June 6, 2010
ALABAMA COACH MITCH GASPARD
Opening Statement:
“Obviously two things- one, early offense. It starts with [Taylor] Dugas’ home run on the first pitch. Then [we] left the yard three times in the first inning, which really hadn’t been something we’ve done much of this year. So, [there was] solid early offense for us to get a lead and then Adam [Morgan] was just tremendous today. We felt like if we could get to this game, he would give us a really good chance to win. The combination of good offense today and Morgan on the mound being really sharp was just a good combination to take us into tomorrow.”
On Morgan’s performance:
“First of all, he’s one of the best competitors that we have on the mound. Adam, like much of our team, kind of went through a lull in the season where he struggled for three or four starts and then really got it back going last week against Florida. One thing about Adam–and our whole team–I don’t know if there’s a tougher group out there. The character of this team speaks for itself, to come out of the hole we were at three weeks ago and where we’re at today. As a coach, you couldn’t be prouder of Adam and this whole group. They just compete their tails off every night.”
On his strategy for tomorrow’s game:
“With a left-handed dominant lineup like they have, I think we’ve got to look like at a Taylor Wolfe, or one of the left-handers that we have available. But, [Nathan] Kilcrease is good for three or four innings tomorrow. Jake [Smith]’s good for a couple of innings tomorrow. Like I said after game one, we want to put ourselves in a position to run strike-throwers out there that can command two pitches for a strike. Right now, we’ll have to go back and check everybody and see where they’re at availability-wise and how they feel. But obviously you’re looking at one game to move on, and you either go home or you keep playing, so everybody’s available tomorrow. So we have to look at the lefty-right match-up a little bit at least to start the game, and then we go with guys that we trust after that.”
ADAM MORGAN, SOPH., P
On his performance:
“I fed off of [the offense] a lot. It’s great to go into the second inning with a five-run lead. So I kind of pitched attacking them. I knew I had a shot at a bunch of lefties, so I just attacked them with the slider and got ahead of them with the fastball, and it was all great from there.”
On his connection to the Atlanta area:
“I don’t know how many guys I know. There is a pretty good bit, probably seven or eight. Most of them are pitchers, though. I know [Matt Skole]. [He] got the best of me, but it wasn’t going to happen again. I knew what to throw him. It’s a great experience to pitch here, to come back. I don’t know who all was here, and that really doesn’t matter. But, it’s all about a team effort and it was just all-around a good day.”
JAKE SMITH, SR., INF
On his home run in the first inning:
“[Starting pitcher Brandon Cumpton] just left that one fastball up. His first two pitches to me were in good locations. But the last three, he wasted one fastball and then missed with another one, and then I just had a fastball up and got a good swing on it.”
ROSS WILSON, JR., INF
On his performance:
On the team’s mentality:
“The last, I guess, month we’ve been playing a lot better and really playing well at the right time, and I think that kind of goes back to what [Gaspard] was saying about wanting to win the regional instead of just getting there. Because, you know, it’s not OK to just get there at Alabama.”
