May 31, 2001
STANFORD
Mark Marquess, Head Coach
Mike Gosling, Pitcher
Sam Fuld, Center Fielder
OPENING STATEMENT (Coach Marquess)
Well, obviously we are very excited to host a super regional, and we had a rough weekend last weekend having to beat the University of Texas twice on the final day, Sunday. I am glad we had a couple of days off. It's pretty draining, and I know that South Carolina had the same thing. We have two teams here in the super regional that have had to battle to get here, so we have a lot of respect for South Carolina. I think that we have a great pitching staff, and we do, but their team ERA is lower than ours. And the other thing that impresses me about their team is their power. They've got tremendous power, and we are going to have to do a good job of trying to keep the ball in the ballpark this weekend. We are excited to start, and we are healthy, and we are in as good of shape as we have been all year.
ON WHAT TYPE OF INAUGURATION LAST WEEK WAS FOR POST SEASON PLAY (Sam Fuld)
I could not have asked for anything better, I don't think. It was definitely the most exciting baseball that I have ever played. I think that it would have been nice to go 3-0, but we did it the hard way, and the way it ended up was just fine.
ON WHAT LAST WEEKEND WAS LIKE FOR A RETURNING PLAYER (Mike Gosling)
It was very exciting. As Sam said, we did do it the hard way, but I think that in the long run that is going to make us a little stronger team because we had to battle through some tough times, and were at a point where we knew that we had to win three in a row to come out of the regional. And we got the job done, and I think we feel stronger because of that.
ON WHAT THE TEAM IS DOING WELL AND WHAT HELPED THE SQUAD COME BACK TO WIN THE REGIONAL (Coach Marquess)
I think that the key for us all season has been basically two things, and we have done these both consistently all year, and those are throwing the ball over the plate and playing defense. This team will set a Stanford season fielding record. I think that we're fielding .977, and that's by far and away the best fielding percentage that we have ever had here. So I think that is what has enabled us to have a fantastic year, because we throw it over the plate and play great defense.
ON PLAYING IN THE UNUSUALLY HOT WEATHER (Mike Gosling)
I don't think that we have any problem playing in the heat. I don' think that weather affects us. We play some games in January when it's freezing cold and play some games late in the year when it's pretty warm. And guys play summer ball all over the country where it can get pretty warm, so I don't think that the weather will affect us one way or the other on how we play. We are going to go out with the same game that we always try to bring to the field.
ON IF THERE IS ANY EXTRA INCENTIVE TO GET BACK TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN OMAHA BECAUSE OF LAST YEAR (Coach Marquess)
Well, I would say yes if we had 75% of the team back from last year. But this is a totally different team. Last year's team was a veteran team. So yes, if we had the bulk of the team back, this might be a factor. But most of the guys here this year who were at Omaha last year weren't starting on the field. In the final game we had Chris O'Riordan and Andy Topham, and that was basically it. So this is a totally different team, and they would love to get there, but I don't think that it's the same type of motivation we would have if three quarters of the team was returning that had lost to LSU.
ON THE DIFFERENCE IN GOING TO THE BEST 2 OF 3 SUPER REGIONAL SET UP VS. A SECOND DOUBLE ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT (Coach Marquess)
It's difficult, because from a coach's perspective, you know last weekend there's a lot you have to think about because if you lose your first two you have to really watch your pitching and you have to spread your pitching out and it can become a real problem. Where as in the super regional, all of us are used to it because it's a three game series on the weekend. Now, it might only be two games if you win or lose the first two, but we are used to this. It's a three game series, and you have regular batting practice on the field. We played five games last weekend, and we didn't hit on the field. We could have the last day, but we wanted to rest. So it's much more familiar for all of the teams, it's a regular three game series. That's better to get your best baseball, and that's better for the fans. Our fans last weekend had to sit for eight hours if they wanted to see Stanford play again, and that's not going to happen this weekend. So it's going to help the fans and help both teams to play their best ball this weekend, because we are all more used to this routine.
