June 10, 2001
Head Coach Mark Marquess
(opening statement)
"I thought this was a fantastic college baseball game. There had been some talk about the length of the games and the number of runs. This was as good as you're going to get as far as a college baseball game goes (with) two great college pitchers hooking up and pitching great. (You had) great defense. I thought that it was just a fabulous college baseball game. It's unfortunate that a team has to lose that. (Kirk) Saarloos pitched super, so did Gosling. It was just a great college baseball game at the premier place in college baseball. With the importance of the game - the way it was played, the way it was pitched - it was fantastic. It's fun to play in a game like that. It's fun for the fans. It's good for college baseball, especially to showcase college baseball. We were just fortunate. We finally got a break on the (Scott Dragicevich) bunt - kicked off him - and then (Chris) O'Riordan got a big hit and then we got a clutch hit by Fuld and kind of broke it open, but they came back. They're a great program and a great team, well coached and that's why we play each other each year. When we lock up early in the year, it's kind of a measuring stick on what we need to improve upon."
(on bringing Jeff Bruksch into the game again as a closer)
"The format of the championship allows me to do it. He's kept himself in great shape. He's used to it. On Friday and tonight, he had as good of stuff as he's had all year. I checked with him today before the game and he said he felt fine, that he could go. We thought we could use him. We would have liked J.D. (Willcox) to finish it up, but they had something going. We'll keep him on wraps and use him any way we can. He may start a game for us."
(on having lots of pitching options)
"This is probably more pitching depth than we've ever had as far as arm strength. If you look at our stats, we have a lot of guys that have made a lot of appearances. We feel that we have a lot of quality arms and that gives you a lot of flexibility. We felt going into the year that we had a lot of quality arms, but we just didn't have any experience. Coach (Tom) Kunis has done a fantastic job with that inexperience. Even Gosling and Bruksch have had experience but not as starters and not the quality starts that they've had all season for us."
(on lack of bullpen depth in 2000)
"I felt in Omaha last year because we won the first three games, I went into the championship game with (Jason) Young and (Justin) Wayne. You couldn't ask for anything better than that, and they both pitched well. We didn't have as much depth last year. Normally, if you do that in a Regional or on a weekend, you have to be very careful of your pitch count because you like to come back with your ace. If you use him on Friday, you would like to come back at least on Sunday. You can use him on Saturday if you need to pick and choose where you can win a game, Here (at the CWS) with a day off, it gives you a lot of flexibility. Thirty pitches for a relief pitcher with a day off, he's fine. If his arm is good and he responds, he can go thirty (pitches) one day and 15-30 the next day. With a day or two off, everybody's live. Wednesday everybody's live except for (Mike) Gosling."
(on a probable pitcher for Stanford's next game on Wednesday)
"That's a good question. I'll talk to coach (Tom) Kunis tomorrow and my staff to see how their arms are. I'm not sure it makes much difference who the opponent is. They're both quality so it doesn't matter. I'll wait to see how the pitchers are and make a determination probably tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest, we'll make a decision."
(on how nice it is to be in the winners' bracket)
"It's always great to be in the winners' bracket. Sometimes you don't like to sit a long time, but it's much better to be in the winners' bracket.
(on Sam Fuld)
"Sam (Fuld) has played very well for us. He's hit the ball well in the Super Regional and here (at the CWS). That (Fuld's 10th inning two-RBI triple) was big. As you see in the bottom of the inning if you go in with a one-run lead that's nice. But, Sam's hit is big - that's the game. That was a huge hit. That gives us a little more breathing room. We don't have to guard the lines. We don't have to worry about the pitch. We can throw a fastball down the heart of the plate and don't have to worry about them hitting the ball out and tying the game."
Jeff Bruksch
(on his role as closer thus far in the 2001 CWS)
"The comfortable aspect comes from the experience. I've been in the routine of being a starter all year but when it comes down to playoffs you have to be ready. It's whatever it takes to win. That's the bottom line. Whatever I can do to help the team win. I just try to go out there relax and tap on the experience of last year being at the College World Series. I try to put it in the books."
