June 2, 2012
MICHIGAN STATE
MSU head coach Jake Boss
Opening Statement:
Well, very disappointing as far as today is concerned. I thought we were capable of playing better, which is probably the most disappointing thing. I think we make a bad pitch in the first on an 0-2 count with nobody on base...he ends up scoring a run. We give up a passed ball that leads to another run....make another bad pitch at 0-2 later in the ball game that ends up leading to a run. All those little things that we could have taken care of, we didn't. So, very disappointing on the offensive end. I think we took a lot of tentative swings on positive counts, which is, again, very disappointing. Credit Fresno. They made a couple big plays when they needed to. Their centerfielder made a big play--caught a ball at left center to kind of stop the rally. That took some wind out of our sails. Momentum was a big thing. They got it and took it and ran with it, and we couldn't get it stopped.
On few good at-bats as the game progressed:
There were a few and they made a couple plays on us. The other guy settled into it and, I thought, threw really well. [Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole] knows his team better than I do, but I wasn't too disappointed to see the lefty leave the game because he really settled into it. The right-hander they brought in threw just as well. I think a lot of it was them. For us, again, when we got in the positive counts, we took some tentative swings and you're not going to win that way.
On looking back on an historic season:
Obviously losing today hurts right now. But in a week or two when we really step back and take a look at things. A lot of credit goes to our senior class. Really, all the credit goes to our senior class. All those guys came in our first year here and they bought in and changed the culture of the program. We brought in a couple junior college guys like Justin [Scanlon] here that added to that momentum and really turned things around and took Michigan State baseball to a place it hasn't been in a long time. So the credit goes out to those guys. They go out a play hard every day. They work hard in practice for us. It's a good group of kids and they're fun to be around. That's probably the hardest thing about the season coming to an end because it's such a good group of guys that is not going to get a chance to play together again.
MSU shortstop Justin Scanlon
Yeah, definitely. I think they did a really good job of keeping us off balance and pitching backwards. Didn't see many fastballs and fastball counts so credit them for their pitches.
FRESNO STATE
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole
Opening statement
“That was a good win. Tommy (Harlan) gave us everything he had. The plan was to get him through their lineup twice, Gene (Escat) through the lineup one and close with Taylor (Garrison). That almost never happens the way you plan that it out. It was exactly what we wanted to do.
That Michigan State is a heck of a ball club we faced. They’re physical, they’re fast and they play really neat and clean on defense. They won 37 games for a reason and had a great year. It took everything we had to get them today.”
On relief pitching being ready for elimination game
“They didn’t have any idea, but our guys are all veterans. They’ve been in a lot of playoff games and have been in this situation.
On game plan against MSU hitters
“They are a very aggressive and outstanding fastball hitting team in Michigan State. We thought we’d have a good matchup with Thomas’ changeup. Like I said, the plan was to get Thomas through the lineup two times and he did it. He was outstanding for us.”
On scoring first
“Scoring first was huge. That was the best thing we did today.”
On winning elimination games
“That’s a sign of an experienced team that’s been through these kind of wars. They know that no tem is in a position that we are going to play that can’t catch you and run you down.
Michigan State plays with a lot of heart, and there was no way we were going to take the foot off the gas, and that’s why we went to Taylor early because we knew we were going to have our best guy on the mound to finish them.
When you get your work done and when you get in the clutch, you know you’ve earned and deserved it.”
Fresno State starting pitcher Thomas Harlan
On playing in an elimination format
“We’re a fighting club. We love to compete. I guess we like it.”
Fresno State’s Trent Garrison
On clutch hitting in an elimination game
“Just getting clutch hits is just as important as any other games. Having Tommy (Harlan) give us a great performance makes it a lot easier on the hitters to get those clutch hits.
“It’s a lot of fun playing in these elimination games. Coming in today, we played the game we always play. We stuck to our plan of getting clutch hits, and luckily everything worked out together.”