Tulane downs ECU, caps stunning run to AAC Tournament Championship

Why Not the Wave?! Tulane Claims Ninth Conference Tourney Title

CLEARWATER, FL – The seventh-seeded Tulane baseball team completed its improbable run in the 2023 American Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament with an 8-6 win over top-seeded East Carolina Sunday afternoon in the championship game in Clearwater.

The victory gave the program its ninth conference tournament win (first as members of the AAC) and 16th overall conference championship. Tulane also won the 2016 regular season AAC title.

The Green Wave will make its 22nd appearance at an NCAA regional, its first since that same 2016 campaign.

The Olive and Blue, who is the lowest seed ever to win the AAC tourney title, improved to 19-40 with the win, while the Pirates fell to 45-17.

The two teams combined for seven runs in the first inning and ECU led 5-3 heading into the fifth. That’s when the Green Wave went ahead for good after center fielder Teo Banks drove in shortstop Gavin Schulz to draw the team within one. Left fielder Brady Hebert then tied it, racing home on a wild pitch. Banks scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Simon Baumgardt.

Baumgardt gave the Wave another run in the seventh when he ripped a single to left, scoring Schulz.

The Pirates again chopped the margin to one in the eighth frame, but Tulane first baseman Brady Marget put Tulane back in front by two in the top of the ninth on a single to center.

The Pirates got the tying run on base in the bottom half of the inning against Tulane’s Ricky Castro, but catcher Seth Beckstead gunned down his 16th would-be base-stealer of the season when he nabbed center fielder Ryley Johnson on a close play at second. The call of out was made on the field and withstood a lengthy video review before behind upheld. Castro then got Pirates’ pinch-hitter Ryan McCrystal to fly out to left, setting off a frenzied Green Wave celebration on the infield.

Tulane’s Dylan Carmouche (5-8) came on in relief Sunday and was credited with the win. He went three innings, allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts and two walks.

ECU starter Zach Root (3-3) took the loss, yielding six runs (five earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The Pirates’ quintet of pitchers struck out 13 on the day and issued just one free pass to eight for Tulane.

Banks finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored to take home the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honors. He finished the week with three home runs and 11 RBI. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Carmouche, Schulz and Brennan Lambert.

Tulane will learn its regional destination on Monday at 11 a.m. CT when the NCAA Selection Show airs on ESPN2.

2023 American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship presented by Visit St. Pete Clearwater
BayCare Ballpark | Clearwater, Fla.

All-Tournament Team
Danny Beal, P, East Carolina
Carter Cunningham, OF, East Carolina
Josh Moylan, 1B, East Carolina
Jacob Starling, 2B, East Carolina
Justin Murray, 1B, Houston
Brandon Uhse, OF, Houston
Ben Rozenblum, C, South Florida
Teo Banks, OF, Tulane – Most Outstanding Player
Dylan Carmouche, P, Tulane
Brennan Lambert, DH, Tulane
Gavin Schulz, SS, Tulane

Tuesday, May 23
Game 1: No. 4 UCF 4, No. 5 Cincinnati 3
Game 2: No. 8 South Florida 12, No. 1 East Carolina 11 (11 innings)
Game 3: No. 7 Tulane 10, No. 2 Houston 8
Game 4: No. 6 Memphis 10, No. 3 Wichita State 6

Wednesday, May 24
Game 5: No. 1 East Carolina 9, No. 5 Cincinnati 6

Thursday, May 25
Game 6: No. 2 Houston 4, No. 3 Wichita State 3
Game 7: No. 8 South Florida 15, No. 4 UCF 4 (8 innings)
Game 8: No. 7 Tulane 12, No. 6 Memphis 2 (8 innings)

Friday, May 26
Game 9: No. 1 East Carolina 7, No. 4 UCF (13 innings)
Game 10: No. 2 Houston 6, No. 6 Memphis 5

Saturday, May 27
Game 11: No. 1 East Carolina 3, No. 8 South Florida 1
Game 12: No. 2 Houston 11, No. 7 Tulane 8
Game 13: No. 1 East Carolina 14, No. 8 South Florida 7
Game 14: No. 7 Tulane 11, No. 2 Houston 8

Sunday, May 28
Game 15: No. 7 Tulane 8, No. 1 East Carolina 6