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Matt Brown

Opening Day Pits 'Eaters vs. Tulane

February 15, 2023

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

THE SERIES

PITCHING PROBABLES

Friday: UCI RHP David Vizcaino vs. TU LHP Dylan Carmouche
Saturday: UCI RHP Finnegan Wall vs. TU RHP Cristian Sanchez
Sunday: UCI TBA vs. TU RHP Ricky Castro

SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE

Tulane has a rich program history behind it having reached the NCAA Tournament 21 times with a majority coming in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. The Green Wave have seven conference titles to their name with in in their current American Athletic Conference. Tulane has also made two College World Series appearances in 2001 and 2005. Jay Uhlman takes over the program for his first season in 2023.

The 2022 squad posted another winning record, 33-26-1, its fourth in a row, but fell in the AAC Semifinals and failed to reach the postseason for a sixth straight year. Tulane is projected to finish fourth in the 8-team AAC rated the seventh-best in the country.

The offense hit .272 as a team excelling in producing a conference-best 128 doubles and among the leaders in walks, hits, runs, and triples. Sophomore Jackson Linn returns with the conference's top average at .353 and is joined by everyday player Jared Hart

Pitching begins with Preseason All-AAC junior Dylan Carmouche. The 6-6 lefty was 5-5, 4.48 and a pair of 10-strikeout performances in 2022 in his first year since transferring from Mississippi State. The staff had an top-100 ERA of 5.03 along with a solid 1.48 WHIP and induced 17th-most double plays in the nation. Tulane also adds experienced grad transfers from Virginia (Billy Price) and Purdue (Ricky Castro).

ALL-TIME SERIES

The Green Wave and Anteaters play their third all-time series. UCI is 4-2 in the series with a win at Tulane in 2008 and another in 2009 at UCI. Those Green Wave squads included four Major Leaguers including Aaron Loup and Rob Segedin

PRESEASON POTENTIAL

The Anteaters are projected for a second place finish in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. UCI was projected to finish second in 2022 as well. The 'Eaters were ranked early on in the season nationally as well.

A new addition to this year's poll is the Preseason All-Big West Coaches Team for the first time. Junior outfielder Caden Kendle was UCI's representative.

Golden Spikes Award posted its preseason watch list with Anteater Caden Kendle as the only Big West representative on it. An 'Eater has made the list 10 times now including six times over the last eight years and four in the five years under coach Orloff. Kendle added his name to the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award watch list earlier Wednesday as well.

D1Baseball.com put out its Big West preview with UC Irvine projected to finish third behind UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State. The publication also ranked the top draft prospects for the 2023 and 2024 drafts. UCI had the No. 1 draft prospect for the conference in 2023 in outfielder Caden Kendle. UCI also appeared as the No. 3 prospect in shortstop Woody Hadeen of the top 25. Two Anteaters appeared in the top 20 2024 draft prospects with third baseman Dub Gleed at No. 9 and Chase Call at No. 14

D1Baseball.com previewed the Big West's top 15 impact freshmen pitcher Riley Kelly listed at No. 2 and first baseman Anthony Martinez listed at No. 7

DOWN THE LINE

UCI heads out on the road following the weekend with a Tuesday trip to USC before traveling to San Diego as part of the Tony Gwynn Legacy to face Washington State, San Diego, and UNLV.

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