1) Tulane's got a good win at Nicholls State last night, and the best part by far was the performance at the back end of the bullpen. If Brendan Cellucci and Connor Pellerin become reliable, this could be the best team Tulane has had since I returned to New Orleans in 2008. I'm confident in saying that after nine games. Cellucci was dominant in his inning, prompting Graff to wonder if they should put Pellerin in for the ninth. Pellerin rolled the double play ball after giving up a hit to start the ninth.
Those two certainly have to prove it over a long stretch, but their stuff is excellent. If they harness it consistently, Tulane will have enough pitching to do damage with a solid, deep starting staff and Krishna Raj looking very promising in longer relief. It's hard to win big when their a sense of doom in close games entering the late innings. Make that part of the game a pitching strength, and the potential expands exponentially.
2) I agree totally with WaveOn's comment about winning enough to host a regional. It's too early to know if Tulane is good enough for that, but it definitely should be the goal because the alternative is not pretty. With LSU dropping Tulane from the schedule, you know the selection committee would send Tulane to Baton Rouge as a No. 2 or 3 seed this year rather than somewhere else. Teams go to Baton Rouge to die in regionals.
By my count, the Tigers are 20-4 in regionals at Alex Box Stadium, losing to Rice twice, Cal State Fullerton once and Houston most recently. Tulane is 0-7 in regionals there, advancing to the championship round the first time it went to Baton Rouge in 1986 (I attended every game as a recent high school graduate, including the resumption in the ninth inning of the last one after a day's rain delay) and going 1-2 every time since then, losing all four games it played against the Tigers.
Tulane is 2-0 as a regional host and is 6-0 at Turchin Stadium in regional games.
3) I have not set up the interview with Kyle Speer but it is in the works. I am going out of town from Mardi Gray day until the following Saturday, and spring practice starts the following Tuesday. Hopefully I will get the interview by the end of this week. Otherwise, I will try to set it up for the Monday before spring practice starts.
Those two certainly have to prove it over a long stretch, but their stuff is excellent. If they harness it consistently, Tulane will have enough pitching to do damage with a solid, deep starting staff and Krishna Raj looking very promising in longer relief. It's hard to win big when their a sense of doom in close games entering the late innings. Make that part of the game a pitching strength, and the potential expands exponentially.
2) I agree totally with WaveOn's comment about winning enough to host a regional. It's too early to know if Tulane is good enough for that, but it definitely should be the goal because the alternative is not pretty. With LSU dropping Tulane from the schedule, you know the selection committee would send Tulane to Baton Rouge as a No. 2 or 3 seed this year rather than somewhere else. Teams go to Baton Rouge to die in regionals.
By my count, the Tigers are 20-4 in regionals at Alex Box Stadium, losing to Rice twice, Cal State Fullerton once and Houston most recently. Tulane is 0-7 in regionals there, advancing to the championship round the first time it went to Baton Rouge in 1986 (I attended every game as a recent high school graduate, including the resumption in the ninth inning of the last one after a day's rain delay) and going 1-2 every time since then, losing all four games it played against the Tigers.
Tulane is 2-0 as a regional host and is 6-0 at Turchin Stadium in regional games.
3) I have not set up the interview with Kyle Speer but it is in the works. I am going out of town from Mardi Gray day until the following Saturday, and spring practice starts the following Tuesday. Hopefully I will get the interview by the end of this week. Otherwise, I will try to set it up for the Monday before spring practice starts.
