At press time, the Green Wave stood at 6-5 heading into yesterday’s scheduled contest with the University of New Orleans Privateers.
All nine Green Wave starters produced hits Sunday banging out a season high 20 hits including 18 singles with seven registering multi-hit games including tremendous plate performances from three former Northshore area players. Freshman Brandon Boudreaux, freshman Garrett Cannizaro and junior Nick Boullosa helped put their mark on the Tulane attack collecting eight hits between them, while the trio drove home five runs and tallied five times for the Wave.
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Boudreaux, a graduate of St. Paul’s, who starts in right field, talked about Sunday’s victory.
“It was good to come out Sunday with a lot of energy and put a lot of runs on the board for our pitchers. I was seeing the ball well and I got good pitches to hit,” Boudreaux said.
Boudreaux talked about it being a big transition from high school playing at the Division I college level.
“The pitchers you see in college day-to-day are like the best pitchers you would see in the entire season in high school or in the playoffs,” Boudreaux added.
Boudreaux, who started in center field for the St. Paul’s Wolves, said it was not too big of a deal moving over to right.
“It wasn’t a huge transition for me. I played right field during summer ball with the Louisiana Knights, which helped prepare me for the season,” Boudreaux said.
Boudreaux is majoring in business management and is excelling with a 3.7 grade point average.
Boudreaux is batting .325 with five RBIs and has tallied seven runs. Boudreaux has two doubles and a triple. He has a 1,000 percent fielding percentage with 16 put outs and two assists having started all 11 games.
Boullosa, the Greenies’ center fielder, who starred at Covington High, missed the first six games with a pulled hamstring. Boullosa talked about the Green Wave coming back with confidence on Sunday after dropping the first two games.
“We had some confidence. We were in position to win those first two games, but we didn’t come through. We knew we could hang with them. We wanted to stay loose and play our game,” Boullosa said.
“It was pretty crazy getting all those hits. They (Ole Miss) have one of the best pitching staffs we’ll probably face all year. Hopefully, we can get on a winning streak and use the Ole Miss victory to gain some momentum,” Boullosa added.
Boullosa, who is on schedule to graduate next spring, is working towards a double major in finance and management. He is currently carrying a 3.0 GPA.
Boullosa is hitting at a .368 clip with seven hits in 19 plate appearances with two runs batted in and has scored four runs. Boullosa has started five games since returning from his injured hamstring.
Cannizaro, the Green Wave’s slick fielding shortstop, is hitting an impressive .381 with six runs batted in and eight runs scored. Cannizaro has started all 11 games, committing just two errors with 12 put outs and 36 assists for a .960 fielding percentage.
Cannizaro talked about the importance of Sunday’s win.
“We needed a win and wanted to show those guys (Ole Miss) that we deserved to be on the field with them. It was big because they beat us the first two games. We came out ready to go with intensity and didn’t want to get swept,” Cannizaro said.
Cannizaro talked about his hitting streak.
“There is nothing better than being able to contribute and help my teammates win, said the freshman.
Defensively, Cannizaro said he feels comfortable and wants the ball hit to him in key situations so he can be part of the action to make plays.
Cannizaro said he is undecided on his major, but is considering doing something with communications and is carrying a 3.2 GPA. Cannizaro, from a true baseball family, said it is great having his parents Gary and Susan along with his older brothers Lee and Andy in the stands watching him play for the Green Wave.
Tulane head coach Rick Jones, who is in his 17th season with the Green Wave, talked about the contributions of Boudreaux, Boullosa and Cannizaro against the Rebels in Sunday’s series finale.
“They put up good offensive numbers for us. What all three of them have in common is that they have a tremendous work ethic and their commitment to the program and team concept,” Jones said.
“They play at a high level. They are very talented players, who come from great families. There are no negatives with those guys,” Jones added.
Coach Jones recalled that when he first started recruiting on the Northshore he commented that is where the Tulane program would be getting the majority of its local players from.
Other Northshore players on the roster include Mandeville High graduates Jamie Bruno and Ross Hardy along with Karl Mundt, a Northlake Christian School graduate. Jones said Hardy was red-shirted last year after an arm injury. Jones said Hardy, who was red-shirted last year after some arm issues is starting to throw and Mundt is getting close to returning following his second shoulder surgery. Jones said Bruno shows great promise and needs a little more consistency with his swing. Bruno is batting .222 with two hits in nine plate appearances.
“We have so many Northshore players, who have contributed over the years and these guys are a great example of that,” Jones remarked.
Coach Jones also talked about members of his tremendous staff that are currently living on the Northshore including associate head coach Chad Sutter, who coaches third base along with pitching coach Jack Cressend.
Coach Jones fondly remembered Cressend playing center field and leading off in his first coaching appearance for the Green Wave albeit some 17 years ago.


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