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The Tulane baseball team (13-4) continues its homestand with a three-game series against Xavier University (7-11) from March 14-16 at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. The series opener is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.
Pitching Matchups
Tulane’s Friday night starter will be left-hander Luc Fladda, who has taken the mound in each of the first four series openers this season. Fladda is 0-1 with 28 strikeouts in 21.2 innings and has issued just two walks. Last season, he posted a 5-3 record with a 4.77 ERA in 83 innings.
On Saturday, the Green Wave will start 6-foot-8 right-hander Trey Cehajic. He holds a 3-1 record with a 2.57 ERA, striking out 20 in 21 innings. Cehajic has transitioned from a bullpen role last year, where he finished with four saves. His last outing saw him pitch a career-high six innings against North Dakota State.
Tulane’s Sunday starter is yet to be determined, depending on bullpen usage in the first two games.
Xavier will counter with right-handers Ryan Piech (1-1, 21 strikeouts, .200 opponent batting average) on Friday, Luke Hoskins (7.15 ERA, 15 strikeouts) on Saturday, and Ben Weber (1-2, 16 strikeouts in 21 innings) on Sunday.
Scouting Xavier
The Musketeers have faced a challenging schedule, with road and neutral-site games against top programs like Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Oregon State, Indiana, and LSU. They enter the weekend on a six-game losing streak, following recent losses to LSU (18-4) and Southeastern Louisiana (7-4).
Xavier’s offensive leader is Jake Lambdin, who is hitting .344 with 15 runs and 21 hits. Carter Hendrickson leads the team with 16 RBIs. Head coach Billy O’Connor is in his eighth season leading the Musketeers.
Series History & Conference Matchups
Tulane has dominated Xavier historically, holding a perfect 10-0 record against the Musketeers since their first meeting in 1970. Their last matchup came in 2015, when the Green Wave swept a three-game series, including a 10-3 victory in the finale.
Against current Big East Conference teams, Tulane holds a 26-14 all-time record. The last Big East opponent they faced was St. John’s in 2023, winning the series finale 9-3.
Last Time Out
Tulane exploded for nine runs in the final three innings to secure a 16-6 victory over Jackson State on Wednesday.
Pitcher J.D. Rodriguez (2-1) allowed one unearned run in four innings while striking out four. Freshman Alex Ainsworth made his collegiate debut with a scoreless eighth inning.
Offensively, Boots Landry hit his first career home run and drove in three runs. Brock Slaton added a three-run homer, while Michael Lombardi scored three runs and walked twice. Matthias Haas, Gavin Schulz, and Nate Johnson each had multi-hit games.
Notable Stats & Streaks
- Tulane improved to 5-0 in midweek games this season.
- The Green Wave has homered in five straight games.
- Tulane is 13-4 to start the season for the first time since 2011.
- The team has won nine games this year by scoring nine or more runs.
Up Next
Following the series against Xavier, Tulane will host Lamar (14-5) on Tuesday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m.
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