The Tulane baseball team knew the first step they had to take to ensure making the American Conference tournament next week: win all three games in Houston against Rice.

On to step two, as the Green Wave laid a series-opening egg, losing to the Owls via the mercy rule, 12-0. It's the second time Tulane has lost by the 10-run rule in a month.

Nothing Working for the Green Wave

This is the fifth weekend in a row that the Wave has opened a conference three-game match with a loss. In those five losses, Tulane pitchers have averaged giving up over 11-runs. The contrast is how poorly the Wave offense has performed during that same stretch, averaging 2.4-runs per game in those five weekends.

Thursday starter J.D. Rodriguez struggled early giving up 10-hits and six-runs with five earned in the first 3.1-innings of work before being pulled for Jake Toporek.…