ON STANFORD REPRESENTING THE PAC-10 AGAINST A STRONG TEAM FROM A STRONG SEC CONFERENCE (Coach Marquess)
Sure we represent the Pac-10, and if we don't the media makes us aware of it. So sure we do, and we are very proud of our conference as South Carolina is of the SEC. And if we don't remember that we represent the Pac-10, the media will remind you that you're from the Pac-10 or the South East Conference, and you go from there.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Ray Tanner, Head Coach
Kip Bouknight, Pitcher
Byron Jeffcoat, Second Baseman
OPENING STATEMENT (Coach Tanner)
We are very excited to be a part of the final sixteen teams in the country. Obviously we have a difficult assignment playing at Stanford, a team that is a household name at the College World Series. But we are looking forward to the challenge, and hopefully we can play like we have been down the stretch because we have been a pretty good team in the last three or four weeks, and hopefully we can do a good job this weekend.
ON WHAT SORT OF ADVANTAGE A JUNIOR / SENIOR DOMINATED TEAM GIVES SOUTH CAROLINA (Coach Tanner)
Well I think that it's a tremendous advantage for us. We were a team probably five weeks ago that was really fighting its way into the SEC tournament, such a great conference. And without our senior leadership and the intangibles of our veteran players, it would have been difficult. And coming across the country to play a team with the tradition of Stanford could be an imposing task, but as I have said with our veteran players and the seniors on this club, and those battle-tested in the conference that we come from, we certainly feel good about being able to do a good job out here.
ON IF IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT TO GO UP AGAINST STANFORD, AS THEY MADE IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME LAST YEAR (Coach Tanner)
As I said, there are sixteen teams left, and everybody is pretty good or you wouldn't be playing. But anything can happen on the field. I guess that four of the last six years they have been to the College World Series, so there is no question about how good the program is, how good they can be, and their success in the past. But this is a new year, and I think they have ten or eleven players on this team that went to Omaha, but they have a lot of different people too, and they are really a lot younger than we are as a ball club. And as I said we are really looking forward to the challenge, and I hope that we can play the kind of game we are capable of, and we like our chances if we do play well.
ON IF THE PITCHING ROTATION WILL STAY THE SAME (Coach Tanner)
I am not 100% sure right now, although it is Thursday. Kip, if he feels good, will start tomorrow. He did pitch twice on the weekend, which is an unusual situation for us. If he feels fine he will get the ball tomorrow. If not, he will back up to Saturday, and we will make a decision, and it will probably be Gary Bell in the first game.
ON IF THE WEATHER WILL PLAY A FACTOR OVER THE WEEKEND (Kip Bouknight / Coach Tanner)
It certainly won't have an effect on our guys. To me, that's the thing you can think of as a mental barrier. And Coach Tanner has talked to us about mental barriers, and we certainly aren't going to let something like how hot it is outside affect the way that we play. So we are certainly just going to go out and play our game and play hard.
Hot? This would be a beautiful day in Columbia, South Carolina. Columbia is like this with a lot of humidity. We feel good! You guys have been great hosts, even getting this nice weather in here for us.
ON HOW AFTER BEING DRAFTED AND DECIDING TO RETURN FOR A SENIOR YEAR THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE INCENTIVE TO GET TO OMAHA (Kip Bouknight)
Well, it certainly is a situation for me, being a senior on this team and having the change to leave after my junior year. To be able to come back and be a senior and a co-captain on this team is certainly something that has been very special for me. And to be in the same position as we were last year, with the feeling that we have some unfinished business that we didn't take care of last year, and we really want to take it to another level this year. We want to come out win a pair of wins here at Stanford and then go to Omaha. That is certainly one of our goals.
ON IF THIS SERIES IS THE BIGGEST YOU HAVE EVER PLAYED IN (Byron Jeffcoat)
It might not be the biggest series I have ever played in, but obviously it is a real important series to me. I feel like we came out here with a goal in mind, and that's to win. Our deal is is that we play our game and we can't get caught up in what Stanford has done this past year or what we have done this past year. You know, we have got to look ahead, and obviously our next goal is to get to Omaha. So, we have to come out here, play defense, pitch well, and hit the ball.