Tulane Baseball Clinched First Series of Season in Resounding Fashion
Tulane got their baseball season underway this weekend, and they have already clinched their first series of the year after beating Omaha twice in their first two matchups of the three-game series.
The Green Wave were able to outlast the Mavericks in the season opener on Friday, getting out to a 5-0 lead in the third inning after Nate Johnson crushed a three-run homer to score Gavin Schulz and Matthias Haas who both got on base with RBI singles.
But Tulane blew that lead in the sixth inning after Omaha rallied to score four runs to take a 6-5 advantage after they scraped two runs across in the fourth inning.
Tulane quickly regained control in their half of the frame, putting up another five-run inning to head into the back half of the game up 10-6.
Just like before, Tulane blew that lead.
Omaha scored four in the eighth inning to tie things up, only for the Green Wave to retake the lead again when Andrew McKenna hit a solo shot in the bottom of the frame.
They held onto that one and secured their first win of the year.
Things were much different in the second game of the series.
Tulane jumped all over Omaha early thanks to a three-run blast by Haas to open things up in the first inning. But unlike the game on Friday, they were able to hold onto that lead for the entire time, putting an end to runs the Mavericks made by elongating their own lead.
Someone to thank for that was senior pitcher Gavin Smith.
After missing the entire 2024 campaign, there were questions about his place on the team, something head coach Jay Uhlman made no attempts to hide based on his comments made to Guerry Smith of Nola.com
"We had conversations with him about you need to perform or we may not have room for you, and all he did was say, 'OK, I’ll show you.' That's what he's been doing, which has been great," he said.
Haas could be inline for a breakout season.
Through two games, he already has gone 4-for-8 with a homer, two doubles and six RBI.
"He's an under-the-radar guy, but he's a linchpin to this group," Uhlman said about the redshirt senior after he only hit five deep shots, five doubles and had 24 RBI last year.
Tulane will go for the sweep on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
