lafayette 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 2 X - 6 13 1 WP: Gabriel (10-4); LP: Bourgeois (10-3). HR: Stelmack (TU), Manzella (TU), Morris (ULL).Tulane 10, Southern 2 Tulane 0 2 0 0 5 0 1 0 2 - 10 12 3 Southern 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 - 2 7 3 WP: Richardson (7-5); LP: Thomas (7-2). 2B: Brumby 2 (TU), Primus (SU); HR: Weeks (SU).
LSU 4, Tulane 2 LSU 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 11 1 Tulane 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 0 WP: Pettit (9-7); LP: Kline (4-5). 2B: Barker 2 (LSU), Raymer (LSU), Phillips (LSU), Aubrey 2 (TU). HR: Hill (LSU), Raymer (LSU), Manzella (TU).
2003 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Baton Rouge, La. • Host: LSU
With a staff consisting of seven true freshmen and just two juniors, the 2003 Green Wave posted a 40-win season and advanced to the championship game of the Conference USA Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Tulane got off to a good start with an 8-3 win over UNC-Wilmington, but back-to-back losses to host LSU and UNCW ended the Green Wave's season at 44-19.
In the first game against UNC-Wilmington, the game was knotted at 3-3 after seven and a half innings before Tulane plated five runs in the eighth to break the game wide open. From there, Joey Charron entered the game and shut down the Seahawks with three scoreless innings.
Advancing to play LSU in round two, Tulane posted three solo home runs, but it was the Tigers who hit bombs with runners on base and that proved to be the difference in a 13-5 loss. In the rematch with the Seahawks, Tulane battled back from a 7-6 deficit in the ninth to send the game to extra innings, but UNC-Wilmington plated a run in the bottom of the 10th for an 8-7 win.
Tulane 8, UNC-Wilmington 3 UNCW 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 - 3 11 4 Tulane 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 5 X - 8 15 2 WP: Charron (4-7); LP: Hunt (2-2). 2B: Schindler (UNCW), Kaplan (TU); HR: Kaplan (TU), Swackhamer (TU).LSU 13, Tulane 5 LSU 0 2 1 0 0 0 5 0 5 - 13 18 1 Tulane 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 5 11 2 WP: Bumstead (11-2); LP: Crowel (8-1). 2B: Naccarata 2 (LSU), Giarratano (TU), Aubrey (TU); 3B: Holt (LSU); HR: Harris (LSU), Gill (LSU), Naccarata (LSU), Kaplan (TU), Swackhamer (TU), Southard (TU).
UNC-Wilmington 8, Tulane 7 (10 innings) Tulane 1 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 1 1 - 8 13 2 UNCW 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 2 - 9 20 2 WP: Cross (4-4); LP: Gomes (2-1). 2B: Aubrey (TU), Wright (UNCW), Hemingway (UNCW), Schindler (UNCW), Simmerman (UNCW), Denson (UNCW); HR: Aubrey (TU), Bogusevic (TU), Hemingway (UNCW).
2004 NCAA Oxford Regional
Oxford, Miss. • Host: Ole Miss
Entering the NCAA Oxford Regional as the No. 3 seed, Tulane won a 3-2 nailbiter over Washington in the first round and cruised to 7-0 and 12-3 victories over Western Kentucky and the Huskies, respectively to give the Green Wave their second regional title in school history.
Brian Bogusevic was the unanimous choice for Most Outstanding Player honors after hitting .364, earning the win from the mound in the opener vs. UW, and snaring a game-altering liner in the outfield during the championship game to spark a come-from-behind win over Washington.
Bogusevic got things going in game one with an 8.2 inning performance versus the Huskies, and closer Daniel Latham pitched the Green Wave out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a 3-2 victory. After falling behind 1-0 after one, Tulane got on the board in the top of the second when Brian Bormaster laced a two-run single up the middle to give the Green Wave a lead they would not relinquish.
Game two belonged to J.R. Crowel, who fanned seven in a complete-game effort to down WKU and put Tulane in the championship game with a rested bullpen. The Green Wave plated three runs in the first, and that would be all Crowel would need as he faced just four more than the minimum for the contest.
Senior Cory Hahn took the ball for game three, and after getting off to a slow start, gave Tulane a gutsy 7.0-inning performance in what would become the final start of his collegiate career. Washington's Aaron Hathaway greeted Hahn rudely with a three-run homer in the first, and following a run by Tulane in the top of the second, the Huskies had something going again in the bottom of the frame as Taylor Johnson doubled, Brent Lillibridge was plunked and Greg Issacson walked to load the bases with only one away.
Hahn would strike out Zach Clem for the second out of the stanza, but Kyle Larson ripped a line drive to right in the ensuing at-bat that would have plated all three runs. Bogusevic, however, had other ideas as he came out of nowhere to make a fully extended grab to thrwart the rally and spark the Tulane comeback.
