Tulane Green Wave Baseball Prepares For Massive Home Series Against FAU Owls
The Tulane Green Wave have a massive home series this weekend as they play host to the 29-15 FAU Owls, with the two squads tied for fourth-place in the AAC.
The Green Wave, 27-18, have some solid momentum built after they were able to beat the rival East Carolina Pirates last weekend and beat the Nicholls Colonels in the midweek game, but the Owls will pose a major challenge.
Friday will see Tulane throw their normal series opening starter in Luc Fladda. The senior hasn't had the cleanest season, but the numbers are a slightly misrepresentative. That game will start at 6:30 pm CT.
Fladda has a 5.97 ERA but his FIP is 4.43. That means that the Green Wave defense has made him look a little worse than he actually has been. While 4.43 isn't an All-American level pitcher, it is still a much better mark.
He has bumped up his strikeout rate a bit to 8.20 K/9 with an impressive 1.19 BB/9.
Florida Atlantic is going to be starting one of the best pitchers in the conference in Trey Beard on Friday, giving them an edge on the mound.
Beard is 7-0 this season with a 2.48 ERA with a dominant 13.50 K/9. His WHIP is at just 0.99, meaning that the Tulane offense is going to have to come ready to hit.
The Green Wave are slated to start the towering Trey Cehajic in the second game of the series on Saturday at 6:30 pm CT. He is another senior that has struggled on the mound this year.
Cehajic has a 5.36 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, but has struck out a solid 40 batters in 42 innings of work this year.
In that game, the Owls will be pitching Tyler Murphy. Murphy is a junior with a 4.78 ERA. He has been much easier to hit this year than Beard with a 1.46 WHIP. This should be a game that the Tulane hitters can make an impact.
The Green Wave don't have a set starter in place for the Sunday's 12:00 pm CT matchup, but the Owls will have James Litman on the mound.
Litman has a 4.93 ERA this season with a 8.08 K/9 and 1.31 WHIP.
If Tulane's offense can disrupt Beard's start, this should be a series that the Green Wave can easily come away with. Taking sole possession of fourth-place is possible, depending on how the Pirates fare against the Wichita State Shockers.
