University of North Carolina Athletics
Quotes From Chapel Hill Regional Championship Game
June 4, 2006 | Baseball
June 4, 2006
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NCAA Division I Baseball Championships
Chapel Hill Regional (Championship Game)
Game 6 (#1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #2 Winthrop Eagles)
North Carolina Quotes
Head Coach Mike Fox
We're obviously tickled to death to still be playing. It was nice to win,
relax like that, get a lead and not have the pressure of a close game.
That's kind of fun in the dugout when you sense at a certain point that
you're going to win this game. That was fun the last four or five innings.
We played well this weekend. We played with a lot of confidence and
hopefully that will carry over to next weekend.
On UNC's offense:
Hitting is so much confidence and probably Jay swinging the bat, the
three-run homer to tie the game against Maine, that might have been the one
swing of the bat that really got us going. Jay was just unconscious all
weekend. Hitting is just like that. It's a tough skill, but it's strange
how it works sometimes and you see the ball so well. Of course, there are
weeks when you don't see it at all. I was kidding Josh because he got one
hit yesterday and he's usually right in the middle of all those runs. I
told him today, why don't you join the hit parade today. Of course he got
four hits.
On Daniel Bard's performance today:
He pitched very well. That explosive fastball he's got is tough to hit.
When he can mix that with location and the breaking ball. He doesn't need
to be great with it, he just needs to let them know he'll throw it with any
count. Right out of the gate he was around the zone and that was important.
Was this a perfect weekend for you:
It was a pretty good weekend. I can't complain. And I think our team
gained a lot of confidence. If we're on the road, it'll be a tough
environment, but we'll be ready.
Did your team get back into a rhythm this weekend:
I hope so. This is the time of year when it's tough. You play so many
games, sometimes five games a week, and then you get to the end and it slows
down a bit. This sport is a little unusual in that way. We told the
player's afterward this is why we put in so much time and effort and that's
to win a championship. We're not going to stop just because we have some
time off. We going to keep (working) until that last out.
On possibility of advancing to Omaha:
I've said all along that this is a pretty special group. Obviously you
have to play well, but there's so many other things that go on behind the
scenes that people aren't aware of. Relationships and how they get
along....this group is really good at that. We'll be prepared as anybody if we
have to go on the road and play in front of six or seven thousand people.
We're not going to be intimidated. We've got the arms to beat anybody if we
play like we're capable.
OF Jay Cox
On his weekend performance:
I like to think I could play better. I got out, so I'm not perfect yet. You
don't get to play for a couple of weeks hurt and then you get in there and
hit a couple of balls on the screws. I was hungry. It was feeling good to
get in the batter's box. It was something I missed.
On being the Most Outstanding Player:
I think there are a lot of guys that deserve it. I think Bard and Miller
deserved it. Bard and Miller had some great outings. There's some other
kids on some other clubs that hit the ball well. But, I'll take it.
Daniel Bard
On his performance:
Stuff wise, I think it was all there for me. For the most part, I was
locating my fastball, except for that one inning. I pretty much had control
and had good command of my fastball and slider. It felt good.
On finally getting to pitch after a long layoff:
I couldn't wait. I think it had been two weeks when we played BC. I was
hungry to get out there. I threw in a scrimmage last weekend against our
guys, but it's not the same. You don't have the same competitive juices
flowing.
On getting a lead early:
It makes it easy when our offense is rolling like they were this weekend.
It takes so much pressure off the pitchers. It actually makes us throw
better. To have that lead against a pretty good team, I was able to relax.
There was one time Coach Forbes came up to me when it was 8-0 and said "Act
like it's 0-0 right now." That's what I tried to do.
On facing high school teammate Chris Carrara:
Hitting .333 he's a tough out. He hit that one ball real hard up the
middle. (On the next at bat) I missed with the two seamer and hit him in the
arm. He got the hit, but I think I gave him a good bruise. The big thing
is the team battle. I'm just glad we came out on top.
SS Josh Horton
On his performance today:
One of my biggest problems all year has been pitch selection. The first
couple of games I was really anxious and got caught swinging at some bad
pitches. One pitch was almost over my head that I popped up to left. I
kind of calmed down in the batter's box and got a couple of pitches to hit
down in the zone. I think a lot of hitting is momentum. You get in the box
and get a hit in your first AB and it probably helps out the rest of the
game. I felt like I got in the box and saw a couple of good pitches to hit.
Winthrop: Opening quotes from Head Coach Joe Hudak
Opening Statement
RE: It was a tough day for us, but it was a great year. When you come into this tournament, and you have a decent chance of winning it, and we needed to win those first two games. When you lose your three and four pitchers before the season starts, and you lose your fifth in the middle of the year, it's tough to come back from that. It's tough to have enough depth to win a regional coming from the loser's bracket. We played hard all year and our young guys played great. Jason Franzblau pitched a great first game to get us to this point. We just didn't have enough left and Carolina's a great club. Coach Fox and Coach Forbes, who's a good friend of mine, do a great job and we wish them all the best in the Super Regionals. I'm very proud of my guys, they never gave up, we just didn't have enough left today and that's the way it goes. I'm particularly proud of my seniors. We have six seniors on this club, with five having been here for four years. Those five seniors have won 162 ball games, and averaged 40 wins a year, which are more wins than any class in the history of Winthrop. They are the reason that we are where we are. I'm thankful for them and I will miss them, but you have to move on. We battled hard today, they are a great group of guys and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Heath Rollins
RE: Heath Rollins, he's a competitor. I said that yesterday at some point he would come to me and say that he wanted the ball. He told me before the first game that he was ready to go. He's a great competitor at the plate and on the mound.
Winthrop: SS Matt Repec
Winning the early game to get to face UNC
RE: Coming into the first game we thought it was going to be an offensive battle. Pitchers for both teams threw very well, and fortunately for us, we got them into a bit of trouble in the ninth inning.
Overall Tournament Experience
RE: Coming into this regional and facing probably two of the best pitchers in the country in Daniel Bard (Sunday) and Andrew Miller (Saturday). We had our chances, but for the most part it was a great experience to come here. Both teams had great fan support, and (UNC) Wilmington also had great fan support. It was just great for our parents to come here, and it was a great experience for us.
Difference in facing UNC now versus in May
RE: It was definitely the hitting that was the difference in the two meetings. They (UNC) put up 14 runs in both contests this weekend, and it's hard to put up that many runs against two of the best pitchers in the country.
Facing Daniel Bard
RE: He's smooth. He has an unbelievable fastball with a lot of life on it. It sets up his slider, which is another great pitch. He's just an unbelievable pitcher.
Winthrop: 2B Chris Carrara
Facing high school teammate Daniel Bard
RE: It was fun to finally get to face him. I actually felt like I was on it when I was in the box, and I finally got a hit off of him. One-for-three against him today so I'm going to tell him that I won that battle. He got the win, so I guess he won the bigger battle.
Overall Tournament Experience
RE: It was a great experience. Tennessee was a great experience last year, and it has been the same this year. Playing in front of all these fans, and we really appreciate our fan support as well.
Difference in facing UNC now versus in May
RE: They went two games and out in the ACC Tournament, and apparently took a lot of extra swings because they really brought their bats this weekend. Facing Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard was tough.
