By Thomas Sellers
Sports Editor
Memphis Tigers baseball head coach Dave Anderson has a problem.
Heading into the weekend series versus Conference USA foe the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans, Anderson has to solve the jigsaw puzzle called the Memphis Tigers.
“More than anything else, we have been struggling trying to find out where guy fit in,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the last at bat win over the No. 9 Mississippi State Bulldogs Wednesday night might be the start to his players finding their roles.
“Now we have a pretty good idea where our guys fit in,” Anderson said. “We had some guys come off the bench and play for us.”
Along with sophomore Ryan Martin, who hit the game winning home run, other Tigers like Seth Johnson got on base, scored runs and stepped up to challenge to end a three game losing streak heading into the Big Easy.
“Martin and Johnson came in and did some positive things for us,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, this will carry over as we play a really good team in Tulane.”
The Green Wave (16-6, 1-2 in C-USA) has a No. 25 national ranking and are 13-1 at Turchin Stadium this season. The only loss coming against George Mason 6-3 on Feb. 15.
Since then, Tulane has won nine straight at home. The Tigers (6-11, 0-3 in C-USA) will have a tough task of winning one of the three games against the big bats and arms of the Green Wave.
Tulane are led by junior righthander Cory Hahn and freshman lefthander J.R. Crowel on the pitching staff.
Crowel is 3-0 this season with a 2.67 earn run average. Every trip to the mound, Crowel averages 5.4 innings.
Hahn is 4-1 with a 2.12 era. Hahn gives the Green Wave 5.84 innings per start.
On offense, junior outfielder Michael Aubrey and senior outfielder Jonny Kaplan supply the power in the lineup.
Kaplan has three home runs, 20 runs batted in and .345 batting average.
Aubrey leads the team in homers and runs batted in with four and 31 respectively. Aubrey has a .704 slugging percentage and a .444 batting average.
The Tulane offense averages nearly eight runs a game and has 248 hits this season.
On the other hand, Memphis scores 5.9 runs a contest. Tigers have pounded out 131 hits throughout 17 games this season.
Four Tigers are tied in the home run category with three. Chad House, Kevin House, Michael Lewis and Jordan Hart all have three round trippers.
Kevin House is tied with Kurt Welch for the Memphis lead in runs batted in with 14.
House said he hoped to increase his power statistics and carry over the momentum from the Bulldog victory into New Orleans.
“Going against another ranked team in Tulane, that gives us confidence (beating Miss. St.),” House said. “We beat one ranked team. Why can’t we beat another?”
The Tigers take the field to start the three game series against the Green Wave tonight at 6:30.
