June 4, 2000
STANFORD
Head Coach Mark Marquess (opening comments): "This was a great series andI'm very proud of this team. They are the most experienced team that I'vehad and they come to play everyday. It is quite rewarding for them tocomeback after the first game loss.
(on Friday's loss): "You go through games when you don't play well. It wasone of those games where we got a strong pitching performance from JasonYoung, we just didn't back him up. But you had to give credit to Nebraska."
(on having experienced players): "It is an advantage to have players thathave been to Omaha. This weekend was just like a three game series thateveryone plays during the year. But to be familiar with the setting in Omahaand not to be just happy to be there if you've been there the past fewyears. There are a lot of distractions."
Brian Sager (after colliding with Craig Thompson): "It was one of thosesituations were you have to reach back for something a little extra. That isone of the things that I have learned this year with the injury. I sat outduring the Pac-10 season and these guys are going to all these conferecnegames and I'm back home rehabing. Those are the times that build characterand make you mentally tough."
Edmund Muth (on retuning to the College World Series): "We're not just happyto be going back to the College World Series. We're not going for theatmosphere, we're going to win some games."
Eric Bruntlett (on the win over Nebraska): "This was the biggest game of theseason. This was my lst game here at Sunken Diamond and it was a nice way togo out. All I have to do is try to get on base, with (John) Gall and Joe(Borchard) behind me it's all I have to do is get on base."
NEBRASKA
Head Coach Dave Van Horn (opening comments): "Basically offensively we didn't get it done. We had some chances early. We had the leadoff man on three orfour times early in the game. We didn't move him around, drive him in. Wehit into a double play and were down a run. Whenever the count went to 2 and0 and they were trying to bunt, we knew he was going to swing. We threw abreaking pitch. It was actually supposed to off the plate, and he just leftit out over the plate too much. The mistake there not letting him just buntthe ball [Muth's home run]. Momentum-wise that hurt us a lot. We play hardand if you watched us play we are not an overly talented team, but it is ateam that always finds a way to stayh in the game. If you let us hang aroundwe end up winning. We are not blessed with great power or pitching, comparedto Stanford if you look up and down there roster, they are an all star team.We hung in there and hung in for all three games.
(on the out on a passed ball at home plate): "That would have tied it up.The thing is we should have got him in before that. We had a perfect pitchto squeeze bunt. We have been doing that all year, nine-hole hitter, infieldin. You have to get that down. If he scores it is tied up 3-3. It might ofended up being a one-run game. When Adam broke I didn't want to hold him.You didn't know how far the ball was going to roll. The catcher did a nicejob of getting the ball and making a quick throw. It was a perfect throw ofthey wouldn't have got him. That is the type I like to play. It isaggressive. My hat is off to them. They just made the play.
(on Chad Wiles running out of gas late?): "I don't know if he ran out ofgas. I think he missed some spots, the second home run and the line drive toleft. He was supposed to be way in. It was a 1-2 count. He was lookingbreaking pitch away and tried to throw the fastball, and he just didn't getit in enough. He made a couple mistakes. I have to give him credit. He camein the fourth inning in a tough situation. He went through some tough switchhitters and left-handed hitters. He gave us a chance to win the game. I can't ask anything else from Chad.
(on failure on squeeze play): "I think we have squeezed six or seven timesand only failed one time. The same young man had gotten it down a coupletimes and been real good at it. The only thing I was worried about was thempitching out. When the brought the infield in I didn't want a hard hitground ball right at someone and let them field it. Down in the order I feltwe really needed that win. He got the pitch to squeeze. It was a fastballwaist high and just popped it up. We were disappointed but we didn't rollover after that. It was 3-2 for a couple more innings after that until theygot the big two-run home run. The bottom line is their pitching stopped ourhitting.
(on Stanford's three-man starting rotation): "The could be the best as faras three. We have played some schools that had two really strong pitchersand the third one might be a real drastic drop-off in velocity or something.They just kept coming at you with 90-plus. Big strong kids. I felt today wehad a chance. Today's pitcher didn't have the number of pitches that Wayneand Young threw. He basically threw the fastball and slider. He showed us alittle bit of a change up. He did a good job of hitting spots. We did getsome pitches to hit. It seemed we fouled them off or got jammed. Everybodythey brought in was right around 90 or better.
(what did you tell team after game?): "Basically I thanked the seniors fortheir leadership and all that they have done for our program, and a fewpersonal things. I just appreciate the effort the guys gave us this year. Wewere picked middle of the pack in the Big 12 and we butted heads with somebig schools. We beat Texas two out of three in Austin. We got second placeand won some big games to get here. The program has made a lot of bigstrides. The seniors are the ones that led us here and I really appreciateit.
Justin Cowan (on reflecting on a great season): "It is going to be tough.Any time you come within four or three runs of the College World Series, itis going to be hard for us. We had a good year. We left everything we hadout on the field. It is going to be tough though.
Adam Shabala (on the out at home): "I just saw the ball go between thecatcher's legs and I broke. He made a good play, got back there prettyquick."