Wave Alums Thump '03 Edition: 12-5

Green Wave Alums down the 2003 edition of Tulane Baseball 12-5 Saturday at Turchin Stadium. Professional experience proves to be the difference as the Alumni hurlers limit Tulane to nine hits.

The 2003 Tulane University baseball team tallied nine hits, including a pair of base knocks by freshman outfielder Brian Bogusevic, but it was not enough as the Green Wave Greats defeated the Team of Today 12-5 in the third annual Alumni Game Saturday afternoon at Turchin Stadium.

The nine starting hitters for the Alumni squad were all current or former professional players, including former first-round draft picks Jake Gautreau (San Diego in 2001) and Jason Fitzgerald (Cleveland in 1997), and posted 18 hits en route to the victory. And while the bats put the runs on the board, the Green Wave Greats' arms kept Tulane hitters from recording a big inning.

"I think this is more of a reflection of the teams we've had here in the past two or three years rather than the type of team we're going to have this year," head coach Rick Jones said. "We saw some good things out there by our club, but we definitely saw some things that we're going to have to work on.

"The difference in the game was the amount of professional pitchers the Alumni Team kept running out at us. All in all, though, it was a fun day and a good time for everyone in the program. "

 Jared Berkowitz, the Green Wave's career leader with 38 from 1997-2000, got the start, and combined with Mike Romano (a 10-year pro), Jason Navaro (Seattle Mariners), Nick Bourgeois (Philadelphia Phillies), Beau Richardson (Phillies) and Alex Lontayo (Detroit Tigers) to keep the Tulane hitters off balance.

 The Alumni Team drew first blood in the top of the first when Gautreau doubled and scored on an RBI single off the bat of 2002 All-American and C-USA Player of the Year James Jurries.

 Tulane answered in the home half of the inning with a run by senior centerfielder Jonny Kaplan who led off the frame and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryan Stelmack, but the Green Wave Greats scored again in the second when Matt Groff singled and scored on an RBI-double by Mike Pursell.

 The 2003 team answered and took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second when catcher Matt Mann laced a two-RBI double to left center to plate third baseman Brian Bormaster and second baseman Turner Brumby.

 From there, however, the experience of the Alumni Team took over as the Green Wave Greats plated four in the fourth and two more runs in each of the next three innings to take control of the ballgame.

 Tulane added a run in the seventh when Bogusevic laced an RBI single up the middle to score pinch-runner Nathan Southard, and again in the eighth when Bormaster drove in designated hitter Gerald Clark to cut the lead to 12-5, but that was as close as the 2003 club would get.

 Jurries led all players with a 4-for-5 showing with four RBI, and Gautreau added two singles, a double and a run scored for the Alumni Team.

 The Tulane baseball team opens the regular season on Friday, Feb. 7 when they play host to St. Joseph's at 6:30 p.m. at Turchin Stadium.