Tulane Fall Focus: Newcomers Hope to Help add to Tulane's Rich History

The third in a series of features on the Tulane Baseball team as the group begins to wrap up fall camp.

By Jake Eig

Tulane Strategic Communications

The Tulane University baseball program saw six players selected in the June 2019 MLB draft, tying a school record set in 2007 but also leaving coach Travis Jewett and his staff with holes to fill.

In September, Jewett announced a signing class of 18 players made up of 10 from junior college and eight from the high school ranks. Among the new faces are Luis Aviles, Trevor Minder and Braden Olthoff. A catcher, an infielder and a pitcher, Tulane's new trio highlight the excitement surrounding the signing class and the 2020 season.

Aviles won a state championship at Westminster Christian School in Miami before committing to play at nearby Rice University, but after his freshman season he moved to Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama.

At Wallace, Aviles took his game to another level. In 54 games he hit .423 with a .503 on-base percentage. His 71 hits included 14 doubles, four triples and 17 home runs. Aviles drove in 61 runs and slugged .857 on his way to a JUCO All-American Honorable Mention. His breakout caught the eye of myriad Division I schools, but Tulane stood out.

"Once they started looking at me, I was like 'this is the school that I want to go to,'" Aviles said. "This place is the best thing I could have ever asked for, it's amazing here."

Aviles says his teammates "walk the walk" and had only praise for the coaching staff.

"Honestly the best coaches I've ever had in my life," he said. "Coach Jewett and coach Uhlman have both played a huge role in making everything feel right."

Junior infielder Trevor Minder, a transfer from Parkland College in Illinois, echoed similar sentiments about his new environment.

"First and foremost, it's like a family. Nobody is really hard on you," Minder said. "Obviously there is discipline when there needs to be. But you can feel the love in the air that helps you do what you need to do."

As a sophomore at Parkland College, Minder hit .326 and ranked in the top 10 in the region in hits, runs, RBI, and steals. His Cobras finished as NJCAA Division II national runner-up.

Minder has aspirations to improve his power numbers and cut down on his strikeouts. Above all, he wants his team to win games and to have fun

"I just hope that we have a good year and win a lot of games," Minder said. "As for my style, I just play loose and I like to have fun and joke around. You'll see me smiling all the time."

Junior pitcher Braden Olthoff also broke out as a sophomore, throwing 68 innings to the tune of a 2.51 earned run average, winning six games and saving five more at Palomar College in California. He was named first team all-conference.

Olthoff is straightforward about his goals for the season.

"I hope we get a chance to get to go to a regional," he said. "I hope we have a good season as a team and go to Omaha. I hope I can be a starter and contribute to that."

Olthoff has a repertoire featuring a two seam and four seam fastball, a slider, a curveball and a reworked changeup.

"I'm really competitive running out there," he said. "I attack every hitter. I think I do a really good job of pounding the strike zone with all of my pitches."

All signs point to the 2020 season being extremely exciting for the Green Wave. Aviles, Minder, and Olthoff are just a handful of the new faces on the team for the upcoming season, and the Tulane baseball community cannot wait to watch them contribute to the team's success.

Tulane Fall Focus: Newcomers Hope to Help add to Tulane's Rich History

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