June 16, 2005

By Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton and Chris Brucia

Special to CSTV.com from CollegeBaseballInsider.com

* Automatic bid from Conference USA

- Won New Orleans Regional, won New Orleans Super Regional

2005 Record: 24-6, 55-10 (first in Conference USA)

Coach: Rick Jones (UNC Wilmington, 1975)

Record at school: 509-233-1, 12 years

Overall record: 795-326-1, 18 years

Assistant coaches: Mark Kingston, Chad Sutter, Matthew Boggs

Team offense: .321 BA, 531 R, 82 HR, .510 SLG%, .418 OB%, 68/95 SB

Team pitching: 3.84 ERA, 576.1 IP, 561 H, 174 BB, 559 SO

Top hitters: Tommy Manzella (.356/8/62/21 SB), Nathan Southard (.355/11/52/15 SB), Micah Owings (.354/18/63/18 2B), Scott Madden (.353/4/45), Brad Emaus (.332/13/56/19 2B), Brian Bogusevic (.322/0/24), Mark Hamilton (.322/10/44), Greg Dini (.295/6/50), Joe Holland (.292/6/31), Matt Barket (.282/6/46/13 SB)

Top pitchers: Sean Morgan (6-0, 5 SV, 2.55, 35.1 IP, 31 H, 29 BB, 40 K), Brian Bogusevic (13-2, 3.14, 123.1 IP, 119 H, 41 BB, 123 K), Daniel Latham (1-0, 12 SV, 2.85, 41 IP, 36 H, 10 BB, 35 K), Micah Owings (11-4, 3.38, 122.2 IP, 107 H, 21 BB, 131 K), Brandon Gomes (8-2, 2 SV, 4.45, 89 IP, 98 H, 16 BB, 82 K), J.R. Crowel (10-1, 5.00, 86.1 IP, 90 H, 27 BB, 74 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2004 (3-2 at Fullerton Super Regional)

Notes: Tulane slipped past Rice in the third game of the New Orleans Super Regional to reach Omaha for the second time, the other being in 2001. Coach Rick Jones was named one of three finalists for the CollegeBaseballInsider.com coach of the year, which was awarded to Oregon State's Pat Casey. Micah Owings, a transfer from Georgia Tech, tossed his first complete game after the Green Wave lost the first game of the Super Regional to Rice. Owings was the Georgia state high school player of the year as a senior, when he blasted a state-record 25 homers. His 69 career homers were one shy of the national record held by Drew Henson. Brian Bogusevic has been plagued by leg injuries and hasn't played as much in the field but has been coming around. Scott Madden, who played on the Green Wave's 2001 CWS team, missed most of 2003 with a severely sprained ankle. Matt Riser, who had only four at-bats on the year, had a big single in Tulane's first Super Regional win. No. 3 starter J.R. Crowel has 26 career wins. Matt Barket and Greg Dini are transfers from Miami. Since 1994, the Green Wave has won 40 or more games nine times. Matt Barket is a cousin of Andy Barket, who reached the majors with Pittsburgh. Junior Tim Guidry is a cousin of Ron Guidry. Mark Hamilton's grandfather Ralph was an All-American hoopster at Indiana is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.