No. 22 Tulane to face tough challenge

• Advocate news services
• Published: Mar 7, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:22 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — The Tulane baseball team returns to action at 6 p.m. today, when the No. 22 Green Wave open a three-game series with No. 13 UC-Irvine at the new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

The two teams will play again on Saturday at 2 p.m. before closing out the weekend on Sunday at noon.

“It’ll be a big challenge for us,” Tulane coach Rick Jones said. “They’re a College World Series team from last year and they’ve gotten off to a great start against really good competition.”

Tulane is hitting .266 with a .395 slugging percentage on the strength of 14 doubles, seven triples and five home runs.

Junior centerfielder Aja Barto paces the Green Wave with a .371 batting average.

On the mound, Tulane has a 2.77 ERA and has held opponents to a .228 batting average.

UC-Irvine comes in with an 8-0 record with four consecutive shutout victories.

As a team, the Anteaters are hitting .282 with a .373 slugging percentage courtesy of 13 doubles and three home runs. Ollie Linton leads the team with a .414 batting average while Ryan Fisher and Josh Tavelli follow closely with .370 and .364 marks, respectively.

UC Irvine’s pitching staff has a sparkling 1.13 ERA and has held opponents to a .195 batting average.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With temperatures expected to hover around freezing this weekend, the University of New Orleans (7-2) will kick off Sun Belt Conference play with a three-game series at Middle Tennessee (7-1-1) at 6 p.m. today.

The Privateers managed just six hits during a 4-2 win at Tulane on Tuesday. But the squad got eight shutout innings from Bryan Cryer and survived a late Tulane rally — capped by left fielder Joey Butler flagging down a fly ball at the warning track.

It is the second straight season UNO will enjoy frigid conditions in Murfreesboro, but last year UNO managed to score 36 runs in sweeping a three-game set.