Ryan Garko
(on his game-tying solo homer in the top of the seventh inning)
"It was in the seventh inning so I knew that if we didn't score pretty soon, the middle of the lineup wasn't going to get up again after that inning. But, leading off the inning I was just trying to get on base or drive something in the gap. (Kirk) Saarloos really ended up just hanging a change-up right down the middle of the plate. When a guy's pitching that well and he makes a mistake, you have to jump on it. I was fortunate to get that pitch and not to overswing or try to do too much with it and yank it foul. I just put a good swing on it. It was a big spot to get the run there and tie that ballgame up."
Mike Gosling
(on pitching better Sunday than his first couple of post-season outings)
"The difference today was that I avoided the big inning. The last couple of outings I had allright stuff. Against Texas, I think I put up five or six zeros and then a three-spot. Against South Carolina, it was a very similar situation with four zeros and another three-spot. That was something I just focused on this week that you've got to eliminate the big inning. When a guy gets on, you got to bear down a little harder - one hit is one hit but don't let them pile up two, three or four in an inning. I also got some good defensive plays and some balls hit right at guys. I don't really feel like I really changed anything with my pitching other than to make a little bit more of a conscious effort to bear down a little harder once I got a guy on and realize that you can't give up the big inning and try to keep your team in the game."
(on being locked up in a pitching dual with someone like Kirk Saarloos)
"Fun and nerve-wracking would describe it. Those kind of battles are fun. (Kirk) Saarloos had an incredible year this year, probably the second most dominant year behind Mark Prior. You knew coming into the game that he's going to pitch well, and I'm going to have to pitch well to keep it close. It's fun to go head-to-head like that with both guys putting up zeros. It also nerve-wracking. When you are going out there and pitching your heart out, you want your team to get a win out of it. I just took the attitude that I should go up and put as many zeros up as I can and eliminate the big inning. I had faith in our offense that we would put a few (runs) up and do the job. It came a little later than maybe we wanted it, but eventually we got the job done."
Brian Hall
(on his catch at the wall in the bottom of the ninth inning)
"Off the bat, I just looked up and tried to find the fence. I ran back and the ball started drifting towards the foul line on me. I just got back right in front of the fence. I did think it had a chance of getting out, but I was going to do everything I could to keep it in the ballpark. Once I got back at the wall, it came down right to me."
Chris O'Riordan
(on whether there was any spillover from Friday's dramatic comeback win to Sunday's game)
"It's a testament to the mental quality of this team. We stay in the game no matter who's on the mound or what the score is. Today, Kirk Saarloos was a very effective pitcher and keeping us off-balance, but Mike (Gosling) was going to give us a good effort and if we just battled, had good at bats and played good defense, we would stay in the game. When we got down eight runs against Tulane, we felt our pitching staff would keep them there if we just plugged away and get some baserunners that we could back in the game. It's a testament to the hitters, the pitchers and the coaching staff to just keep plugging away and know that good things will happen if you have a good approach and just let the game take care of itself."
(on his 10th inning single that put Stanford ahead)
"I knew that (Chad) Cordero had a good fastball as he showed to (Arik) VanZandt the hitter. I just wanted to go up there and put a good swing on the ball. I think I was too anxious on my first two swings. I fouled two balls off and took a bad swing. With two strikes, I just wanted to put the ball in play. I knew something good could happen if I put the ball in play. O didn't get a good piece of the ball - I hit it off the end of the bat - but fortunately it went in the right spot and was able to get through, and we were able to score that run."
(on hitting in clutch situations)
"I do (like hitting in clutch situations). Being the leadoff guy, I want to get on base, but at the same time I feel that I need to set the tone for the offense. When big situations come up, I want to be the guy. I always feel more zoned in during those situations. Fortunately, I'm able to get some pitches to hit. I really do enjoy those situations and we've got some really talented hitters behind me so I know that I don't have to press because Sam (Fuld), (Ryan) Garko or Carlos (Quentin) can come up and get big hits, too."