With the last stragglers finally releasing their preseason polls this week, I finally was able to chart where every non-conference team Tulane is facing is predicted to finish in their leagues. It's amazing that the Wave plays exactly one home game against an opponent that reached a regional last year--Nicholls State.
WEEKEND OPPONENTS
1) OMAHA--third of six teams in the Summit League with 1 first-place vote
Comment: Terrible league, but Omaha was the No. 1 seed in the conference tourney last year (finished second, but No. 1 St. Thomas was ineligible) before going two and barbecue
2) LOYOLA MARYMOUNT--Picked 6th out of nine in the West Coast Conference
Comment: made CWS in 1986 and beat LSU in opener when Tigers were making their first appearance
3) PEPPERDINE-- picked 7th of nine in West Coast Conference
Comment: Used to be good but that was a while ago. Won CWS in 1992 with Andy Lopez as coach. Covered him later at Florida and could not stand him.
4) NORTH DAKOTA STATE--picked 4th out of six in Summit league with one first-place vote
Comment: No team from North Dakota can be good at baseball. Playing two weekend series against an obscure league is odd
5) XAVIER--picked 2nd out of eight in the Big East
Comment: Solid team and the only non-conference weekend opponent that finished above .500. Still, Big East is usually a one-bid league.
MIDWEEK OPPONENTS
1) UNO--picked 6th out of 11 in Southland
Comment: Likely would be strong contender if Blake Dean had not quit. Got 2023 Southland Player of Year back after he left for Houston last year
2) SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA--Picked 2nd of 11 teams in the Southland
Comment: The Southland is underrated but it also is a crap shoot. There's no telling where this team will end up in the standings.
3) LONG BEACH STATE--picked tied for 8th in Big West along with Cal St. Fullerton
Comment: My, how the mighty have fallen. Dirtbags (program nickname) used to be really good but now they are bottom feeders along with former annual juggernaut Fullerton
4) NICHOLLS--picked 5th out of 11 in Southland
Comment: Now that outstanding coach Mike Silva left for Arkansas State, Colonels should fall considerably. Silva will be a coach in the SEC some day.
5) JACKSON STATE--picked third in the SWAC with no first-place votes
Comment: This is traditionally the league's best program, for whatever that is worth (not much).
6) LAMAR--picked first in the Southland
Comment: This program bottomed out around the COVID era but is on the rise and has returned to the Southland after stupidly joining WAC.
7) SOUTHERN MISS--picked first out of 14 in the Sun Belt
Comment: Along with ECU the best program on the schedule. Not sure why both midweek games are in Hattiesburg but keep forgetting to ask why.
8) NORTHWESTERN STATE--picked 8th out of 11 in the Southland
Comment: I like seeing Tulane play a different Louisiana school than normal.
WEEKEND OPPONENTS
1) OMAHA--third of six teams in the Summit League with 1 first-place vote
Comment: Terrible league, but Omaha was the No. 1 seed in the conference tourney last year (finished second, but No. 1 St. Thomas was ineligible) before going two and barbecue
2) LOYOLA MARYMOUNT--Picked 6th out of nine in the West Coast Conference
Comment: made CWS in 1986 and beat LSU in opener when Tigers were making their first appearance
3) PEPPERDINE-- picked 7th of nine in West Coast Conference
Comment: Used to be good but that was a while ago. Won CWS in 1992 with Andy Lopez as coach. Covered him later at Florida and could not stand him.
4) NORTH DAKOTA STATE--picked 4th out of six in Summit league with one first-place vote
Comment: No team from North Dakota can be good at baseball. Playing two weekend series against an obscure league is odd
5) XAVIER--picked 2nd out of eight in the Big East
Comment: Solid team and the only non-conference weekend opponent that finished above .500. Still, Big East is usually a one-bid league.
MIDWEEK OPPONENTS
1) UNO--picked 6th out of 11 in Southland
Comment: Likely would be strong contender if Blake Dean had not quit. Got 2023 Southland Player of Year back after he left for Houston last year
2) SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA--Picked 2nd of 11 teams in the Southland
Comment: The Southland is underrated but it also is a crap shoot. There's no telling where this team will end up in the standings.
3) LONG BEACH STATE--picked tied for 8th in Big West along with Cal St. Fullerton
Comment: My, how the mighty have fallen. Dirtbags (program nickname) used to be really good but now they are bottom feeders along with former annual juggernaut Fullerton
4) NICHOLLS--picked 5th out of 11 in Southland
Comment: Now that outstanding coach Mike Silva left for Arkansas State, Colonels should fall considerably. Silva will be a coach in the SEC some day.
5) JACKSON STATE--picked third in the SWAC with no first-place votes
Comment: This is traditionally the league's best program, for whatever that is worth (not much).
6) LAMAR--picked first in the Southland
Comment: This program bottomed out around the COVID era but is on the rise and has returned to the Southland after stupidly joining WAC.
7) SOUTHERN MISS--picked first out of 14 in the Sun Belt
Comment: Along with ECU the best program on the schedule. Not sure why both midweek games are in Hattiesburg but keep forgetting to ask why.
8) NORTHWESTERN STATE--picked 8th out of 11 in the Southland
Comment: I like seeing Tulane play a different Louisiana school than normal.
