The Green Wave has had a rollercoaster of a season, and there's still plenty left to figure out as it enters the final stretch.
The Tulane Green Wave has faced a tumultuous season on the diamond, and believe it or not, it's already almost over.
The Sluggerbirds have had some major wins and some disheartening losses. Some players have stepped up, but others haven't lived up to expectations at this point. The frustration among fans is palpable.
At this point in the year, this team has shown us just about everything it can. Tulane will need to do some major soul-searching and make a big run in the American Conference Tournament if it wants a chance at postseason action.
Here's a look at what the program has done well, where it still needs improvement and what's still unknown as the season nears its end
The Good: The Green Wave has seen younger players step up in major ways.
How about Jason Wachs? The sophomore has made a major name for himself as the Sluggerbirds' top offensive threat, batting .341 on the year and leading the team in nearly every category. The "sophomore slump" can be real, but Wachs has played like a true veteran.
Additionally, Matthias Haas and Tye Wood have both hit their stride -- the latter of whom is also a sophomore. Sophomore Nate Johnson is once again trending in the right direction after a quiet stretch.
If Tulane can manage to keep its strong sophomore class on campus, then the team could be a real threat in the years to come.
The Bad: The weekend starting rotation is shaky at best, and there's been little effort to fix it.
A team's weekend starting pitcher are supposed to be its top performers, but since conference play started, many performances on the mound have been unacceptable.
Friday night starter Trey Cehajic has struggled much more than expected, with an earned run average of 8.61 and a 2-5 record. Saturday starter Jack Frankel was performing somewhat well before being sidelined by an injury in late March, and Jake Toporek has struggled to a 1-4 record in his place.
Only J.D. Rodriguez has provided that spark on the mound for the Green Wave, as he sits at a perfect 5-0 on the season 3.78 earned run average. The problem? Rodriguez has been tabbed with making Sunday starts at times, that is, when he hasn't had to come on in relief. He's one of the team's top pitchers, yet lately he's been pitching in the final game of a weekend after Tulane has already dropped the series -- it doesn't make much sense.
The Uncertain: Can this team figure it out?
Nearly every player who has suited up in the Olive Green and Sky Blue this season has shown some sort of potential... they just haven't been consistent.
On a night when pitching manages to hold things down on the mound, the offense goes flat. When the bats heat up big time, the pitching staff has a meltdown. The times in which the Green Wave has managed to put together a complete, well-played game have been few and far between. That's simply not a recipe for success.
If this team figures out some consistency, then it'll be a dangerous opponent in the weeks to come. If not, then it's going to be a quick and abrupt end to a disappointing year.