Weather forces schedule changes for Tulane-Memphis baseball series

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Tulane Green Wave baseball team returns to action on Friday, taking on the Memphis Tigers at FedEx Field in Memphis.

The series was originally scheduled to begin on Thursday in Memphis, but weather has forced both teams to get the series underway on Friday at 4:30 p.m. The two sides will play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m. with a seven-inning contest, with game two beginning 45 minutes after the first game and will be nine innings.

Todd Graffagnini will have the call for all three games of the series on WRBH 88.3 FM in New Orleans, as there will be a link to live stats and a stream provided by Memphis at TulaneGreenWave.com.

The Green Wave return to American Athletic Conference play sitting second overall in the conference with a 7-2 record, looking to bounce back after a 15-10 defeat to the New Orleans Privateers on Tuesday that put the team’s overall record to 25-12 on the season.

Tulane has the second-most wins in the league behind league-leader ECU, next week’s Green Wave opponent, as the team will look to keep the pressure on the Pirates heading into the back half of league play in the race to the conference tournament in Clearwater, Florida.

With a series win on the road at Cincinnati to start play in The American, Tulane will look to have another successful weekend away from New Orleans against a Memphis team that is 17-17 on the year and 4-5 in conference. With two more wins, Tulane will match their entire win total in the league from a season ago.

The Green Wave look to have their offense continue to power the ship this weekend, as the squad is batting .307 at the plate after producing 10 runs and 11 hits on Tuesday against New Orleans. Against league opponents, Tulane his hitting .293 and is outscoring their opponents 99-51 in games so far.

Tulane has proven that there are no easy outs in this lineup, as any mistakes by opposing pitching could prove costly in a variety of ways. Down 9-2 against New Orleans, Tulane scored seven runs in a single inning and tied the game as they sent 12 players to the plate in that inning alone.

Leading from the top is Golden Spikes watchlist candidate Kody Hoese who continues to lead the team in a series of categories, earning two more hits on Tuesday to keep his average just above .400 midway through April. On Monday he was again named as the league’s player of the week, as his 19 home runs still leads the nation.

Over the course of the last four games, no player has driven in as many runs as outfielder Grant Mathews, driving in four in two of the contests and 11 overall during that stretch to sit in a three-way tie for second place in RBI with Trevor Jensen and Hudson Haskin with 32.

Tulane’s pitching trio of Kaleb Roper, Keagan Gillies and Chase Solesky will have a shorter week to prepare for the Memphis bats, but Roper has been solid on Friday as he leads the team in innings pitched, ERA and strikeouts, while Gillies and Solesky fared well in previous doubleheaders and will look to do so again on Saturday.

Tulane Green Wave (25-12, 7-2) vs. Memphis Tigers (17-17, 4-5)
April 19 – 4:30 p.m. (FedEx Field)
April 20 – 12 p.m. (FedEx Field)
April 20 – 4 p.m. (FedEx Field)

TV
None

Live Stream
GoTigersGo.com/watch

Radio
WRBH 88.3 FM
PBP – Todd Graffagnini

Pitching Matchups
Friday
Tulane: Kaleb Roper
MEM: Hunter Smith

Saturday
Tulane: Keagan Gillies
MEM: Alex Hicks

Saturday
Tulane: Chase Solesky
MEM: Chris Durham

Around the Horn
Tulane begins the first of two consecutive American Athletic Conference weekend series on the road with the Memphis Tigers beginning Thursday.

The Green Wave are 2-1 in away conference games, opening the league season with a series win at Cincinnati at the end of March.

Tulane has claimed each of its last five series, sweeping USF at home last weekend to sit second in the league with a 7-2 record.

Tulane is second in the conference in overall wins with 25, one behind ECU who the Green Wave will face next weekend in Greenville.

The Green Wave need two more wins to match its entire league win total from 2018.

Up Next
Tulane welcomes Southeastern Louisiana to Greer Field at Turchin Stadium next Tuesday, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.