May 16, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Tulane University baseball team will close out the 2007 regular season with a three-game series vs. non-conference opponent Chicago State beginning on Thursday, May 17, at Zephyr Field.

The two teams will do battle again on Friday before closing out the regular-season on Saturday, and all three games are schedule to begin at noon at "The Shrine on Airline." The team will be looking to build some much-needed momentum for the Conference USA Tournament, which is set to begin on Wednesday, May 23, at Clark-LeClair Field in Greenville, N.C.

All three of this weekend's games will be broadcast on the flagship radio station of Tulane baseball, WRHB 88.3 FM, and the contests can also be heard live on the website at www.TulaneGreenWave.com to paid members of the All-Access Pass. In addition, live stats are available on-line for free via GameTracker.

Prior to the start of Saturday's season-finale, the Tulane Athletics Department will recognize several baseball student-athletes who have completed their degrees during the spring semester. In addition, the team will also recognize its six-member senior class - pitchers J.R. Crowell, Matt Goebel, Brandon Gomes and Daniel Latham, first baseman Tim Guidry, and catcher Ty Wallace - with a special ceremony.

Tulane enters the final series of the regular season 30-23 on the year, 9-15 in Conference USA play and looking to gain momentum heading into the C-USA Tournament next week at Clark-LeClair Field in Greenville, N.C.

As a team, the Green Wave are hitting .288 with a .388 slugging percentage courtesy of 69 doubles, nine triples and 30 home runs. Junior second baseman Brad Emaus leads the team with a .327 batting averages, while Guidry and junior shortstop Cat Everett follow with respective marks of .322 and .322. Sophomore outfielder Aja Barto leads the team with five home runs, Guidry paces the club with 35 RBI, while Everett and sophomore outfielder Anthony Scelfo have a team-best nine steals.

From the mound, Tulane sports a 4.06 ERA and has held opponents to a .274 batting average. Green Wave hurlers have combined for 428 strikeouts and just 137 walks in 466.0 innings. Junior Sean Morgan leads the team with 107 strikeouts, a .240 opponent batting average and 89.0 innings pitched. Sophomore Shooter Hunt paces the staff with a 2.61 ERA, and Goebel paces the club with eight wins. Latham leads the bullpen with 26 appearances, and has 10 of the Green Wave's 13 saves in 2007.

Chicago State, meanwhile, comes to town 3-47 and does not currently have a conference affiliation after playing the 2006 season as a member of the Mid-Continent Conference.

As a team, the Cougars are hitting a collective .217 with a .261 slugging percentage on the strength of 41 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. Alex Hall leads the team with a .283 batting average and is followed by Luke Grow and Sean Murphy with marks of .267 and .217, respectively. Bryan Packard and Kyle Kupiec pace Chicago State with two home runs apiece, Murphy leads the club with 14 RBI, and Trenton Sanders has swiped 14 bases in 16 tries.

The Cougars' pitching staff has a cumulative 9.35 ERA and has allowed opponents to connect at a .250 clip. Chicago State hurlers have combined for 186 strikeouts and 273 walks in 380.2 innings of work. Chris Freshour leads CSU with a 5.96 ERA and 80.0 innings pitched, Robert Vargas paces the squad with 52 strikeouts, and Mike Wieda headlines the staff with a pair of wins. Mike Storrs leads the bullpen with 26 relief appearances and has the lone save of the season for the Cougars.

This weekend's games will mark the first time Tulane and Chicago State have ever met on the diamond. The Cougars are the fourth team on the 2007 schedule that the Green Wave will be playing for the first time in school history, and Tulane holds am 8-2 record in those contests.

The Green Wave have already locked down the No. 7 seed in next week's C-USA Tournament and will play the tourney's second seed. Heading into the weekend, only top-seeded Rice and Tulane have locked their positions in the postseason events. Game times are still pending tournament seeding.

For ticket information to next weekend's ballgames, as well as C-USA Tournament packages, contact the Tulane Athletics ticket office at (504) 861-WAVE. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the game at the Zephyr Field Ticket Office, which is located on the third-base side of the stadium and opens approximately two hours before first pitch.

PITCHING ROTATION
Thursday, May 17      B/T   ERA   W-L   G/GS   IP   H   R   ER  BB  K
TU - Shooter Hunt     R/R   2.61  6-5  14/13  86.1  80  36  25  24  88
CSU - Chris Freshour  L/L   5.96 1-10  15/13  80.0 109  70  53  31  37
Friday, May 18        B/T   ERA   W-L   G/GS   IP   H   R   ER  BB  K
TU - Sean Morgan      L/R   4.15  7-4  15/14  89.0  80  45  41  42 107
CSU - Kyle Kupiec     R/R  11.39  0-3   8/3   21.1  40  38  27  16  10
Saturday, May 19      B/T   ERA   W-L   G/GS   IP   H   R   ER  BB  K
TU - Brandon Gomes    R/R   4.43  5-6  14/14  83.1  95  46  41  13  61
CSU - Sean Murphy     R/R  11.00  0-7  10/8   36.0  67  50  44  23  17