The Green Wave must avoid a sweep if it wants any chance of playing in the American Conference Tournament.
The Tulane Green Wave is on the brink of seeing its season come to an end before the final out is recorded.
The Sluggerbirds are set to host the South Florida Bulls in a series between two of the two worst teams in the league -- and there is plenty at stake for both programs. Though there are technically two weekends left to go, one team could be playing for nothing this time next week.
At 8-13 in league play, both teams are currently set to miss the American Conference Tournament; South Florida is 11th in league standings while Tulane is 12th, and only the top 10 teams will make it to postseason action. The Charlotte 49ers are also 8-13 on the year, but they hold the tiebreaker over both programs. The next-closest team are 10-11 in conference play.
There are a few different ways that this weekend could shake out. On one hand, if the Green Wave manages to sweep the Bulls, then it will claim the tie-breaker and can't possibly finish in last place in the league. Additionally, the team could climb back into the top 10 depending on how other teams fare.
Going 2-1 or 1-2 on the weekend also technically keeps Tulane in the hunt for the tournament -- though it would be relying heavily on other teams to determine its fate. The fact that Charlotte will face the Memphis Tigers in the final weekend of the season could also play a massive role in the Green Wave's final placement.
However, if the Sluggerbirds are swept this weekend, then they are all but eliminated from the American Conference Tournament. That would put their record at 8-16 on the year, with both South Florida and Charlotte holding the tiebreakers if it came down to it.
Tulane has not played inspired baseball in weeks. The program has lost seven of its last nine matchups, including five games in American play. The average deficit across those seven losses? 5.3 runs. For the most part, the games haven't been close.
Safe to say, the Green Wave can't afford to struggle in any aspect this weekend: there can't be more bad starts on the mound, bland offensive performances and costly errors. If the team has lacked confidence or motivation, then it needs to find some quickly.
Tulane and USF are set to face off in the first game of the weekend series on Friday at 6:30 p.m. from Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. Game two is set to start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and the series wraps up on Sunday at 1 p.m.