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STANFORD
Head Coach Mark Marquess
(Opening statement): "It was some kind of game, especially in an elimination game to play in the national championship. Obviously we were a little short handed. (David) O'Hagan pitched great. He scared me a bit. I don't think we had a one-two-three inning all night. We had seven walks and five hit batsmen, so that's 12 runners we put on base. We found a way to win. We played with a lot of heart. It was not pretty, but we found a way to win. I'm very proud of my team and the way we battled back. It was a clutch performance when we were shorthanded."
(on Rice): "I've heard about them from a lot of other coaches. I hadn't had a chance to see them until we got to Omaha. Obviously they have a strong pitching staff. They've been able to rest and have some depth. They play well. We'll enjoy this one and then try to get some type of game plan to face them."
Third Baseman Jonny Ash
(on his first career home run): "It feels great to win. It's funny. Coach (Dean) Stotz, the third base coach, called this a couple weeks again in the batting cage back at Stanford. It was a dream come true. I was getting great swings in the batting cage back in school. Coach Stotz said in a couple weeks in Omaha, you're going to get one in a big game. Sure enough it was."
Relief Pitcher David O'Hagan
(on his performance): "All year it seems I come in to get other guys out of jams and then everything falls apart for me. I'm pleased Coach (Mark) Marquess keeps putting me out there. As most of you know, my numbers aren't that great. I try to do what I can to help the team. I try to put my best foot forward."
(on facing Cal State Fullerton with the bases loaded in the eighth inning): "With the bases loaded, there's not too much margin of error. I tried to keep focused, keep my eyes on the target and throw the best I could."
Leftfielder Danny Putnam
(on Rice): "We haven't played these guys, but obviously we faced great guys all year. We'll need to get a good game plan to face these guys."
CAL STATE FULLERTON
Head Coach George Horton
(opening statement): "We're a little devastated. The team can take a look at (injured shortstop) Justin Turner's face and see that a picture is worth a thousand words. That's what we did the entire year -- invest a lot emotionally and physically. We left 15 runners on base and 10 in scoring position. We hit a lot of line drives but it always seemed that a Cardinal was waiting for it. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We lost to a great program. It was a classic Titan-Cardinal battle and unfortunately we came up short tonight."
(on evaluation the 2003 season): "Unfortunately for us, in our industry winning championships is how your season is gauged. Our goal was to win the national championship and we came up short. I will always remember this team, the way we did things together, the work ethic and the passion for each other and the coaching staff. I am hoping that we will all remember the positive things they brought to themselves and the institution. They're not champions but they are still winners."
Starting Pitcher Jason Windsor
(on the injury to his thumb): "It didn't really hinder my pitching. It occurred on the first warm-up pitch in that inning so anything that happened prior to that had nothing to do with the injury."
Relief pitcher Chad Cordero
(on the game-tying home run by Stanford's Jonny Ash): "I went after him like I go after everyone else, even though he's not really a home run hitter. I left a fastball out over the plate, and he hit it well."
Rightfielder Shane Costa
(on his team's reaction to the injury to Justin Turner): "It didn't have a negative affect on us. If anything, it gave us a lift in the sense that it gave us another reason to try to win. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get it done."
Trainer Chris Mumaw
(on the injury status of Justin Turner): "Justin was taken to a local hospital (Bergan Mercy) for X-rays after being hit by a pitch between the cheekbone and the jaw. He was evaluated and although he has contusions and abrasions, he has no broken bones. There is a small laceration to his lip, and there is a small chip to one of his teeth. To add insult to injury, he also has a sprained ankle."