From there, it was all Tulane as the Green Wave scored three in the third, four in the fifth, one in the sixth and another three in the eighth.
Bogusevic was joined on the All-Regional Team by Bormaster, Crowel, Joe Holland, Tommy Manzella and Nathan Southard.
Tulane 3, Washington 2 Tulane 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 3 4 0 Washington 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 2 8 2 WP: Bogusevic (9-5); LP: Lincecum (10-3); SV: Latham (6). 2B: Batkoski (UW).Tulane 7, Western Kentucky 0 WKU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 4 1 Tulane 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 X - 7 10 1 WP: Crowel (8-2); LP: Faulkner (8-6). 2B: Rio (WKU), Holland (TU). HR: Boguevic (TU).
Tulane 12, Washington 3 Tulane 0 1 3 0 4 1 0 3 0 - 12 14 0 Washington 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 11 2 WP: Hahn (9-2); LP: Everitt (5-3). 2B: Dini (TU), Johnson (UW). HR: Hathaway (UW).
2004 NCAA Fullerton Super Regional
Fullerton, Calif. • Host: Cal State Fullerton
Tulane's run through the postseason was cut short as host Cal State Fullerton swept a best-of-three series from the Green Wave, 9-0 and 10-7, as the boys in olive green and sky blue concluded the 2004 season 41-21.
The Titans, who would go on to win the College World Series, combined for 36 hits in the two games and got outstanding performances from pitchers Jason Windsor and Ricky Romero to punch their ticket to the College World Series.
Game one of the Super Regional was all Cal State Fullerton. The Titans scored a pair of runs in the first, and that would be all they would need as Windsor struck out seven Green Wave batters in an 8.0-inning start to give the home team a 1-0 lead in the series.
As he would be all weekend, Titans' catcher Kurt Suzuki was the offensive hero in game one as he went 2-for-3 with a triple and a home run to spearhead a 19-hit attack. Tulane was led by Wes Swackhamer, who went 2-for-3 with a double.
Game two was a different story, but in the end, the result would be the same as a late Tulane rally fell short in a 10-7, season-ending loss. CSF's Felipe Garcia had a trio of doubles and Suzuki once again had a triple and a homer to lead the Titans.
Tulane would hit Romero throughout the night, tallying 10 knocks off the day-two starter, including home runs by Matt Barket and Scott Madden.
The game was close late as the Titans held a 6-5 lead going into the ninth, but Fullerton plated four runs on four hits to take a commanding five-run lead. Tulane refused to go away, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame and loadeding the bases with two out before Titans' reliever Vinnie Pestano tallied a strikeout to earn his first save of the 2004 season.
Errors would haunt the Green Wave in the second contest as Cal State Fullerton turned five Tulane miscues into four unearned runs. Lady Luck was not on Tulane's side either as three bang-bang plays all went against the Green Wave, and catcher Greg Dini was called out at home on a controversial play at the plate that would have tied the score at 4-all in the fourth.
Cal State Fullerton 9, Tulane 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 5 2 CS Fullerton 2 1 0 0 5 0 1 0 X - 9 19 0 WP: Windsor (11-4); LP: Boguevic (9-6). 2B: Swackhamer (TU), Turner (CSF), Hardman (CSF), Pilittere (CSF), Garcia 2 (CSF), Andrews (CSF); 3B: Suzuki (CSF); HR: Suzuki (CSF).Cal State Fullerton 10, Tulane 7 CS Fullerton 2 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 4 - 10 17 1 Tulane 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 2 - 7 10 4 WP: Romero (12-4); LP: Crowel (8-3); SV: Pestano (1). 2B: Turner (CSF), Pilitterre (CSF), Garcia (CSF), Madden (TU); 3B: Suzuki (CSF); HR: Suzuki (CSF), Barket (TU), Madden (TU).
2005 NCAA New Orleans Regional
New Orleans, La. • Host: Tulane University
Tulane opened the NCAA postseason as the No. 1 national seed and lived up to expectationas as the Green Wave rolled to a 17-7 win over Southern before beating Alabama in back-to-back games, 10-4 and 7-4 to advance to the Super Regionals for the second consecutive season.
First baseman/left fielder Mark Hamilton was named Most Outstanding Player after hitting .667 (8-for-12) with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.
Hamilton got off to a hot start, going 4-for-5 with a double, two homers and seven RBI against the Jaguars. In that contest Nathan Southard posted a career-best five hits.
Tulane led Southern 11-7 after seven innings, but the Jaguars loaded the bases and had the tying run at the plate before Daniel Latham got a pop-up to end the threat. From there, the Green Wave blew the game open with a six-run eighth.
