Baseball Announces Staff Promotions

Oct 17, 2024 | Baseball

NEW ORLEANS – Jay Uhlman, Tulane's third-year head baseball coach, recently officially announced the promotion of five current staff members.

"We are excited to announce these staff promotions for a group that pours themselves into the development and betterment of not only our players but our department too," Coach Uhlman explained. "They represent Tulane in all the right ways. I am incredibly grateful for them and what they do every day. These promotions have been earned."

The team's pitching coaching, Anthony Izzio, has been promoted to Associate Head Coach. Izzio is entering his fourth overall year as part of the program with this being his third consecutive season working in the role of pitching coach, The program has won the AAC Baseball Tournament Championship and made the NCAA Regional in each of the last two years. Izzio is a former collegiate baseball player that pitched at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and the University of South Alabama.

The squad's hitting/infield coach, Justin Bridgman, has been promoted to Recruiting Coordinator in addition to retaining his hitting and infield coaching duties. Bridgman is entering his third season with the program. The program has won the AAC Baseball Tournament Championship and made the NCAA Regional in each of the last two years. Bridgman was a four-year collegiate baseball player at the University of Nevada and played two seasons for four teams in the minor leagues after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Assistant Coach Thomas Brittle is now a full-time member of the staff with the same title. Brittle originally joined the baseball staff in the summer of 2022. He coaches the team's catchers while also assisting with hitters and base running. The program has won the AAC Baseball Tournament Championship and made the NCAA Regional in each of the last two years. Brittle is a former collegiate baseball player at the College of Charleston and Clemson University.

The team's previous Volunteer Analytics Coach, Frankie Niemann, has been promoted to the Director of Player Development & Analytics. Niemann has spent the previous two baseball seasons in 2023 and 2024 in a Volunteer Analytics position for the program. The program has won the AAC Baseball Tournament Championship and made the NCAA Regional in each of the last two years. Niemann is a former Tulane baseball player.

The squad's Director of Baseball Operations and Player Development, Curtis Akey, is now the General Manager. Akey is in his 11th year at Tulane in an administrative role. In addition to working as the program's Director of Baseball Operations and Player Development the last six years, Akey also served as the Associate Athletics Communications Director for the program from 2013-16.

The team also has added three staff members to the program in Austen Izzio as the Volunteer Player Development Assistant, Ellen Parkey as the Assistant Coach for Strength & Conditioning and Josh Fellows as the Assistant Coach for Strength & Conditioning.

Austen Izzio arrived at Tulane during the fall after spending the 2024 season as the Director of Player Development/Operations at Arkansas State University (ASU) where he primarily worked with the infielders, hitters and coached first base. In his role at ASU, he also oversaw the team's day-to-day operations, managed team travel and handled a variety of off-field the duties. Izzio is a former collegiate baseball player at Pearl River Community College, University of Southern Miss and Charleston Southern University.

Parkey began her time at Tulane in the fall after working as an Athletic Performance Graduate Assistant at Arkansas State University (ASU) the last two years. While at ASU, she oversaw the sports of volleyball, women's soccer, tennis, track & field and bowling. She is a former collegiate lacrosse player at the University of St. Thomas (MN).

Fellows arrives at Tulane after spending the last two years at Liberty University working as the Assistant Athletic Performance Coach. In the role he worked with the school's baseball and track & field programs. He is a former collegiate baseball player at Georgia College and State.

Tulane starts fall ball practice on Thursday, October 17, at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. The team's kicks off practice at 2:10 p.m. with a nine-inning scrimmage to follow at 3:30 p.m.

The team's second day of fall practice on Friday, October 18, is set be highlighted by a scrimmage beginning at 4 p.m.

The team will host the annual Alumni Game on Sunday, October 19, starting at 1 p.m.

2024 Tulane Baseball Fall Schedule
Oct. 17 – First Day of Fall Practice – 3:30 p.m. scrimmage
Oct. 18 – Second Day of Fall Practice – 4 p.m. scrimmage
Oct. 18 – Alumni Gathering – Loft 18
Oct. 19 – Alumni Tailgate – Felipes – 11 a.m.
Oct. 19 – Tulane Football Game vs. Rice – 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 20 – Alumni Game – 1 p.m. (5 innings)
Oct. 26 – Fall Exhibition vs. Pearl River Community College – 1 p.m.
Nov. 2 – Fall Exhibition vs. Nicholls – 1 p.m.
Nov. 21 – Fall World Series – Game 1
Nov. 22 – Fall World Series – Game 2
Nov. 23 – Fall World Series – Game 3

Tulane brings back 22 players this season in Carter Benbrook (P), James Agabedis III (INF), Gavin Schulz (INF/OF), Brock Slaton (OF), Connor Rasmussen (INF), Matthias Haas (INF/OF), Michael Lombardi (P/INF), William Good (C/INF), Jackson Linn (OF), Tayler Montiel (P), Alex Ainsworth (P), Will Clements (P), Gavin Smith (P), Luc Fladda (P), Tracy Mitchem (1B/OF), Henry Shuffler (P), Jacob Moore (P), Logan Hurd (P), Jack Bussard (P), Blaise Wilcenski (P), Wes Burton (P) and Trey Cehajic (P). The program also welcomed in 22 newcomers in Kaikea Harrison (INF), Drew Harrison (P), Dominic Pieto (P), Theo Bryant IV (OF), Boots Landry (1B), Tanner Chun (OF), Mikey Valdivia (INF), Garrett Payne (P), Julius Ejike-Charles (OF/LHP), Andrew McKenna (C), Hugh Pinkney (C), J.D. Rodriguez (P), Nate Johnson (INF), Kross Howarth (P), John-Paul Sauer (P), Nick Diehl (1B), Michael Devenney (P), Giancarlo Arencibia (P), Grant Wilson (OF), Grayson Smith (P) and Aaron Babaev (OF).

Tulane's baseball team went 36-26 during the 2024 season, rolled to the team's second straight AAC Championship and earned a post-season berth to the NCAA Regionals for the second consecutive campaign under the watchful eye of head coach Jay Uhlman. The program defeated Nicholls 3-0 in the regionals for the first NCAA shutout since 2005 over Rice in the Super Regionals. The victory was the first for the program in the NCAA Tournament since 2016 when the team defeated Utah by a 4-1 score. The program saw four of its players drafted in the 2024 MLB Draft in Chandler Welch, Colin Tuft, Brady Marget and Teo Banks. Tulane has now totaled 135 all-time draft choices including 18 since 2019.

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