Feb. 2, 2002

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Preseason All-American Michael Aubrey struck out four batters from the mound and laced an RBI triple at the plate to lead the Tulane University varsity baseball team past the Green Wave players of the past, 12-2, Saturday afternoon in the annual Alumni Game at Turchin Stadium.

The 2002 Green Wave tallied 14 hits as a team, including three each by freshman second baseman Tommy Manzella and reserve outfielder Brad Rosenblat. Aubrey, meanwhile, gave up a single to 2001 All-American shortstop Andy Cannizaro in the first, but would retire the side in order over the next three innings and give up a walk in the fifth before giving up a pair of hits and two runs in the sixth to account for the Alumni's only runs of the day.

"It was a fun day," head coach Rick Jones said. "To see this many alumni show up and have so much interest in the program is really great. It was a lot of fun, and I think we did a lot of good things today. A lot of people we played against today either did at one point, or are still playing professional baseball."

The Tulane offense got things going early as junior centerfielder Jon Kaplan led off the home half of the first inning with a single, and would come around to score on Aubrey's triple to left.

Senior third baseman James Jurries, a preseason All-Conference USA selection, hit a towering home run to start the fourth inning, and sophomore Bryan Stelmack scored later in the frame on an RBI single by sophomore catcher Scott Madden.

The Green Wave added a run in the fifth when Kaplan scored on an RBI groundout by Jurries, but the Alumni squad would get on the board in the top of the sixth. After Aubrey retired the first two batters of the inning, Scott Wilson singled and Michael Johns hit a double before John LeBlanc plated the pair with a two-RBI single to right.

The Tulane varsity would answer in the home half of the inning as the Green Wave would bat around, scoring six runs on three hits and capitalizing on an alumni error. The Green Wave would close out the scoring in the seventh with a pair of runs, and the relief pitching of sophomore Joey Charron and freshman Ricky Fairchild would seal the victory. Charron struck out three in two scoreless innings of work, and Fairchild came on in the ninth to close things out. Aubrey got the win for the Tulane varsity, and 1999 All-American Brandon Belanger was saddled with the loss.

The Green Wave officially begins the 2002 season on Friday, Feb. 8 when they travel to Malibu, Calif., for a three-game series with Pepperdine. Tulane opens its home schedule on Friday, Feb. 15 against Villanova at 7 p.m. at Turchin Stadium. For ticket information, call the Tulane ticket office at (504) 861-WAVE.