The Green Wave has won four of its last five matchups and will look to keep momentum rolling against the visiting Tigers.
The Tulane Green Wave has been on a hot streak on the diamond over the last week, and the team will look to continue that as it takes on the Grambling State Tigers in midweek action on Wednesday.
Tulane sits at 13-12 on the year and is coming off of a series win over the Memphis Tigers to start American Conference play. The Sluggerbirds have won four of their last five matchups after a mid-season skid that saw them lose seven games in eight tries. Could the team truly be turning the corner and slowly putting together a season to remember?
The Green Wave's up-and-down performance through the first six weeks of the season has been challenging, but the program has seen some true talent rise to the top, especially on offense.
Sophomore Jason Wachs has been the spark plug for the program, with a team-high .341 batting average, 31 hits, 27 RBI and 23 runs scored. He's also started all 25 games for Tulane. Meanwhile, Kaikea Harrison has come in clutch countless times this year, leading the team with 106 at-bats, 31 hits, 28 runs scored and three home runs.
Jack Brafa has earned the start on the mound for the Sluggerbirds against Grambling. The right-handed pitcher has made 10 appearances across 16.1 innings so far this year. He boasts a 2-0 record and a 3.86 ERA with 21 strikeouts.
Midweeks have typically tested Tulane's bullpen the most, but that area did show some significant improvement in last week's wins against the New Orleans Privateers and Northwestern State Demons. The pitching staff will look to carry some of that momentum into Wednesday's matchup.
Now, let's take a look at the Green Wave's opponent.
Grambling is 8-14 on the year, but the program has picked up a few key wins to begin SWAC play with a 5-1 mark -- including a series win over the Alabama State Hornets and a sweep of the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. The Tigers' most recent midweek matchup was a 7-1 loss to the defending-champion LSU Tigers.
On one hand, this is a team that Tulane could beat handily, given how well the Green Wave has played as of late. On the other hand, Grambling is a determined program that can certainly make some noise. This isn't a game that the Sluggerbirds can overlook, even with a big road series against the UAB Blazers looming.
The Green Wave will wrap up its homestand against the Tigers beginning at 5 p.m. at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. From there, the program will make a quick turnaround as it heads to Birmingham to take on the Blazers for a three-game series beginning on Friday.