The On SI Tulane Baseball Post Season Honorees
Finishing 25-31 on the season, 10-17 in American Conference play, the 2026 edition of Tulane baseball came up short of making it to a league post-season tournament for the first time in a dozen years.
We at On SI Tulane wanted to take a moment to look back at the year and give who we think were the bright spots for the season.
MOO - Most Outstanding Outfielder
Right Fielder Jacob Wachs
Even with "old pro" Tanner Chun in center field and new speedster Tye Wood in left, our vote for MOO goes to Jason Wachs.
The Tulane outfield had its share of faux pas, even Wachs who overran or misplayed a ball or two, but no one on the perimeter had a stronger or more accurate arm than him. There were few teams who were willing to test Wachs' arm, and those that did lived to regret it. His ability to read balls off the bat so quickly got him into position and ready for that all-important throw afterwards.
MOI - Most Outstanding Infielder
Catcher Hugh Pinkney and 1st Baseman Trent Liolios
Though both had moments where they were not at their best in the field, catcher Hugh Pinkney and first baseman Trent Liolios rated the best for us for infield play.
Despite being injured almost all season long, Pinkney found a way to be behind the plate. Despite the number of steal attempts against him, 45, his arm was pretty impressive as most steals were not on him delivering the ball, but on the pitchers not necessarily being able to get the ball to the plate quickly enough. There were some passed balls, but the senior from Toronto continuously showed his ability as a literal backstop and a throw-'em-out potential.
In his first year in the Tulane baseball program, Liolios began slowly, finding his way onto the field by the time conference play began. The Northwestern transfer worked his way into playing time at first base, continuously showing off leather on short hops off the bats of his opponents and from his teammates' throws. There was an issue or two toward the end of the year, but Liolios was a staunch defender at first base for a vast majority of the year.
MOOP - Most Outstanding Offensive Player
Sophomore Jason Wachs
There was little doubt that On SI Tulane would name Jason Wachs as our MOOP. Wachs hit .327 for the year and had opposing pitchers wondering if they should just walk him, where he was a threat on the basepaths, or pitch to him, where he was a threat to spray it anywhere in or out of the field. Wachs also...
- Led the team in most offensive categories including batting average (.327), slugging percentage (.527), on-base percentage (.453), runs (48), hits (66), doubles (21), home runs (9), RBIs (54) while playing in all 56 games. He was one of only three players on the team to start all 56 games.
- He also led the team in multiple hit (19) and multiple RBI games (17).
MOP - Most Outstanding Pitcher
Junior Sam Larson
It was a year of contrasts.
Before conference play, Tulane pitchers were on a roll, with starters finding ways to get deep into a game and the bullpen picking up where the starters left off. Then, the injury bug bit: Aidan Rath, Beau Sampson, Jack Frankel, along with still not fully recovered from off-season surgery Julius Ejike-Charles and Max Mazinter and the Green Wave pitching staff was short-armed.
This forced Jay Uhlman to move people into places he did not want them to go, to wit: Sam Larson.
The junior was supposed to be the closer for the Wave. Because of the aforementioned injuries and weary arms, he was needed so much that Uhlman asked Larson to move into a starting roll, which the Denison University transfer did immediately and without complaint. He has been described as the bulldog of the staff. If asked, he would probably pitch until his arm fell off, which is why his teammates love playing behind him so much.
MVP - Most Valuable Player
Rightfielder/Designated Hitter Jason Wachs
When you are the only guy hitting above .300 on your team and lead the squad in almost every offensive category, you should get more than just a cursory nod. Besides the team categories he led the Green Wave in, Jason Wachs also was a terror to the American Conference.
- His 21 doubles lead the conference and currently ranks him 10th nationally.
- His 54 RBIs places him third in the league.
- In league-only play, Wachs ranked second in the conference with seven home runs and 11 doubles.
Add to that his prowess in the outfield, and there is no doubt that Jason Wachs should be the 2026 MVP of the Tulane baseball team.
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Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.