2004 NCAA ATLANTA REGIONAL
Game Five: Texas Tech 14, Mississippi State 7
Post Game Quotes
Mississippi State Head Coach Ron Polk
“I’m disappointed we lost, but not disappointed in our kids. Texas Tech has a pretty tough lineup, I thought we did a pretty good job with them. We put the ball in play, made some things happen. I thought after the two-run home run that we got from Brad Jones that we had an opportunity to win the ball game but at the same time we just didn’t get it done. I think Saunders (Ramsey) would be the first to tell you that he was pumped up a little too much — walked a guy, then hit a guy, then a chink base hit and from that point in time we couldn’t get them out. But they have a nice lineup, as I say, and you have to give them credit at the same time. I thought we had the opportunity twice now to beat them. The first time we made a couple of errors and gave them opportunities early in the ball game. They’re a good No. 2 seed, I’m sure they’ll compete well against Georgia Tech tomorrow. At the same time I think our guys would have enjoyed the chance to play Georgia Tech here in their stadium, I think we would have competed well. But at the same time, the 1 and 2 seed will be teeing off, and that’s the way it should be. But as you see around the country, four seeds and three seeds have done pretty well.
On the season:
“Well, it’s been one of the years. We started young and we finished young. You look at that lineup out there and they’re all sophomores, with the exception of Steve Gendron at shortstop. For the most part it was a season of a lot of opportunities missed, especially on Sunday SEC games, to the point where a good season could’ve been an outstanding season for a good, young ball club. The future looks good, a lot of youngsters will be back next year, we’ve had a great recruiting class, we feel. So I think we’ll be a better ballclub next year because we’ll be more experienced.
Mississippi State Reliever Saunders Ramsey
Was Coach Polk right, that you were too “pumped up”? “I don’t know. I told somebody before the game that my fastball felt a little light. My curveball felt a little fast, which isn’t good for me. But, I felt good. They put the game on my shoulders and that’s my job. I missed a spots early — walked a guy, hit a guy and they just took advantage of it. I just didn’t get the job done.
Was this a reliever’s nightmare?
“Well, it went from a reliever’s dream to a reliever’s nightmare real quick. That’s what I wanted all tournament, was to have a chance to have the ball in my hand with the game on the line, and I felt like that’s what the team wanted to. That’s the opportunity I got, and I didn’t come through with it. I felt like I’ve had a great year, but it just fell apart on me.
Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays
“It was a great win and a long day. The only downer for us was having to burn Gerstner, but Mississippi State just kept hitting the ball. We were hitting it hard early but I didn’t think we were ever going to score. I thought it was just going to be one of those nights, so that’s why we went with Gerstner just to make sure it didn’t get out of hand. Our plan was to use him two innings max but we had to go with him, so that’s the downer.
“I kept thinking, the way were hitting, that if we could just stay close we’d make a run. But they brought in Ramsey, I thought we might have waited too late.
“We’ve still got some pitching. We’ve got (Michael) McGowan ready to go tomorrow.”
Texas Tech Center Fielder Cody Fuller
“I didn’t really know anything about him, but when I saw the first curve ball, I knew he was good. I just tried to get a piece of it.
Texas Tech Pitcher Corey Gerstner
“Playing guys like this you can’t ever get too relaxed. That home run kind of hurt a little bit, and I began to fear that it wouild come back to haunt us. It bumped them four runs up, but I knew these guys would keep swinging the bat.
