Feb. 28, 2009

Recap | Box Score

Head coach Steve Smith

On the win today

"It's a good win. All wins are good wins."

On Kendal Volz' outing

"Kendal, I thought was just really, really efficient. I thought he just pitched. He looked like a pretty polished guy. (He) had three pitches going and just made really big pitches several times in the game."

On Gerrit Cole's outing

"Gerrit's obviously just has got a real special arm. If we can lay off of a few of those high fastballs, we might could have got him out (of) there a little sooner. It was pretty clear early on we were going to have to be pretty disciplined and take some pitches trying to get him out of the game, because he has just got a big, big arm."

On the experience of Kendal Volz giving him success

"I do think that experience is a big part of that. I can feel very comfortable having him out there. I knew what they did wasn't going to affect him. He has been through this. The experience he had this summer with the USA club, this is not his first rodeo. This is not going to rattle him at all, but we still had to get through the last two innings of the game, because I didn't want to push him past where he was. He went a hundred pitches or so. I just felt like at this point of the season, it was time to turn it over to somebody else."

On Baylor's late scoring helping Willie Kempf on the mound

"It actually gave him the opportunity to stay in the game. I was going to get him after the eighth, when we just had the three run lead. I had (Logan) Verrett ready to go. We added the run to it. I just think for us and for Willie, we need him and I wanted him to finish that thing. When we got the extra run, when we got the fourth run, I left him out there. But then you want him to get through it. It wasn't easy, but he got a couple strikeouts. He looked more confident, the longer he was out there. That is what we got to have. We got to have more than one guy out there."

On enjoying the game's pitching match-up

"I did enjoy it. I am trying to get our guys to enjoy it. I have been trying to say: 'Hey guys your goal today is to have the most fun at the ballpark as you have ever had in your life.' That is what this group of guys in particular, some guys you got to really stay on to stay focused and concentrate and be ready that is not our guys problem. I mean our guys they are ready. They are too ready. They got so much weighing on them. I am trying to get them to relax and just have fun. I am trying to get them to laugh. We laughed out there at the end. I told them the most fun I had this whole game was when Willie (Kempf) went in to pitch. You believe that? No. We got to relax a little bit. That is what I am trying to do with them is just get them to relax some."

SS Joey Hainsfurther

On being patient

"He was throwing really hard and everybody knew that. He walked a lot of people not just me, so I was going up there basically making him throw me two strikes. He was struggling throwing three (strikes) to people. He was tough to hit as it was, so I think that was the best way to get on base and the best way to get something going for the team."

On getting his first three walks of the season

"I don't think I have ever had three walks in a row in a game before. The first one I was kind of surprised at how hard he was throwing. Our scouting report said he was going to be about 90-95 and I think he was up to 99 in the first inning. I think after that first one, I was just telling myself to be really patient, make him come to me."

On the importance of his final two hits, which pushed across two Baylor runs

"I think it made a big difference with me coming over to the right side. They brought in two lefties because it would have been tough facing someone throwing that hard. They brought in two lefties that didn't throw quite as hard. They were throwing a lot of off-speed stuff, so it was easier to make an adjustment from the right side."

RHP Kendal Volz

On the use of his slider

"I was kind of relying on that pitch in big situations and it kind of worked out. They are a great team. It is great to go up against a great club like that."

On the pitching match up with UCLA's Gerrit Cole

"It is a lot of fun definitely, but I was just trying to focus on what I do. I can't control how he pitches. I just try to get in a zone every time I go out on the mound. So I just really stuck to my plan, what I always do: just trying to control what I can control. We knew he was going to throw strikes and it would be a tough game for us, but I have faith in our hitters. They got that first one in the first inning, so I built some confidence off that and that kind of helped me relax a little bit. I tried to fill the zone and not try to be to perfect."

On Baylor scoring a run in the first

"It definitely helped. I'd like to think it didn't have too much of a difference, but I think you are always a little bit more laid back with the lead. Like I said really just thinking about throwing strikes and not being too perfect with the pitches. I think it definitely helped out, getting a lot of ground balls and pop flies."

On pitching on a big stage at Minute Maid Park

"It's awesome. I feel blessed, the Lord is good: letting us play here is unbelievable. I was glad we came out and played well and we got the second win of this weekend. Hopefully tomorrow we can come out and play just as well."

On Baylor's triple play

"That was great. That was awesome. Dustin (Dickerson) made a great play, real heads up. The ball just bounces like that in baseball sometimes. They really couldn't do anything about it, that is just part of the game. It was the first time I have been a part of any triple play in my life."

On not throwing change-ups early in the game

"I felt like it would help me later in the game. I didn't want to help them (by) throwing change-ups - letting their bat get to it. I try to keep that it my back pocket; so later game, (I) try to make them think a little more. I felt good. Definitely: when I needed to use it, it helped a lot. It is something I worked a lot on this last summer and then this fall. Really, really pleased with how it's been able to help me this season so far."

On why his velocity is down this season

"Coach has been pushing us hard on throwing a lot this fall. I think it'll definitely come back and I was more trying to throw strikes, then letting it go right now. Definitely as the season progresses it will go back up."

On how his arm feels

"It feels fine and so I think later in the season I should be able to let it go more. I have more in the tank, but right now I am trying to throw strikes and get outs."