Lee Hyde
On moving back into the rotation and on the initial move to the bullpen
“Well, it was basically just changing roles with my roommate Tim Gustafson and they felt that he would be more consistent because I was struggling with my command. It worked out well against North Carolina because he went seven innings and I was throwing well in the bullpen. I liked it a lot because it was an adrenaline rush to come in late in the game. The decision to move me back into the starting rotation was good for me because that’s where I’m comfortable. It’s just a different mentality because as a starter, you go through a certain routine week in and week out. As a reliever, you never really know when you’re going into the game. I just want to pitch and give our team a chance to win.”
On both being drafted by your hometown team
“We’re definitely excited and it’s been a dream to play for the Braves so it’s actually going to become a reality now. I know he’s happy too.”
On playing Clemson in the first game of the College World Series
“We kind of joked about it because it’s like playing the ACC Tournament all over again. There are some other great teams in there like Georgia, Rice, Cal-State Fullerton, and Oregon State.”
On having played four of the other seven teams already this year
“I think it helps us because we have a feel for the other teams. We have scouting reports on them so we should know how to pitch to them a little but more and how their pitchers will throw at us. We still have to be able to execute.”
On the importance of winning the first game
“You definitely have to try and win that first game to try and get into the winner’s bracket. It really helps because it saves your pitching.”
On having that killer mentality when coming in from the bullpen
“That’s the way to think because I really just try and pound the strike zone so I think it’s also carried over me to in the starting role.”
On playing in Rosenblatt Stadium
“I heard the ball flies out really well, especially in right field. The key to pitching will be to keep the ball down and give your defense a chance to make plays.”
On feeling the need to step up late in the year with Danny Payne going down
“When you lose your best hitter on the team, I think everyone feels the need to step up. Although you can’t replace Danny, you can try and feel his void. We knew coming into this year that the hitters would have to step up.”
On playing against a team you followed growing up last week
“My sister played [volleyball] at the College of Charleston, I was recruited by coach [John] Pawlowski, I like coach Pawlowski, but at the same time, I didn’t want them to stand in our way of getting to Omaha this year.”
“You grow up watching all these teams play, and I got a ton of messages from people saying to take it easy on the boys, it was weird that of all the teams in the nation, we end up playing College of Charleston.”
On four ACC teams being in the College World Series
“Once you get to Omaha, it is all about who is hot at the right time. We know that the ACC teams are really good, because we faced them all season long. It doesn’t surprise me that four ACC schools are in the College World Series. Everybody has supreme talent, North Carolina has tremendous pitching, Clemson has an all-around good team, and Miami always has great teams that have a shot at Omaha every season, so we know how good the ACC is.”
On the last loss to Clemson and giving up 10 runs in the final inning
“It may have been one thing if we didn’t come back and score some runs in the bottom of that inning, but we came back and scored five runs that inning. So we know we can score on them as long as we play our best. We’ve had some lopsided games with Clemson this year, and a lot of close games, so we know that they are a good club and that we have to play well to beat them.”
On being patient at the plate
“It’s not really that hard. I have Jeff Kindel hitting behind me who I’m confident that if they walk me he will hit a double or home run, and once he does that, I know that I will get some good pitches to hit my next at bat.”
TECH COACH Danny Hall
On the three Tech teams making the College World Series being very different
“That first team [1994] was a special team because it was the first one that I coached here and had three great players, a couple of great pitchers and some very good college players on it. It was not a deep team, we only took 22 players out there, and you can take 25, and in the end that’s really what got us, we just didn’t have enough pitching to beat Oklahoma.
“The second time [2002] was the first year we played in the stadium [Russ Chandler], it was a very young, but talented group.
“Now this is quite a mix of a lot of veterans that have done a lot in their careers at Tech, but never played in a College World Series. I like this team because I feel that they are a hungry team, with a lot to prove still, and a team that has overcome a lot of adversity.”
On the pitching staff
“The whole key is to stay in the winner’s bracket. We have some great pitching match-ups with our staff, we can match some pitchers against teams that we feel like we’re going to have to play and beat to get there. The whole key is to stay in the winner’s bracket, because if you get in the loser’s bracket, you’re really going to have to get deep into your pitching staff, kind of like what we saw in the ACC Tournament because it’s the same format. Our goal is to win each game as it comes, stay in the winner’s bracket, and hopefully get a crack at that final series.”
On Clemson
“They are an outstanding team, with no weaknesses and are very competitive. We’re 3-3 against them, so that says a lot about how competitive those games have been, and we have total respect for them and their program. Hopefully it will be a great game right out of the gate. They were the No. 1 pick for a reason, they won the ACC Championship, so that says a lot to what they can do and we have a very tough challenge in that first game.”
