June 9, 2006
NCAA ATLANTA SUPER REGIONAL
JUNE 9, 2006
GEORGIA TECH QUOTES
GEORGIA TECH HEAD COACH Danny Hall
Comments on game:
“It was a great pitched game by both sides and I felt Blake (Wood), even though he was in and out of trouble, he really did a good job of keeping them from scoring. Kindel’s home run to give us a 1-0 lead was big. I also told Matt (Wieters) before the game to keep doing what he’s doing. Then, (Brad) Rulon game in and pitched well in relief. Kindel’s throw early to get that guy out at the plate was also huge to keep them from scoring. I thought our guys played really well and I tip my hat to the College of Charleston. I thought their pitcher was very good, and it’s easy to see why he’d won eleven games in a row. I’m just happy that he’s now 11-2.”
On what makes Blake Wood so effective in though situations
“I think that for one, he has a really good fastball so when he throws his breaking ball and his changeup in different spots, he can usually get out of a jam. Today, he used his changeup a little more than he had been. He threw some fast balls to keep them off-stride. I think their hitters can hit pretty well so to throw a shutout against them says a lot about our pitching.”
On Brad Rulon coming in to close the game
“We kind of debated on what to do. Brad gave us no reason to want to go with anybody else. I thought he pitched great.”
On Hodges’ injury
“He can hardly walk, and it’s a major gut check for him to play out there. He had a huge it today to help us too.”
On who will pitch tomorrow
“Lee Hyde will pitch tomorrow.”
On emotions of probably pitching in last home game
“It’s just like any other game. I was relaxed and was just ready to go. I didn’t want to change anything. I’ve pitched in the post season the past few years and I’ve felt like my approach was pretty good.”
On how you felt out there today
“Physically, it’s a long process trying to get rid of these shin splints. I’ve been trying not to get too down when I have a bad start. I’ve worked on my mechanics a little bit and tried to be more aggressive with hitters. I think that’s really paid off.”
On what you’re doing to be so successful at the plate
“I wish I could tell you because I’d write it down and refer to it when I’m struggling. I’m just seeing the ball well at the plate and I’m trying to go up there and get a hit, and that’s really what you’re supposed to do every time.”
Were you surprised that they came after you on the home run that you hit?
“I’m not surprised. Kindel had just hit a bomb two innings before. I figured they were going to come after me because they didn’t want to give up a two-out walk, especially with Kindel behind me.”
On the throw out at home early in the game
“I just saw him rounding third base and I didn’t know if I had a shot at him or not so I just cut it loose, put it on the money, and Wieters tagged him out at the plate. I wasn’t moving too well early on in the game and I got to the ball a little quicker than I thought I would.”
On your injury and whether there was an issue of you coming out of the game
“No, I was going to stay in the game, and it was never really an issue. It’s not like it’s in pain. It’s just a question of whether I can move around on it. There was no question in my mind that I was going to play today, and I figured that if I could walk around out there, I could do something at the plate to be productive.”
On trying to close out the series tomorrow
“We need to get it done tomorrow. There’s no reason to take it to Sunday. There’s a sense of urgency every game this time of year. You want to make it to Omaha and give yourself a chance at the national championship.”
“I think they’re real loose. They don’t know what to expect. They know that we have to go out and play. But they’re loose, and they’re doing the same crazy things they’ve done since the first day of practice. Time will tell. But I hope they’re relaxed and ready to play.”
On momentum after your first home run
“I think we gained momentum in the first inning when Blake pitched out of a jam and gave up no runs. Having a 1-0 lead probably made the guys a little looser, but the story was Blake pitching out of jams all day and not giving up any runs.”
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON QUOTES
Head Coach John Pawlowski
“I thought Blake Wood did an outstanding job for Georgia Tech. He made some real big pitches in key situations and we could never get anything going offensively. In all nine innings we never got the leadoff guy on base. They pitched us very well today, they did a great job. We kept the game close and I thought Jake did what he’s done all year for us, he gave us a chance to win. We just couldn’t come up with anything offensively and I really think that was the difference in the game. When you are facing a very potent lineup like that, we made a couple of mistakes and they did what they needed to do in hitting some balls out of the ballpark. Certainly that was the difference in the game.”
“The beauty of this tournament is you have to win two games. They [Georgia Tech] certainly deserved to win today and we know that come out tomorrow. I think the biggest thing is that we’ve got to find a way to score some runs early and get some momentum on our side. It was certainly great crowd today, a 12 p.m. game and a great atmosphere. We’ve just got to come out and score some runs early and get the momentum on our side.”
On some of the chances they took on the basepaths today:
“We were trying to stay out of the double play there and try and create something, and that’s how we play. We have to be very creative and try and get some guys in motion. That’s how we’ve done it all year and we aren’t going to change that. But when you fall behind like that, it makes it tough. The biggest thing I thought today is that we were really limited because we didn’t get a leadoff guy on base. When that happens, your hands are tied behind your back, so to speak, and it really makes things difficult, especially with a very good team like Georgia Tech. You fall behind and it’s going to be tough.”
On the play at the plate being a momentum swing:
“Yeah, I thought so. The ball gets through and you got to send him in that situation and he made a great throw to the plate and I was thinking ‘maybe we can get one out of this’, but a great throw and tag at the plate and just denied us again, and that’s tough. We score one there, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Player Quotes
Rightfielder Phillip Coker
On this being the first time in postseason play that the team has had their backs against the wall:
“Well, we either have to win, or go home. We’ve both played well all year to get to this point and we’re certainly not happy with the way we played today. We had a lot of chances, a lot of guys on base, but just didn’t come up with the big hit today. Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll come in with that mindset that if we lose, we will go home. We’re just going to concentrate hard and hopefully play a little better tomorrow.”
Catcher Alex Garabedian
On the play at home:
“I knew we were playing for a run so I tried to get the best jump that I could. I thought I got a pretty good jump, I think. But, the guy made great throw and Wieters made a great block at the plate just to block me off so there’s not much I could have done about it. It was just a bam-bam play.”
Pitcher Nick Chiggers:
On his outing and the two pitches he threw to Jeff Kindel and Matt Wieters:
“I thought I went out there and threw pretty good. I had three pitches going for me, just in those certain situations I didn’t make the right pitch. The one to Kindel was a change up that just stayed over the plate and the one to Wieters was a fastball in on the plate. I probably should have thrown a different pitch than a fast ball, he was probably sitting on that. I probably should have thrown a changeup or curve ball.”
