TCU & Arizona State Post-Game Press Conference
6/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TCU Post-Game Press Conference
Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
Opening statement
"I have to congratulate our team for playing really well against an outstanding Arizona State club to win a regional. Our fans are excited about that and they were outstanding. I thought we played a clean brand of baseball. With the exception of an 0-2 three-run homer yesterday, the thing that needs to be mentioned is how well we pitched. I'm really excited about that and I'm happy to be moving on and looking forward to the next round."
On the team's pitching performances over the weekend
"We've been a balanced offense all year. It's a strength we hadn't had in a couple of years. At the end of the day, it comes down to starting pitching. We have three really good starters this weekend, and for us to be playing six days from now, you have to limit mistakes. On offense you have to take advantage of the mistakes they give you, and be prepared to hit them. Good pitchers don't make many mistakes. One thing I'll look forward to seeing this weekend is how well we pitch."
On how the squad reacted to its regional title
"You never want to downplay this kind of success. It's hard to get into the tourney, it's hard to host and it's hard to win. There's a level of expectation with us and the coaches. They don't go into the weight room at 6 a.m., in the fall to win a regional. They do it to win a championship. They work hard and do the right things and it's what you expect to happen. There are no dog piles there. Our job is to play hard the next time we play."
Second Baseman Cam Warner
On his explosive weekend at the plate
"I don't think it's anything different. It's my same approach and swing and I'm just hitting them. Earlier in the game I knew I was out in front and coach told me to wait back. The homer was just a hanging curve and I put a good swing on it."
On how the team felt after its early 3-0 lead
"With Brian (Howard) on the mound and having the lead, we knew we were in good standing."
On how the team will prepare for its to-be-determined Super Regional opponent
"We are focused on playing our style of baseball, and if we do that we can beat anybody."
Pitcher Brian Howard
On his pivotal mound meeting with Coach [Kirk] Saarloos early in the game
"I have so much respect for Coach Saarloos and he's had a great impact on me on and off the field. He had an opinion about how I was pitching that moment, and in hindsight he was right but at the moment I didn't agree with him. He said to throw with conviction and the way I know I can, and that conversation helped me go out the way I did."
On his eight-inning, 94-pitch performance
"They're an aggressive team and I knew if I could get ahead in the count, I could get through. A lot of those turned into outs and I guess that turns into early-count outs. I felt good and it was a fun outing."
On how his first year as a starter has developed
"I guess the one thing this year taught me as a starter is that it's more about consistency. I'll take what I learned from this year. I had a good talk with Coach [Jim] Schlossnagle about consistency and I'll have to start stringing them together with some big ones coming up."
Arizona State Post-Game Press Conference
Head Coach Tracy Smith
Opening statement
"Well, it's tough to end the season. Nobody wants to do that, because you had plenty of special moments throughout the season. The better team won tonight. I don't think our team has anything to be ashamed of. We played hard all the way through and it just didn't happen for us."
On how the game went for his team
"Even the inning they got three runs, only two balls were struck hard in the first five innings. Eder [Erives] did a great job executing pitches, and you can still do that and get a negative result. That's baseball. Our guys competed even when they had eight runs. We had Seth Martinez trying to keep it close at his limit. I have no bad feelings about our pitchers. Sometimes you find green space and TCU did tonight."
On how the season went for the Sun Devils as a whole
"The way we started, we looked at this like kind of a transition year. We also got smacked with injuries kind of heavy. There was a moment in our season where it looked like it could have gone two directions. We talk about it a lot as 'how do you want to be remembered?' As disappointing as it is for us now, we can walk out with a smile on our face. It's about maximizing and doing what you can for your team."
First Baseman David Greer
On his team's offensive execution
"It wasn't the best, obviously. Their pitcher executed and moved the ball up and down and kept us off balance. Staying on the pitches longer, myself included, would have helped."
On how he viewed the season in retrospect
"As a team, we got what we needed to get out of it. I don't want to say we over-performed, but we performed to our max ability. When everyone was doing their part, things were running pretty smoothly. We had some down parts, and we could have crumbled, but we didn't."
Pitcher Eder Erives
On how he reacted to TCU's early lead
"I was executing pitches and the ball was finding green zone out there. You go out there with the same attitude whether you're winning or losing."
On making just his third start of the year, and on a big stage
"Starting, relieving or closing, I have the same mentality. I'm still going out there to make pitches, get outs and let the defense work. It's the same as coming out of the pen or starting for me."
