Baylor-Clemson NCAA Super Regional Press Conference Quotes
6/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
On Trey Taylor pitching on Friday...
"If I really thought the left-on-left thing was that advantageous then I would run (Cory) Van Allen out there the second game. I just think that Trey (Taylor) is throwing the ball very well. If you go back and look, Trey's pitched for us on Fridays for probably 7-of-9 conference weekends. So, it's really not a departure from what we have been doing. His last two outings have been some of his best of the season."
On the experience his team has....
"I think Clemson's young guys have performed very well for them and they are not the same kind of players that started the season. It will be interesting to see; but, I like the fact that we are a veteran team. We have a number of guys that were in Baton Rouge and have gotten to this point in the process and have experienced a Super Regional. I see these guys going to business as usual and preparing to play a series much like they were prepared to play three-game series throughout conference play."
On this year's team compared to Baylor teams that have advanced in the past...
"Well this is the first team that has had the benefit of a number of experienced players. The 1999 team was an extremely talented team. The 2000 team won the league, something the `99 team couldn't do, then got knocked out here at home in the first two games of the regional. But this will be the first time that we have players on the team that have experienced this type of situation before."
Trey Taylor, Senior LHP
On coming to Baylor instead of choosing to play professional ball...
"There were a lot of things that went into my decision to come to Baylor. It basically it came down to what was in my best interest. When I decided that I wanted to come to Baylor, one of the main reasons was that I felt like that's where I had the best chance to make it to the World Series."
On his style of pitching...
"I would call it very unpredictable. You know Mark (McCormick) is known for his unbelievable fast ball. He throws very hard and I'm not a guy like that. If I do not use all my pitches and keep hitters off-balance, then I'm going get hit and that's the bottom line. Tomorrow, for me to be effective, I am going to have to throw all my pitches for strikes. If I can throw strikes I like my chances."
Michael Griffin, Senior 2B
On this year's team...
"I'm just extremely proud of the guys on the team. Especially, for the guys that have been here for four years. Reid (Brees) has been here five years. It was rough last year and I think we have showed that we have worked hard and deserve to be here."
Josh Ford, Senior C
On Baylor's hitting...
"We have faced a pretty good non-conference schedule and we did not swing the bats to well as a team early on. But, I think during conference we gained some momentum and had some better at-bats and I think we are a better hitting club then our numbers show. But, we still have to go out there and prove it."
CLEMSON
Clemson head coach Jack Leggett:
"We're certainly glad to be one of the last 16 teams left standing. I'm very proud of our team for coming back after the first part of the season. We've played extremely well lately and we know we've got a great challenge here at Baylor against a very good team and against a very experienced team and a very good pitching team. So we've got our work cut out for us but we're looking forward to the challenge. I think this is a great thing for college baseball, it's man-on-man to get to the College World Series right now.
On his team turning around a mediocre start to the season:
"I just think we toughened up a little bit to be honest with you. I think our schedule toughened us up early and we got a lot more confidence. I think our hitting started to come along. Our pitching definitely took a turn for the better, all of our starting pitching started to pick up a little bit. We've been playing pretty good defense all year long, but the toughness of our schedule - I'm sure Baylor can claim the same thing because they've got a very tough schedule as well - but I think it has helped toughen us up and we finally got our confidence going and when you're playing tough and confidently then you've got a chance to turn things around and we did."
On the match-up vs. Baylor:
"They've got good pitching and they've got some good experience. We're just going to have to solve their pitchers, I know they've got three good starting pitchers. They've got three of four guys that they use out of the pen that have been very successful for them. So we're going to have to do a good job offensively I think more than anything else. Our starting pitchers have to step up and keep things where they need to be and we have to try to manufacture some runs and get some big hits with men on base and I think that's the important thing that has to happen for either team is you have to get big hits with men on base."
On Baylor Ballpark:
"It was really familiar when we walked in. It looked like I was at Auburn. Their park is very similar and I think (they had) the same designers. They're both beautiful ballparks. This is a very nice ballpark. I was very impressed when I first drove in the back of the stadium and to see the softball stadium next to it and how they matched. (Baylor is) certainly are deserving of a regional, deserving of having one of the finer facilities around. It's a very nice facility."
Clemson OF/RHP/1B Kris Harvey:
On mindset of team during mediocre start to season:
"There was no doubt in our locker room. It's a matter of getting things going. At the end of the season our pitching was great and our offense wasn't that good and then our offense was hitting pretty well and the pitching wasn't doing so good until finally we put them both together and everything worked alright."
On whether the Tigers are peaking:
"Definitely. This is the time we want to be peaking. There is no tomorrow if we lose, so this is when you want to be playing your best baseball."
On Baylor Ballpark:
"This is a really nice park but I mean it plays pretty good. The wind has blown out the two days that we've been here so it looks like the ball is going to fly a little bit. But as far as that, the infield looks like it plays good, a nice outfield, so we'll see."
Clemson RHP Stephen Faris
On Baylor Ballpark:
"The facility is great here. It seems to be playing pretty true. It does look like the balls flying out so I'll try to keep the ball on the ground. But at the same time it's going to be - just as our park - balls may be flying but the facility is good all around."
On pitching against another great pitcher (Baylor's Trey Taylor):
"It's just another game. I like to go out and keep doing what I've been doing and I'll let the guys play behind me and not try to do anything out-of-body or anything. We've just got to stick to what we've been doing and what I've been doing. Trying to locate, I'm not going to overpower anybody and we all know that. So I'm just going to go out and try to hit my spots and get the job done."
