Tulane Baseball Must Rebuild Pitching Staff After MLB Draft Losses

Last season, the Green Wave had a team ERA of 6.36. That is a reasonably good statistical indication that Tulane struggled to have consistent outings on the mound.

The two players with the lowest ERAs who threw in more than two games, Michael Lombardi and Tayler Montiel, were selected in the MLB draft.

Starting left handed pitcher Luc Fladda is also gone. So who can the Green Wave rely on to pitch effectively on the mound in 2026?

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Tulane is set to return starter Trey Cehajic, who went 5-2 in 13 starts last season. Cehajic had a 4.89 ERA and struck out 57 while walking 28 in 57 innings. Yet Cehajic is the only returning starter with an ERA under 5.00.

The good news is the Green Wave have had a productive offseason utilizing the transfer portal as it pertains to recruiting new pitchers.

Tulane brought in Liberty pitcher Jack Frankel, fresh off of an impressive freshman season Frankel recorded a 3.40 ERA and struck out 32 in comparison to allowing just 12 walks in 45 innings. He was a first-team all-Conference USA selection.

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In addition to Frankel, Tulane recruited Oklahoma's Beau Sampson and UConn's Jude Abbadessa.

Sampson allowed a 5.06 ERA in 10.2 innings, giving up 11 walks while throwing 10 strikeouts. But with the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League this summer, Sampson has been remarkable. His ERA is just 0.90 in 10 innings. He struck out 12 batters and allowed just four walks.

Similarily to Sampson, Abbadessa's strikeout to walk ratio was not ideal this season, as he struck out nine batters and allowed 10 walks with a 7.02 ERA.

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But in summer league, Abbadessa's ERA was 2.59 and he was 2-0 in five starts. He recorded 30 strikeouts to only 18 walks for the Trenton Thunder, who are in the MLB Draft League.

If Sampson and Abbadessa can perform to their summer standard, Tulane pitching can be in solid shape for next season.

The Green Wave will also work to develop a multitude of returning pitchers, including Jacob Moore, J.D. Rodriguez, and rising sophomore Julius Ejike-Charles among others. For this Green Wave team to return to the NCAA tournament, they will need to have a reliable group of pitchers.

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