"5 Things to Know" in Tulane Athletics
Sep 14, 2015 | General
Here's the latest "5 Things to Know" in Tulane Athletics. Each Monday, throughout the year, we will post five current stories about Tulane student-athletes, sports programs, current or former student-athletes, or about the department in general. Have a story idea or information? Please email: roger@tulane.edu.
1. Men's Tennis All-American Dominik Koepfer Puts Together a Productive Summer
Tulane All-American men's tennis player Dominik Koepfer received All-America status as a junior after earning a top-16 seed at the NCAA Singles Championships and finishing within the final top-20 singles rankings at No. 18.
This past summer, the senior from Furtwangen, Germany, took a big step towards his post-Tulane career when he competed in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures tournaments and earned his first career Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) point and world ranking.
In June, Koepfer accomplished a career milestone when he reached the Round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 806 Fred Simonsson of Sweden, thus, capturing his first ATP point in the process.
"It was a great feeling and a very big confidence builder to get the first ATP point this summer," Koepfer said. "It was my first main draw match which was the reason for me being nervous at the beginning of the match. I will take a lot from it into the future and the upcoming tournaments."
Koepfer and the Green Wave will open their season in two locations this weekend. Koepfer will kick-start his senior year at the Oracle/ITA Masters Tournament in Malibu, Calif., Sept. 18-20, going up against the nation's elite, while other members will make the short trip to Houston to participate in the Rice Invitational, Sept. 18-20.
2. It is Written! Women's Tennis Senior Meredith Maltby pursues her Passion for Writing
The future is now for Tulane's women's tennis senior Meredith Maltby. A native of Glyn Ellyn, Ill., Maltby is a double major in cognitive studies and English at Tulane and has already jump-started her professional career.
This past summer, Maltby received an editorial internship with Chicago Ideas and worked closely with the managing editor. She was an editorial intern at Curbside Splendor Publishing as well. For both internships, she provided weekly content for their online blogs, ranging everywhere from book reviews to more journalistic entries. She continues to do work for Curbside Splendor currently as an events and publicity assistant.
As for the future, Maltby is currently working on a poetry chapbook that she hopes to publish within the next six months. Post-graduation, she plans to pursue her love of editing, writing, and publishing, and hopes to work at a small press in Chicago. Maltby believes Tulane athletics has prepared her tremendously for the fast-paced world of publishing, and is eager to follow her passion for the written word.
Take a look at some of Maltby's work:
- Chicago Tribune Article
- McSweeney's Article
Maltby and the Green Wave will open their fall season this weekend, Sept. 18-Sept. 20, at the UCF Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
3. Fall Ball Begins and Bogey Gets the Call
While the season is still months away, Tulane baseball will begin its preparation for another NCAA Regional appearance when they open fall ball on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Head coach David Pierce enters his second season with the program after directing the 2015 team to Tulane's first regional appearance since 2008. Pierce and the Green Wave finished the year with a 35-25 overall record.
Tulane returns American Athletic Conference All-Second Team members Corey Merrill and Stephen Alemais, while a slew of other starters from a year ago will be back for another year. They will be paired with a solid influx of new talent from both the high school and collegiate levels.
Seven players who will don the Olive and Blue for the first time this fall have logged experience at the Division I or junior college levels, joining Jeremy Montalbano and Trevor Simms – who sat out last season due to NCAA Transfer rules – on the roster.
Bogey Gets the Call
It has been a long and winding road for former Green Wave outfielder and 2014 Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Brian Bogusevic since his stint with the Chicago Cubs concluded in 2013.
Bogey, as he is affectionately known, was traded to the Miami Marlins in Dec. 2013 who in turn sent him to the minors in New Orleans for the 2014 season. After battling injuries all season, he signed a minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. After setting Triple-A on fire to the tune of .296 with 12 homers, 57 RBI and 24 stolen bases, Bogusevic got the call up to the majors on Sept. 4.
