Photo by: Parker Waters
2019 Tulane Baseball Preview: Pitchers and Catchers
Feb 13, 2019 | Baseball
The Tulane battery in 2019 features 15 pitchers and three catchers, with 11 being returners on the mound and two behind the plate.
One of the biggest additions in the offseason was the return of former Green Wave standout Daniel Latham as the team's new pitching coach. The career saves leader in Tulane history joined the staff after helping Southeastern Louisiana consistently rank highly nationally in ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio for seven seasons.
After making 14 starts between both Sunday and Saturday last year, the first returning starting pitcher for the squad is righty Keagan Gillies. Gillies led the team with a 3.36 ERA and six wins in 2018, posting a 6-6 record in 80.1 innings of work. He was second on the team in strikeouts with 57, combining for a shutout and had an opponent batting average of .228.
As Tulane's Friday night option, the next retuning player is Kaleb Roper. Roper posted a 5-5 record in 76.1 innings of work last season as a junior, leading the team in strikeouts with 59. His opponent batting average of .206 was the sixth lowest for a Tulane pitcher in program history, also combining for a shutout.
In relief, Tulane has the return of Connor Pellerin who went 2-1 last year with a team-high three saves. Pellerin appeared in 28 games in relief and struck out 46 batters in only 44.0 innings on the mound.
One of the players leading the charge behind the plate is senior Acy Owen. Owen played in 53 games with 49 starts at catcher, hitting .203 with eight doubles, two home runs, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored, owning a .985 fielding percentage defensively.
As a redshirt sophomore last year, Trent Johnson appeared in 21 games with four starts in earning a 4-3 record and a 4.86 ERA, combining for one shutout and striking out out 42 batters in 50.0 innings in becoming a weekend starter toward the end of the year.
Robert Price, a junior from New Jersey, enters his junior season after pitching in 15 games last year with 19.1 innings on the mound.
Another option at catcher is sophomore Frankie Niemann, who played in 16 games with five starts at catcher and hit .227 and scored seven runs. The newcomer to the group is freshman Aaron McKeithan, a four-year letterman out of T.C. Roberson High School in North Carolina, where he posted a .400 batting average in 2018 and helped the team to 21 wins.
Returning for his senior season is lefty Ross Massey, who went 2-2 and posted a 5.86 ERA in 35.1 innings of work last season. The former Freshman All-American appeared in 16 games last year as a junior, which included retiring nine consecutive batters against Wright State.
Another senior is Ryan Green, who appeared in 14 games last year in relief for the Green Wave and saw action in 11.0 innings.Â
A trio of sophomores return to help fill out the position, beginning with Josh Bates who appeared in 16 games, with 10 starts, posting a 2-2 record with a 5.24 ERA in 46.1 innings. Brendan Cellucci appeared in seven games in relief last year, while Justin Campbell appeared in two games on the mound.
Tulane is also getting a pitcher back in a return from injury in 2018 in Chase Solesky. The Florida native appeared in nine games and made three starts before missing the last two months of the season, seeing time in 22 innings with 13 strikeouts.
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One of the first newcomers is transfer pitcher C.J. Whelan. The righty pitched for two years at San Joaquin Delta College in California where his 3-0 record and 1.31 ERA helped the team to a 43-9 overall record en route to winning the 2018 California State Championship, the Big 8 Conference title and a No. 2 national ranking in Perfect Game's final national poll.
Teammates from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Landon Boeneke and Grant Segar join the team this year after stellar careers for the Bears just up the road. Boeneke recorded 21 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA in 21 innings as a senior and playing first base, while Segar earned a 6-1 record in eight starts while limiting opponents to a .182 batting average and 1.11 ERA.
The final newcomer, who also joins the squad with a former prep teammate, is freshman Krishna Raj. Raj was a three-year letterwinner at Palm Beach Central, sharing the field with fellow freshman infielder Brendan Power, serving as team captain as a junior.
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One of the biggest additions in the offseason was the return of former Green Wave standout Daniel Latham as the team's new pitching coach. The career saves leader in Tulane history joined the staff after helping Southeastern Louisiana consistently rank highly nationally in ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio for seven seasons.
After making 14 starts between both Sunday and Saturday last year, the first returning starting pitcher for the squad is righty Keagan Gillies. Gillies led the team with a 3.36 ERA and six wins in 2018, posting a 6-6 record in 80.1 innings of work. He was second on the team in strikeouts with 57, combining for a shutout and had an opponent batting average of .228.
As Tulane's Friday night option, the next retuning player is Kaleb Roper. Roper posted a 5-5 record in 76.1 innings of work last season as a junior, leading the team in strikeouts with 59. His opponent batting average of .206 was the sixth lowest for a Tulane pitcher in program history, also combining for a shutout.
In relief, Tulane has the return of Connor Pellerin who went 2-1 last year with a team-high three saves. Pellerin appeared in 28 games in relief and struck out 46 batters in only 44.0 innings on the mound.
One of the players leading the charge behind the plate is senior Acy Owen. Owen played in 53 games with 49 starts at catcher, hitting .203 with eight doubles, two home runs, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored, owning a .985 fielding percentage defensively.
As a redshirt sophomore last year, Trent Johnson appeared in 21 games with four starts in earning a 4-3 record and a 4.86 ERA, combining for one shutout and striking out out 42 batters in 50.0 innings in becoming a weekend starter toward the end of the year.
Robert Price, a junior from New Jersey, enters his junior season after pitching in 15 games last year with 19.1 innings on the mound.
Another option at catcher is sophomore Frankie Niemann, who played in 16 games with five starts at catcher and hit .227 and scored seven runs. The newcomer to the group is freshman Aaron McKeithan, a four-year letterman out of T.C. Roberson High School in North Carolina, where he posted a .400 batting average in 2018 and helped the team to 21 wins.
Returning for his senior season is lefty Ross Massey, who went 2-2 and posted a 5.86 ERA in 35.1 innings of work last season. The former Freshman All-American appeared in 16 games last year as a junior, which included retiring nine consecutive batters against Wright State.
Another senior is Ryan Green, who appeared in 14 games last year in relief for the Green Wave and saw action in 11.0 innings.Â
A trio of sophomores return to help fill out the position, beginning with Josh Bates who appeared in 16 games, with 10 starts, posting a 2-2 record with a 5.24 ERA in 46.1 innings. Brendan Cellucci appeared in seven games in relief last year, while Justin Campbell appeared in two games on the mound.
Tulane is also getting a pitcher back in a return from injury in 2018 in Chase Solesky. The Florida native appeared in nine games and made three starts before missing the last two months of the season, seeing time in 22 innings with 13 strikeouts.
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One of the first newcomers is transfer pitcher C.J. Whelan. The righty pitched for two years at San Joaquin Delta College in California where his 3-0 record and 1.31 ERA helped the team to a 43-9 overall record en route to winning the 2018 California State Championship, the Big 8 Conference title and a No. 2 national ranking in Perfect Game's final national poll.
Teammates from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Landon Boeneke and Grant Segar join the team this year after stellar careers for the Bears just up the road. Boeneke recorded 21 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA in 21 innings as a senior and playing first base, while Segar earned a 6-1 record in eight starts while limiting opponents to a .182 batting average and 1.11 ERA.
The final newcomer, who also joins the squad with a former prep teammate, is freshman Krishna Raj. Raj was a three-year letterwinner at Palm Beach Central, sharing the field with fellow freshman infielder Brendan Power, serving as team captain as a junior.
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