Tulane Goes Deep, Gets Solid Pitching in an 8

Unlike the Good Friday game, Tulane bats were able to cash in when there were ducks on the pond, scoring a run in the first and three more in the 2nd and getting long balls from a Senior and a Sophomore, while J.D. Rodriguez pitched almost flawlessly to propel the Green Wave to a 8 - 1 victory over who was the American Conference-leading Wichita State Shockers. The victory improves the Wave's league record to 4-5, while WSU drops to 5-4.

On Friday night, the Sluggerbirds loaded the bases twice in two separate innings, but could only manage a run. It was a different story on Saturday.

Tulane was able to score a run in the first inning, sending six to the plate. Then three more crossed the plate in the second with seven Greenies going to the batter's box, as the Green Wave piled on the Shockers to take an impressive 4-0 lead against Wichita' ace starter. Johnny Nuanez came into the game with a sparkling 1.80-ERA, striking out 24 and walking seven in his half-dozen starts. Against Tulane, Saturday, Nuanez lasted only 1-and-two-thirds of an inning, gave up five hits, four runs all earned, walked two, and struck out two.

"In the bookend games (Thursday and Saturday), we scored first," coach Jay Uhlman told us after the game. "Our pitching was tremendous start to finish, and we were able to extend the lead in both games. We played defense. We played baseball, which is great."

Tulane Pitchers Work over Wichita State

Meanwhile, senior right hander J.D. Rodriguez had his finest outing as a Greenie. The 6' 5" righty had his longest stint on the mound in his Tulane career, going 6-and-a-third innings, giving up only four hits, a lone run that was earned, not walking a Shocker, and striking out four.

When Jay Uhlman went to the bullpen, Jack Brafa and Sam Larson came on to shut out Wichita State over the last 2-and-two-thirds frames.

"We made them earn everything they got," Uhlman said, referring to the Shockers offense. Wichita State came into the game batting over .300 as a team, enough to rank them near the top in the American Conference. On Saturday, Tulane pitchers scattered six hits across the nine innings, allowing that single run, and not walking a Shocker.

Sluggerbirds Were Sluggering

Senior James Agabedis has had his struggles at the plate in his final year of collegiate ball. However, when the third bagger gets a hit, it is usually one that clears the outfield wall. That happened again Saturday. With one on and two out in the top of the third, the four-year Greenie smacked a ball way over the heads of any Shockers hoping to gather it in to give the Wave a commanding 6-0 lead. Of the five hits for the young man from Massachusetts this year, three of them have been homers.

"It's what we've seen out of him for going on four years now," Uhlman said. "I think this year has been a little more difficult for him. He had some pretty lofty expectations for himself. Sometimes when you have those expections, you're pressing, and it gets worse.

"The homer (by Agabedis) came after a play he didn't make (defensively) on a routine grounder to his glove side," Uhlman continued. "(Pitcher) J.D. (Rodriguez) pitched us out of that and picked him up. And he (Agabedis) came back in the next half-inning and homered. That's the kind of response you want to see."

Uhlman has an affinity for the four-year senior, who has spent his entire career in Uptown.

"He's a team guy and he's a Tulane guy," Uhlman said respectfully. "That part for me is the coolest part of that. In this day and age of the transfer portal, you're not going to see a lot of guys like him moving forward."

Then, already up 7-1 in the top of the 9th, sophomore right fielder Jason Wachs battled the wind and added insult to injury, crushing a solo homer to the deepest part of Eck Stadium to increase the lead to 8-1.

Along with the two dingers by Agabedis and Wachs, Matthias Hass and Wachs also had doubles, as the Green Wave piled up eleven hits in the contest. Wachs ended up 3-for-4 for the game, scoring a run and collecting two RBI. Nate Johnson went 2-for-5, with two runs scored and a pair of RBI.

"I think this was our most complete game (of the season), from start to finish," Uhlman admitted.

Ripples

- Jason Wachs has now reached safely in 59 straight games going back to his freshman season last year. In case you're wondering, the longest officially recognized NCAA Division I consecutive games reached base streak is 102, set by Brian Ellis of Florida Gulf Coast University between April 30, 2021, and April 11, 2023.
- In his two years in Uptown, starting pitcher J.D. Rodriguez, has never lasted longer than five innings. In his 26-games, he lasted five frames in 2025 in a victory against Long Beach State. On Saturday against Wichita State, Rodriguez went 6-innings.
- J.D. Rodriguez 6.1 innings is only the seventh time a Tulane starter has pitched five innings or more, only the fifth time a starter has gotten past the fifth, and the third time a Tulane starter has thrown more than six innings. He is the first Tulane starter to record an out in the seventh inning since Trey Cehajic did it against Eastern Kentucky at the end of February.
- When scoring first, Tulane improved 12-5 this year.

Tulane will be back on the road to Beaumont, Tuesday, for an away mid-week game against Southland Conference-leading Lamar. First pitch set for 6:05 p.m. from Vincent-Beck Stadium in southeast Texas.

Portions Courtesy Tulane Athletics