Mississippi State Head Coach Ron Polk
“We didn’t make a couple of plays in the second inning, plays that we’ve got to make, and that made it very difficult on AJ our pitcher. We outhit them in regard to the number of hits, but they got the home run ball and with runners on base got some timely hitting. For the most part, it was the four run second inning that made it difficult and from that point in time we were playing catch up. We got some guys on base and the game, really, was a lot closer than the scoring indicates – especially if we make those plays in the second innning. Again, we don’t like to fault our kids for errors, they are going to happen and you’ve got to make plays when you play a good ball club. I thought we did a good job of controlling their running game but at the same time, we weren’t able to make those two plays, and it’s very difficult to win games against a team like Texas Tech when you give them a four run inning. I thought that AJ (pitcher) competed well and we just didn’t make those plays.”
“Their pitcher, Dallas, is a good lefthander and he had two type of change ups and towards the end of the ballgame, he got a little more effective with his changeup and got some swings and misses. I thought we swung the bat ok, we just couldn’t seem to get the big hit, except for Brad Corley’s home run in the last inning.”
“We had 11 or 12 hits which should be enough to win a game, but you’ve got to get them at the same time and not spread out throughout a game, and you need the big hits at the right time, and you’ve got to be able to keep the game close. If the game close, it changes the complexion of Dallas’ pitching and what we do at the plate. Still felt we had a chance to win the ball game, but we had so far to go that it made it tough on us.”
“We’ve been challenged the last couple of weeks. I remember when I was at Georgia in 2001, we lost our first game against Georgia Southern but then won four straight and beat Georgia Tech. It makes it tough, but it can certainly happen. When you swing the bats the way we are capable of swinging, we should be able to score some runs, we just need to pitch a little better and make some plays. You never want to be in the losers bracket, but at the same time, we still have life in us, and that’s all you can ask for. We’re going to start Jeff Lacher and get ready to play more baseball tomorrow.”
Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays
“We had two good hitting ballclubs out there today. We felt like we pitched a little better and played a little better defese, and the key to that was [Dallas Braden.] I thought the key innig was the seventh because he didn’t let them answer that time. Every time we’d score, they come back and score us, but he went out there in the seventh and put goose egg up. That kind of gave us a breath of air. As well as they hit, they just didn’t let up at all. It was a big game for Dallas, and he pitched extremely well. We probably stayed with him a little too long but in a situation like this, every pitch you can save the bullpen helps.
[Big second inning] “That helped and got us going. If a teams give you a chance, you have to take advantage of it, and I was pleased that we did.
“When you get to a tournament like this, pitching is the name of the game. The fewer pitchers you have to use the first day really helps, and the best way to do that is win.
Texas Tech Pitcher Dallas Braden
“I was trying to show them the fast fall a little bit and then use the screw ball and the changeup as out pitches. The first part of the game, I felt like I was throwing bebees at toothpicks, then later in the game I was throwing watermelons at tennis raquets. I tried to just throw it up there and let them hit the ball and fortunately I got it past a couple of guys.
Texas Tech First Baseman Josh Brady
I started off with a strikeout, but I came away from that at-bat feeling like I got a pretty good look at him and saw a lot of his pitches. I came back in the second at-bat with better timing and little more ready for him. It felt good, just a couple more stories I can tell the baby girl. (Newborn daughter) Her name is Tacoya. She was five pounds, 10 ounces, and 20 inches long, and she was born at 4:19 in the afternoon on June 1. She’s doing good. They came home from the hospital yesterday. [Leaving her] It’s one of the harder things I’ve done, for sure. But it’s going to be that much more exciting to go back home.