Bradon Gomes got the win after allowing five runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out six in a 5.1-inning start.
It was Micah Owings' turn to have a big offensive day in game two, going 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs and five RBI in the driver's seat game against Alabama.
The Green Wave jumped ahead 5-0 after four and a half innings, but the Crimson Tide added three runs and to cut the lead to two. Bama added another run in the seventh on a solo homer by Cale Iorg, but the Green Wave exploded for five runs over the final two frames - including a solo homer by Owings - to make it a runaway.
Heavy rains delayed he championship game more than 24 hours, took four hours and 10 minutes to play, and was delayed an hour in the middle innings due to lightning, but it was all worth it as Tulane punched its ticket to the second round with a 7-4 win.
Hamilton hit a pair of doubles and drove in two, and Greg Dini went 2-for-3 with a two-RBI double and a two-run homer. On the mound, Owings provided the Green Wave with a gutsy 7.0-inning effort, strikingout six while giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits.
Joining Hamilton on the Regional All-Tournament Team were Bogusevic, Dini, Brad Emaus and Owings.
Tulane 17, Southern 7 Southern 0 2 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 - 7 13 3 Tulane 0 5 0 0 5 0 1 6 X - 17 21 3 WP: Gomes (8-2); LP: Kirk (4-4); SV: Latham (10). 2B: Nelson (SU), Cox (SU), Southard (TU), Emaus 2 (TU), Dini (TU), Hamilton (TU); 3B: Gause (SU); HR: Coats (SU), Hamilton 2 (TU), Barket (TU).Tulane 10, Alabama 4 Tulane 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 2 3 - 10 13 1 Alabama 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 - 4 8 1 WP: Bogusevic (13-1); LP: Carter (7-4); SV: Latham (11). 2B: Southard (TU), Owings (TU), Holland (TU)); HR: Owings 2 (TU), Hamilton (TU), Iorg (UA).
Tulane 7, Alabama 4 Alabama 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 4 9 0 Tulane 2 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 X - 7 11 1 WP: Owings (10-4); LP: Shields (1-1); SV: Latham (12). 2B: Scott (UA), Welch 2 (UA), Hamilton 2 (TU), Dini (TU), Barket (TU); 3B: Scelfo (UA); HR: Dini (TU).
2005 NCAA New Orleans Super Regional
New Orleans, La. • Host: Tulane University
Playing a Super Regional at Turchin Stadium for the first time in school history, the Green Wave overcame a rocky start to win a pair of elimination games and earn the program's second trip to the College World Series.
Rice, who won the Baton Rouge Regional, shocked the Green Wave in the opener, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead and cruising to a 9-5 win.
From there, however, it was all Green Wave as Tulane posted a 7-0 victory in game two and scored seven runs over the final two frames in game three to spark the celebration.
The Owls jumped all over Tulane in game one, pounding 16 hits over the first five innings. Tulane did not back down as Nathan Southard sparked a four-run eighth with a two-run homer, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Facing elimination, the Green Wave rode a complete-game pitching performance by Micah Owings in game two. Owings struck out eight, walked one and allowed just three hits while not allowing a runner to reach as second base.
Tulane scored the first run of the game in the seventh when Scott Madden drew a bases-loaded walk, but sent 10 to the plate in the top of the ninth as the Green Wave plated six runs on five hits and took advantage of a pair of free passes to blow the game open.
The Green Wave got off to a good start in game three, scoring a pair of runs in the first. Rice, however, chipped away with single runs in the second, third and sixth innings to take a one-run lead.
Tulane plated four in the top of the eighth, but Rice came right back with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame. Not to be denied, Owings sparked a three-run ninth with an RBI single, and Daniel Latham retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to clinch the series.
Rice 9, Tulane 5 Rice 3 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 - 9 16 2 Tulane 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 - 5 12 2 WP: Geer (12-4); LP: Bogusevic (13-2); SV: Bell (1). 2B: Henley 2 (RU), Buchanan (RU), Rodriguez (RU), Lehmann (RU), Owings (TU), Holland (TU), Bogusevic (TU); HR: Southard (TU).Tulane 7, Rice 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 - 7 10 0 Rice 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 0 WP: Owings (11-4); LP: Savery (8-5). 2B: Manzella (TU), Owings (TU), Dini (TU), Holland (TU).
Tulane 9, RIce 6 Tulane 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 - 9 13 3 Rice 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 - 6 9 1 WP: Latham (2-0); LP: Hale (1-3). 2B: Manzella (TU), Dini (TU), Madden 2 (TU), Holland (TU), Buchanan (RU), Pendleton (RU); HR: Rodgers (RU), Lehmann (RU).
