What do baseball and Ping-Pong have in common? You might be surprised that it’s more than just a white ball or a poor joke. The real truth is that junior pitcher Tim Yandel is a star at both.

Whether on or off the field, Yandel proves time and time again that he’s a jack-of-all-trades.

With both an opposing batting average of 0.169, the lowest on the Green Waves starting rotation, and an American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week award under his belt, Yandel’s breakout role as a starting pitcher has been nothing short of explosive.

Though Yandel has 2-1 record and has started in six games, he never imagined himself pitching.

However, he recently came around to the idea of making pitching full-time his priority in the hopes of becoming a weekend starter but still wants to hold onto his position player roots.

When Yandel takes the mound, high pitch counts are a common staple. He endures long stretches due to a level of confidence his teammates and coaches have instilled in him throughout the season.

“When I approach the mound, I have to be confident and I am motivated by the team dynamic and [our] desire to win,” Yandel said.

With the latest series at UC Riverside giving Yandel his first loss of the season, Yandel’s ERA jumped to 2.43. Though he was not satisfied with his most recent performance, he isn’t going to look down on himself and wants focus on what comes next.

“[Against UC Riverside] many pitches had good quality, falling into the strike zone clearly, but too many of them were higher up in the strike zone,” Yandel said.

Despite the disappointing past series, Yandel is sure the Wave will redeem itself as well as continue to approach the field every day ready to fight, reiterating Coach Pierce’s mantra of “we will win.”

The team dynamic has expanded off the field, resulting in a tight knit group of guys.

“What you do with the team when you’re off the field is just as important as on the field,” Yandel said.

In addition to excelling on the field, Yandel also excels at the video game FIFA, claiming he can beat anyone on the team. He also claims to be a dominating force on the Ping-Pong table, despite tougher competition as of late with the addition of a Ping-Pong table in the locker room.

Just as he exudes confidence when he approaches the mound, Yandel is confident he will reclaim his title of Ping-Pong King shortly and will never back down from a new competitor.

Yandel’s passion and determination to improve as well as his value to Tulane is a driving force behind his success and he will continue to give it his all every time he steps on the field.

He plans helping lead Tulane to a Championship and the next step in that plan is defeating rival LSU Tuesday at Turchin Stadium.