Photo by: Parker Waters
2019 Tulane Baseball Preview: Infield
Feb 12, 2019 | Baseball
In terms of consistency for the 2019 Tulane baseball team, one may be hard pressed to look any further than the returning pieces the Green Wave have in the infield.
With every returning starting player for a defense that helped the team to rank fifth in the American in the category last season, the Olive and Blue head into a new year looking to build momentum as one of the stronger sides in the conference both in the field and at the plate.
The team's top returning hitter by average is senior Trevor Jensen who started all 51 of his games at first base for the Green Wave as a junior in 2018. Jenson batted .306 on the year with 59 hits, 12 doubles, nine home runs, one triple, 35 RBI and 35 runs scored, while in the field posted a .993 fielding percentage.
Jonathon Artigues is next on that list as he finished just behind Jenson in average but is the team's top hit producer returning with 70 in 2018. Artigues hit .303 as a redshirt sophomore, scoring a team-high 49 times and finishing second on the squad in stolen bases with 10.
Manning the hot corner at third is junior, and MLB draftee Kody Hoese. The Indiana native was picked in the 35th round of the draft last summer, where as a sophomore he started all 58 games at third base hitting .291 with 65 hits, 13 doubles, five home runs, two triples and 34 RBI. He and Artigues tied for second on the team with multi-hit outings with 20.
Junior Sal Gozzo played in all but one of Tulane's games last season, making 57 starts all coming at shortstop. Gozzo hit .225 with 10 doubles, one home run, 30 runs scored, 23 RBI, 27 walks and a .332 on-base percentage, with nine multi-hit games to his credit.
While playing in 37 games, starting 23 at an array of first base, right field, left field and designated hitter, redshirt junior Grant Mathews is another returning contributor after hitting .347 last year. Mathews had a .554 slugging percentage with seven doubles, four home runs and a triple, driving in 19 and crossing the plate 20 times.
Another returning player that saw 32 of his starts in 43 games last year come at left field, designated hitter and first base is sophomore David Bedgood. The Sherman, Texas, native batted .242 with 31 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, one triple, 17 runs scored and 20 RBI in his inaugural season with the Green Wave.
While he didn't appear in game in 2018, sophomore Michael Slatten also returns for Tulane, who at Newman was a five-year letterman and was a team captain and defensive MVP as a senior.
The first of the three newcomers to the group is a local product in Collin Burns. Burns, who prepped at nearby De La Salle, was a three-year letterman and as a senior posted a .402 batting average while leading the team in home runs and tallying 49 hits and 52 runs scored as the third ranked shortstop in the state according to Prep Baseball Report.
Next is a player who exceled at both shortstop and second base at Trinity Prepatory School in Florida in Ethan Groff. Groff earned Orlando Sentinel District III All-Area Third Team and Perfect Game Florida All-Region Second Team honors as a senior after posting a .338 batting average while tallying four homers, 19 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
The final newcomer was a four-year letterman at Palm Beach Central High School in Brendan Power. A shortstop, Power missed his senior season due to injury, but in the two seasons before that as a sophomore and junior he was an all-league selection after batting .375 and .388, respectively.Â
With every returning starting player for a defense that helped the team to rank fifth in the American in the category last season, the Olive and Blue head into a new year looking to build momentum as one of the stronger sides in the conference both in the field and at the plate.
The team's top returning hitter by average is senior Trevor Jensen who started all 51 of his games at first base for the Green Wave as a junior in 2018. Jenson batted .306 on the year with 59 hits, 12 doubles, nine home runs, one triple, 35 RBI and 35 runs scored, while in the field posted a .993 fielding percentage.
Jonathon Artigues is next on that list as he finished just behind Jenson in average but is the team's top hit producer returning with 70 in 2018. Artigues hit .303 as a redshirt sophomore, scoring a team-high 49 times and finishing second on the squad in stolen bases with 10.
Manning the hot corner at third is junior, and MLB draftee Kody Hoese. The Indiana native was picked in the 35th round of the draft last summer, where as a sophomore he started all 58 games at third base hitting .291 with 65 hits, 13 doubles, five home runs, two triples and 34 RBI. He and Artigues tied for second on the team with multi-hit outings with 20.
Junior Sal Gozzo played in all but one of Tulane's games last season, making 57 starts all coming at shortstop. Gozzo hit .225 with 10 doubles, one home run, 30 runs scored, 23 RBI, 27 walks and a .332 on-base percentage, with nine multi-hit games to his credit.
While playing in 37 games, starting 23 at an array of first base, right field, left field and designated hitter, redshirt junior Grant Mathews is another returning contributor after hitting .347 last year. Mathews had a .554 slugging percentage with seven doubles, four home runs and a triple, driving in 19 and crossing the plate 20 times.
Another returning player that saw 32 of his starts in 43 games last year come at left field, designated hitter and first base is sophomore David Bedgood. The Sherman, Texas, native batted .242 with 31 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, one triple, 17 runs scored and 20 RBI in his inaugural season with the Green Wave.
While he didn't appear in game in 2018, sophomore Michael Slatten also returns for Tulane, who at Newman was a five-year letterman and was a team captain and defensive MVP as a senior.
The first of the three newcomers to the group is a local product in Collin Burns. Burns, who prepped at nearby De La Salle, was a three-year letterman and as a senior posted a .402 batting average while leading the team in home runs and tallying 49 hits and 52 runs scored as the third ranked shortstop in the state according to Prep Baseball Report.
Next is a player who exceled at both shortstop and second base at Trinity Prepatory School in Florida in Ethan Groff. Groff earned Orlando Sentinel District III All-Area Third Team and Perfect Game Florida All-Region Second Team honors as a senior after posting a .338 batting average while tallying four homers, 19 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
The final newcomer was a four-year letterman at Palm Beach Central High School in Brendan Power. A shortstop, Power missed his senior season due to injury, but in the two seasons before that as a sophomore and junior he was an all-league selection after batting .375 and .388, respectively.Â
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