2005 College World Series
Omaha, Neb. • Host: Creighton University
It started with a bang, but ended all too abruptly as the Green Wave posted a 3-1 win over Oregon State their first game of the 2005 College World Series, only to drop the next two to finish the year 56-12.
The Beavers drew first blood in Tulane's CWS opener with a run in the top of the first, but Micah Owings kept Oregon State off the scoreboard over his final six innings of work and Scott Madden - the lone holdover from Tulane's 2001 CWS squad - used his Omaha experience to give the Green Wave a 2-1 lead in the seventh.
With two on and two out, Madden came on to pinch hit. After falling behind 1-2, he ripped a two-run double to the gap in right to put the Green Wave ahead by a run. Nathan Southard followed with a solo homer in the eighth, and Daniel Latham tossed the final two scoreless frames for an opening-round win.
Two days later, however, things took a turn for the worse. Texas right-hander Kyle McCulloch tossed seven scoreless frames of six-hit baseball, and the Longhorn offense played small ball to near perfection to claim a 5-0 win and send Tulane into the loser's bracket.
McCulloch struck out seven and scattered six hits and three walks, while J. Brent Cox went the final two innings, giving up just a single with three Ks.
Tulane appeared to turn things around in game three as the Green Wave jumped all over Baylor with a six-run second and added another run in the fifth.
Down 7-0 going after six and a half innings, the Bears plated three runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and another three in the ninth to end the Green Wave's season.
Tulane 3, Oregon State 1 Oregon State 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 X - 3 8 0 WP: Owings (12-4); LP: Nickerson (9-2); SV: Latham (13). 2B: Barney (OSU), Jenkins (OSU), Madden (TU); HR: Southard (TU).Texas 5, Tulane 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 7 2 Texas 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 X - 5 12 0 WP: McCulloch (11-4); LP: Bogusevic (13-3). 2B: Owings (TU), Maroul (UT).
Baylor 8, Tulane 7 Tulane 0 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 7 9 3 Baylor 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 3 - 8 12 2 WP: Woody (10-3); LP: Morgan (6-1). 2B: Bogusevic (TU), Griffin (BU), Dillon (BU), Russo (BU), Sevigny (BU); 3B: Owings (TU); HR: Hamilton (TU).
2006 NCAA Oxford Regional
Oxford, Miss. • Host: University of Mississippi
Tulane's Cinderella run of a return trip to the College World Series was derailed twice during the 2006 season - by Hurricane Katrina in August and by host Ole Miss in June.
The Green Wave faced unprecedented challenges throughout the 2006 season from having to relocate to Lubbock, Texas, and the campus of Texas Tech to having to play all of its home games away from home at nearby Zephyr Field.
In the end, however, the Green Wave still managed to finish the year 43-21, earn its ninth straight trip to the NCAA Regionals and advance to the Regional championship game for the third consecutive season.
Tabbed a No. 2 seed by the selection committee, Tulane faced a tough draw in South Alabama and All-American pitcher P.J. Walters in the first round, and the Jaguars won the opener, 7-1.
Unfazed by the setback, Tulane used a six-run attack over the first two innings to propel itself past Bethune-Cookman in round two and won the rematch against South Alabama in game three, 18-11. In that game, Tulane erased an early 3-2 deficit with a nine-run fifth to mark the second-highest scoring inning in Green Wave postseason history.
It appeared that Tulane may force a second championship-game matchup as Mark Hamilton belted a two-run homer in the first inning against Ole Miss, but the Rebels responded with seven unanswered runs over the next five innings to cruise to an eight-run win.
South Alabama 7, Tulane 1 South Ala. 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 - 7 12 0 Tulane 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 4 1 WP: Walters (11-3); LP: Morgan (8-6). HR: Freese (USA).Tulane 12, Bethune-Cookman 7 Tulane 2 4 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 - 12 13 1 BCC 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 3 - 7 8 1 WP: Mohl (9-0); LP: Blackwell (7-7). 2B:Riser (TU), McFadden (TU), Southard (TU), Guidry (TU), Jimenez (BCC); HR: Sagbini (BCC).
Tulane 18, South Alabama 11 Tulane 2 0 0 0 9 0 5 1 1 - 18 20 1 South Ala. 3 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 0 - 11 9 1 WP: Gomes (7-6); LP: Doan (6-3). 2B: McFadden (TU), Southard (TU), Henry (TU), Jones (USA); 3B: Riser (TU); HR: Hamilton (TU), Cunningham (USA), Collins (USA).
Mississippi 12, Tulane 4 Mississippi 0 2 3 0 3 1 0 1 2 - 12 15 0 Tulane 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 4 10 0 WP: Lynn (7-3); LP: Porlier (7-5). 2B: Coghlan (UM), Power (UM), Brashear (UM), Wright (UM), Button (UM); HR: Wright (UM), Hamilton (TU), Emaus (TU).
