The Tulane baseball team (21-12, 5-4 AAC) will step out of conference play on Tuesday, April 8, to host Southeastern Louisiana (25-7) at 6:30 p.m. at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
Pitching Preview
Freshman right-hander John-Paul Sauer is expected to make his first career start for Tulane. He has appeared in seven games this season, posting a 1-0 record with a 6.75 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 10.2 innings.
The Lions will counter with right-hander Chase Ambrose, who enters with a 2-0 record and a 2.25 ERA. He has struck out nine batters in 16 innings. Ambrose previously started against Tulane earlier this season, allowing one run on two hits over 2.2 innings.
Scouting Southeastern Louisiana
The Lions have won seven of their last nine games and took two out of three from Incarnate Word over the weekend. Southeastern Louisiana has scored in double digits 10 times this season and features a powerful lineup.
- Giovanni Licciardi leads the team with a .375 batting average, along with 30 hits, 17 RBIs, and 17 runs.
- Ryan Brome has been the standout performer, hitting .361 with 43 hits, 11 home runs, 29 RBIs, and a .756 slugging percentage.
- Dane Watts adds a .352 average and 21 RBIs, while Connor O’Neal has 9 homers, 29 RBIs, and 33 walks.
On the mound, Brennan Stuprich leads the Lions with a 6-2 record and 79 strikeouts over 51 innings. Brady St. Pierre is the closer, with six saves and 21 strikeouts in 16 innings.
The Lions have a team batting average of .300 and have hit 56 home runs this season. Their pitching staff carries a combined ERA of 3.25, with 274 strikeouts in 271.1 innings.
Head coach Bobby Barbier is in his second season with a 55-35 record since joining from Northwestern State.
Series History
Tulane and Southeastern Louisiana have met regularly since 1947. The Green Wave lead the all-time series 82-41. Tulane claimed a 5-3 win in their last meeting on February 19 in Hammond. Last season, the teams split two games.
Against the Southland Conference
This will be Tulane’s seventh game against a Southland Conference opponent this season. The Green Wave are 5-2 in those games, with wins over Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls (twice), and Northwestern State, and losses to Lamar and UNO. Tulane is 307-164 all-time against current SLC members.
Last Time Out
Tulane is coming off a doubleheader sweep over Rice on April 5, winning 10-3 and 6-5. The second win came on a dramatic walk-off two-run home run by Matthias Haas in the bottom of the ninth.
Connor Rasmussen led the offense with five hits, while James Agabedis III added four hits and three RBIs. Kaikea Harrison, Theo Bryant IV, and Haas each contributed three hits.
On the mound:
- Trey Cehajic earned the win in Game 1 with five solid innings.
- Carter Benbrook closed the game with four scoreless innings and seven strikeouts.
- In Game 2, Will Clements struck out 10 in 4.1 innings.
- Michael Lombardi pitched a scoreless ninth and picked up the win.
AAC Weekly Honors
Tulane’s junior pitcher Michael Lombardi was named AAC Pitcher of the Week after helping the team secure three wins. He pitched four innings across three games, earning two wins and a save, with nine strikeouts and just a .200 opponent batting average.
Hugh Pinkney made the AAC Honor Roll, hitting .389 with a home run, eight RBIs, and a .500 on-base percentage over five games.
What’s Next
After facing Southeastern Louisiana, Tulane returns to conference action with a three-game series against UAB (April 11–13). The team will then wrap up its homestand by hosting UNO on April 15.
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