He didn't take long to make a splash. He was called upon as a pinch-hitter late in a game against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 7 and homered in his first MLB plate appearance in nearly two years.
Through seven games with two starts, Bogusevic is hitting .417 (5-for-14) with a double, a homer, three RBI and two walks.
4. White Out & Military Appreciation Night vs. Maine
Tulane (0-2, 0-0 The American) returns home on Saturday, Sept. 19 to host a first time meeting with the Maine Black Bears (0-1, 0-0 CAA) at Yulman Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and kick-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Tulane-Maine game is "Military Appreciation" night and the Green Wave are encouraging fans to wear white. The first 3,000 fans will receive a white-out T-shirt.
In recognition of the white-out, the Green Wave will don white jerseys and white pants for the Maine game.
5. Eight Former Green Wave Players Dot Opening Day NFL Rosters
The 2015 NFL season opened on Sunday, Sept. 13 and a total of eight former Tulane football players are on current rosters. Leading the way for the former Green Wave players in the NFL is Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte, a two-time All-Pro selection who enters his eighth season in 2015.
Here's a complete list of current Tulanians playing in the NFL in 2015:
-Running Back - Orleans Darkwa (New York Giants), 2nd year
-Cornerback - Lorenzo Doss (Denver Broncos), Rookie
-Running back - Matt Forte (Chicago Bears), 8th year
-Wide receiver - Ryan Grant (Washington Redskins), 2nd year
-Quarterback - Ryan Griffin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 2nd year
-Linebacker - Dezman Moses (Kansas City Chiefs), 4th year
-Cornerback – Taurean Nixon (Denver Broncos), Rookie
-Kicker - Cairo Santos (Kansas City Chiefs), 2nd year
Lagniappe: Tulane's men's and women's cross country teams return to action this week after both squads claimed victories in their respective season-opening races at the Jaguar Opener. Both teams will compete in the Sundodger Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. CST in Seattle, Wash.
Tulane Green Wave Sports Weekly Review
Sept. 7-13, 2015
Last Week's Results
Football (0-2)
Lost at No. 15 Georgia Tech, 65-10 (Sept. 12)
Volleyball (3-5)
Tulane hosted the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic
Defeated Incarnate Word, 3-1 (Sept. 11)
Defeated Nicholls State, 3-0 (Sept. 11)
Lost to North Carolina State, 3-1 (Sept. 12)
Lost to TCU, 3-0 (Sept. 12)
Women's Golf
Posted a fourth-place finish in the season opener at the Mary Fossum Invitational
Individually, senior Emily Penttila was third.
Upcoming Schedule (Sept. 14-20)
Fri. Sept. 18
VB vs. Jackson State - Beaumont, Texas - 4:30 p.m.
MT at Rice Invitational - Houston, Texas - All Day
MT at Oracle/ITA Master's Tournament - Malibu, Calif. - All Day
WT at UCF Tournament - Orlando, Fla. - All Day
WG at Mason Rudolph Championship - Nashville, Tenn. - All Day
Sat. Sept. 19
XC at the Sundodger Cross Country Inv. - Seattle, Wash. - 1 p.m.
VB vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley - Beaumont, Texas - 12:30 p.m.
VB at Lamar - Beaumont, Texas - 5:30 p.m.
FB vs. Maine (ESPN3) - Yulman Stadium - 7 p.m.
MT at Rice Invitational - Houston, Texas - All Day
MT at Oracle/ITA Master's Tournament - Malibu, Calif. - All Day
WT at UCF Tournament - Orlando, Fla. - All Day
WG at Mason Rudolph Championship - Nashville, Tenn. - All Day
Sun. Sept. 20
MT at Rice Invitational - Houston, Texas - All Day
MT at Oracle/ITA Master's Tournament - Malibu, Calif. - All Day
WT at UCF Tournament - Orlando, Fla. - All Day
WG at Mason Rudolph Championship - Nashville, Tenn. - All Day
Bold denotes home contest * American contest; all times central
Players Mentioned
