Feb. 22, 2008

Recap | Box Score

Baylor head coach Steve Smith:

On tonight's pitching:

"Kendal (Volz) threw extremely well. A lot of strikes, and the pitch count was what kept him out there as long as he did. I didn't dream that I would be contemplating, on opening night, letting a guy go back out for the ninth inning, but I actually contemplated it. I'm pretty sure he had enough gas left in the tank to do it, but it was a little early in the year to be doing that. He was at 99 pitches, which was amazing. Our starters have gotten into the 80-pitch limit in intrasquads, so he wasn't in unchartered territory when I let him go back out there for the eighth, but he would've been if I would've let him go back out there for the ninth, but I wasn't going to let him do it. It gave me an opportunity to put Aaron (Miller) out there in a matchup situation and get his feet wet. Fortunately that walk didn't jump up and bite us."

On Purdue pitcher Matt Bischoff's performance:

"We didn't take good swings at him, and his command was good. He got us to chase a lot of fastballs in the upper half of the strike zone. We only had two hitters who really got on top of the ball. One was Landis (Ware), and the other was (Gregg) Glime. Everybody else was underneath the ball with loopy swings. Some of it's deception. You've got a guy on the mound who's not very big, so I think hitters are not expecting a whole lot, and the ball got on them pretty good."

On Landis Ware's performance:

"That's the story right there. The defense was every bit as important. The play he made in the ninth inning was a heck of a play, and if he doesn't make that play, now you're first and second with nobody out. Bunt them over, and it could be a whole different ball game. Getting that out was a heck of a play."

Baylor sophomore RHP Kendal Volz:

On being the opening day starter:

"I'd prefer warm weather, but I'm just glad I got a chance to be out there. In the first game it doesn't matter if it's freezing or 110, it's just great to be out there on the mound."

On his strategy on the mound:

"I was just trying to use my fastball most of all and let our defense play behind me. We've got a great group of fielders back there, so it gives you a lot more confidence when you're throwing on the hill. I was just trying to throw fastballs, keep my pitch count down and go right at them."

On Landis Ware filling in for Raynor Campbell:

"Landis is awesome. He's a great player. It kind of stunk when Raynor (Campbell) went out, but at the same time he's doing just as good of a job. The kid can play, and everyone on our team knows it, so there wasn't any panic on our team at all. He showed it today."

On taking the lead in the seventh inning:

"Paul did a great job getting on base and keeping the inning going, and that's how you win games."

On not going back out for the ninth inning:

"I wanted to, but I'm not upset that he pulled me out. We've got tons of arms out of the pen, and in the first game of the year, there's no need to throw way too many pitches in this cold weather. Our coaches are the best, and they know what they're doing."

Baylor freshman IF Landis Ware:

On getting to start in his first collegiate game:

"I found out that he (Raynor Campbell) was out 4-6 (weeks) three days ago. I won't lie, I was kind of nervous up to the game, but I got the jitters out pretty quickly. The first ground ball in the first inning kind of got it out of the way because baseball is just baseball once it gets started."

On his game-winning two-run home run:

"I wanted to take some pitches. On my other two at bats I swung at the first pitch and didn't get to see all of his stuff. So I took a strike, then got to 1-1, and ended up getting 2-2 after taking the pitch so Paul Miles could steal second. He threw me a fastball inside and I got the barrel through, and it worked out for us."