On courts throughout New Orleans, devoted players put their bodies on the line night after night, week after week and year after year. But it’s also a mental game.

Tulane coach Rick Jones opened the door and quietly walked out of the clubhouse. He saw the media, but looked down at the ground. Jones already knew what questions would be asked.

More than $300 million later, the most recognizable landmark in the state of Louisiana is nearly done with its makeover.

As the clock ticked down in a scoreless game, Kenneth Farrell, coach of the New Orleans Jesters, was as restless as the crowd at Pan American Stadium in City Park. Farrell knew that chances for his team to score against the Regals FC of Houston were fading quickly, despite several good opportunities.

Tulane’s season turned from optimistic to bleak within the first 35 minutes of Saturday’s season finale. The University of Central Florida scored six runs in the first inning, a lead that expanded into a 17-6 season-ending loss for the Green Wave at Turchin Stadium.

Tulane’s season looked all but over when designated hitter Gunner Wright stepped to the plate in the seventh inning, his team down three runs to the University of Central Florida. A loss would have eliminated the Green Wave from postseason play.

The sound was sharp. Loud. Aggravating. Describe it any way you want, but Tulane reliever Drew Zizinia knew the baseball was never coming back. And neither was Wednesday’s game.

Give the New Orleans Zephyrs credit for this in Tuesday’s afternoon game: They took advantage of the Sacramento River Cats miscues. In a game where the River Cats had two errors and three wild pitches, the Zephyrs turned those mistakes into a 12-2 win at Zephyrs Field.

It was only the fourth inning, but it was clear that Ryan Tucker was heading into the dugout for the night because the Zephyrs were down four runs and he had walked four batters.