Tulane looks to build on NCAA baseball tourney appearance with bigger, better squad

Bigger and better. That is the theme surrounding Tulane baseball entering the 2024 season.

In his first season, Jay Uhlman saw his team dramatically change the fortunes of an otherwise disappointing season to bigger and better, a sudden change, at the end of the season.

After a tough regular season against a very tough schedule, virtually no one gave Tulane a chance in the American Athletic Conference tournament at Clearwater, Florida.

All Tulane did was clear out higher seeds, winning four of five games, including the deciding game against East Carolina to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Though Tulane lost to eventual national champion LSU and Sam Houston in Baton Rouge, it was a successful season, based on the way it finished as opposed to the rest of the season, despite the overall record of 19-42.

That is what Uhlman hopes to build on in his second season.

To build the program, Uhlman studied opponents and teams in the College World Series and reached one basic conclusion.

He had to build the stature and makeup of his players to get bigger.

That has been accomplished.

“We felt like we lost the physicality toward the end of last season,” Uhlman said. “We kind of withered as the season went on in a lot of different ways. The one thing we really wanted to make an emphasis this year was our physicality. The mantra we adopted this year was ‘built to last.’ That starts and ends with our strength and conditioning program. It’s been wildly successful for us. We looked at the eight teams in Omaha, the top 25 teams and the teams in our league. What we came up with was a certain level of physicality and poundage. The game is more physical. That stuff wins. This year, our mission was to get a team average of 208 pounds and we’ve hit that mark.”

Tulane hopes and expects the momentum of the end of last season to carry over to this season after some tough times, winning a conference tournament for the first time since 2005 when Rick Jones led his Green Wave to the College World Series as the top national seed.

“I think what it does for the guys that remain is to show them that anything is possible to have perseverance,” Uhlman said. “Those things can happen. You just have to keep pushing and stay with the process. It really tests everything about you and reveals character. The volume of wins is not what anyone wanted. We didn’t wither. We didn’t quit. We kept moving and got it done in the conference tournament. Getting off to a good start this year and parlaying how it ended for us to the beginning of this year is the goal. It can pay dividends. Momentum is only as good as the next game and pitcher.”

The Green Wave feature the preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in junior outfielder Teo Banks, the conference tournament Most Valuable Player a year ago. Banks hit .301 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI.

“Teo has transformed his body as well, along with everyone else,” Uhlman said. “We are looking for big things from him.”

Banks is supported by junior infielder Brady Marget, who hit .303 with nine homers and 31 RBI as a sophomore.

“Teo and Brady will hit toward the top of the batting order,” Uhlman said.

Junior Gavin Schulz of Holy Cross returns as well after a solid sophomore season while Michael Lombardi will be counted on heavily.

“We look for Gavin to be that sparkplug, whether it’s in the infield or somewhere out in the outfield,” Uhlman said. “He’s the ultimate team guy and he, Teo and Billy Price were voted by their teammates as team captains. That’s high praise. Lombardi had a very nice fall and he may close for us or potentially start but may also play the infield for us.”

Another position player to watch is junior outfielder Jackson Linn.

“Jackson Linn is back physically to what he was as a freshman,” Uhlman said. “He has an atrophied right arm last season as a result of his Tommy John surgery. He was playing with one arm. He’s shown signs of life.”

Pitching was a huge issue a season ago as Tulane struggled to a team ERA of 7.08. Uhlman feels it will be vastly improved in 2024, led by another former Holy Cross star.

“Chandler Welch has been electric on the mound,” Uhlman said. “He’s in position to toe the rubber as a weekend starter. We’re really pleased with his development.”

The other boost to the arms race came through graduate transfers infusing the pitching staff.

“Carter Benbrook is a left-hander with a plus-plus change-up and a lot of moxie and competitiveness,” Ulhman said. “Logan Hurd has absolutely electric stuff. He’s really taken a step from when he left in the fall to what he is now. He’s looked really good. Jake Saum who transferred from UCLA will be vying for a weekend spot in the rotation. Trace Cehajic wears a size 18 shoe and has a 94-mile-per-hour fastball. Will Clements is also in the weekend starting position and Luke Fladda won 12 games in junior college. Jacob Moore from LSU-Eunice will log innings.”

One newcomer from Delgado could make a mark offensively.

“Brock Slaton has been way better than advertised,” Uhlman said. “He can make a difference. We really like him. He’ll take walks. He’s tough and fearless. Two guys I am high on are Colin Tuft, who will catch for us. He played in Omaha for Virginia last year in left field. Connor Rasmussen from East Carolina is a solid left-handed bat for us. He is a really good ballplayer.”

The schedule last year proved to be too ambitious as Tulane started 0-6 and 1-10, including six games in California.

“You nailed it, Ken,” Uhlman said. “We bit off a little more than we could chew. As a competitor, you don’t want to admit that. You don’t want your players to feel that’s the case. We put our best foot forward. It didn’t work out for us. I do, in some strange, bizarre way think it did help us by the end of the year. We had been in all kinds of environments against really good teams. We were not overwhelmed in the postseason. This year, I wanted to stay a little closer to home and invest in our bodies more, which is hard to do on the road.”

The first 11 games this season are in the friendly confines of Turchin Stadium with the first road game a short trip to Thibodaux to face Nicholls. Other short road trips are to Lafayette (UL), Hammond (SLU), Hattiesburg (USM) and across town to Maestri Field (UNO). Another conference road trip of note is to Wichita State for a 3-game series.

In his second season, Uhlman now has a comfort level of it being his program with his coaches and more of his players. The expectations are for clear improvement.

“We know the pain and suffering we went through and to live through that and to get rewarded was important,” Uhlman said. “We’ll hopefully use that experience for the betterment of the program moving forward.”

The season opens the week of Feb. 16-18 with a home series against Northwestern at Turchin Stadium.