Green Wave Goodbye: Tulane (19-40) Reaches CWS

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

TULANE GREEN WAVE#AmericanBSB x @GreenWaveBSB pic.twitter.com/RPHUysjR9O

— The American (@American_Conf) May 28, 2023

One unexpected outcome is the 19-40 Tulane Green Wave winning the American Athletic Conference (AAC) baseball championship against the East Carolina Pirates.

The Green Wave entered the AAC tournament as the seventh seed in a 10-team event before running roughshod over the rest of the conference. Tulane upset Houston, crushed Memphis 12-2 via the mercy rule, and came from behind to beat the Pirates.

A record of 19-40 means that the Green Wave qualified for the NCAA Tournament with a winning percentage of 32.20%.

That is the equivalent of a college basketball team going 13-27 and earning a berth in March Madness or an NCAAF team finishing 4-8 and playing in a bowl game.

With the win over ECU, Tulane earns its first AAC tournament berth since 2016 and its ninth conference title between their time as AAC, Metro Conference, and Conference USA members. The Green Wave reached the CWS in 2001 and 2005.

IN THE SAME YEAR

Tulane Football goes from 2-10 to the Cotton Bowl… only to come back and win after trailing by 15.

Then Tulane Baseball turns in a brutal * 18-40 * campaign after changing skippers only to make its first Regional since 2016.

WAVE OF DESTINY pic.twitter.com/6VV5GoEQED

— Fear the Wave (@FearTheWaveBlog) May 28, 2023

Tulane’s Betting Odds Shorter Than Expected

Believe it or not, the Green Wave doesn’t have the worst NCAA baseball odds to win the College World Series at +25000. In fact, 10 other schools have worse odds of taking home the hardware, including Army, Ball State, and George Mason at +30000.

That doesn’t mean Tulane is a smart bet online, but it’s interesting to see 10 teams with worse odds than a school that finished the season 19-40.

While we’re on the subject of odds to win the 2023 College World Series, Wake Forest leads the pack at +400, with LSU (+750) and Arkansas (+900) filling out the top three spots.

Green Wave’s Odds to Beat (5) LSU

Considering LSU is the second favorite to win the College World Series, it’s hard to expect Tulane to escape the Baton Rouge Regional.

QUICK REPORT:

David and Goliath Friday afternoon in famed Alex Box Stadium ⚾️

19-40 Tulane vs. 43-15 LSU in @NCAABaseball postseason.

Green Wave respects Tigers, but doesn’t fear them.
LISTEN to this report. pic.twitter.com/LNq2x6MsRW

— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) May 30, 2023

The Green Wave rolls into Baton Rouge with a 5-2 record in their previous seven games, including their victory in the AAC Tournament final against East Carolina. The goal is to keep the momentum going, but LSU presents a massive wall for Tulane to climb.

The Tigers beat the Green Wave 11-5 earlier this season and are heavily favored to throw down a repeat performance on Friday. Ace pitcher Paul Skenes (1.77 ERA) has been nearly untouchable for LSU, while the offense has two of the best bats in the nation, Dylan Crews and Tommy White.

According to the team, Tualne believes they have the advantage after losing their last match with LSU. With history against their hitters, pitchers, and bullpen, Tualne has a strategy in place to approach this rematch.

While Tulane doesn’t have the roster that LSU boasts, the Green Wave has a mountain of momentum and a tank full of confidence.