Oxford Regional Thursday Post-Practice Quotes

June 2, 2005

OXFORD, Miss. -

OLE MISS

Head coach Mike Bianco
(on the week)
"I'm a little disappointed that we weren't able to get outside all week. I don't think it's a factor, just more disappointing than anything. We chose maybe the nicest day on Monday to go into the weight room and give them a well-deserved day off, but didn't foresee three days of rain. The good news is the field is in good shape and there is going to be great weather this weekend."

(on the IPF)
"We're very fortunate. Last year, we didn't have this facility here. Not only us, but the other teams get to do something today: run around and get some ground balls. We're fortunate to have not just this facility, but our indoor (batting) facility, and it's a shame we take that for granted. We're all lucky."

(on Maine)
"They're good. You look at their numbers: they do everything well. They're solid offensively. They're very well coached. On the mound, their top two guys are very dominant. It's a tough four seed for us."

(on difference from last year)
"I think everybody is a little different. From the players, coaches and administrators. It's a little different a second time through and knowing what to expect and knowing what is going to happen. Not that that was an excuse last year and I don't know how much that is going to help us this year. The bottom line is you have to play well. We didn't lose two last year because it was new. We lost two last year because we didn't play well. This is another good field and it is a field that you have to play well to win."

Junior 1B/LHP Stephen Head
(on the week preparations)
"We obviously feel real good about going into tomorrow and playing at our home field and not having to travel. We would have liked to have had some better weather this week. We've been in the IPF every single day this week. We haven't gotten to go game speed. Today we took a good round of infield. It was real live, real fast. That's about as good as we can get given the conditions. Going into this weekend, we've played here so many times we don't need to be outside. If we can't catch a ground ball on our field by now it's not going to happen."

(what's different than last year?)
"I think we're a little more experienced. We know what's going on this year. Last year was kind of a first for us and I think we were just excited to be having our Regional. This year, we're excited about winning our regional. Obviously we were last year, but this year we come in with a little different attitude and a completely different team. Mainly the same guys, but basically a different team. We're a little older this year. Everybody is juniors and seniors. We know what to expect and everybody is more seasoned."

Junior RF/RHP Brian Pettway
(On this week's preparation)
"Just coming off the SEC Tournament, we're a little tired coming out of that. We've gotten a lot of rest this week. Having (the Indoor Practice Facility) and having a big area where you can work out it helps us a lot because we can get stuff done instead of being in the cages for hours and not be able to throw. Just working on a lot of defensive things and just working here and also going to the indoor and hitting in the cages has helped a lot."

(How is team's attitude about the regional different this year?)
"I think one of biggest things was having that good weekend against Arkansas and finishing up big in the SEC and then having a real good showing in the SEC Tournament is a big confidence booster for this whole team. Last year we didn't finish up the year real well and didn't have a good SEC Tournament. Hopefully coming into tomorrow we'll have a great time. I'm looking forward to seeing all the fans again and playing at home and hopefully we can do well."

Junior RHP Mark Holliman
(on short rest)
"Sometimes when you take a longer rest, its almost like you give your arm too much of a break and you're not throwing as much. Through the regular season, you're used to it. Now tournament time comes up and you're more ready to go anyway."

(on starting the first game of the regional)
"I think it's real important. If we get off to a good start and win the first game, it's going to really help us out throughout the tournament. Hopefully I can go out and have a good outing and get the team on track."

SOUTHERN MISS

Head Coach Corky Palmer
(On the weather leading up to the Regional)
"We were fortunate we got to hit on the field in Hattiesburg yesterday, but to get out a bit today, we'll be fine. We felt good we got to hit a bit at home yesterday. It's supposed to clear up tomorrow, so we'll get ready to play."

(On playing at Ole Miss)
"We know the ball where it carries in this park. There are some dead zones in this park, and so that helps. We have an outstanding centerfielder. There are some dead zones in the park where you think it's going out, but if you stay with it, it won't."

(On the team's recent performance)
"The last three weeks, we've been playing really well offensively. The key to our success is starting pitching. We like our bullpen from the sixth or seventh inning on. If we have to get into our bullpen before then, it could be a long tournament."

(On the seniors)
"I think our seniors displayed great leadership this season. I think we're starting five freshmen tomorrow, but you have those seniors with the leadership. It's been tough losing our top two pitchers, but I think we have created some tradition at Southern Miss. These seniors were a great recruiting class, and it's an old cliché, but we've learned how to win."

Catcher Brad Willcutt
(On being back in the NCAA Tournament and playing in Oxford)
"We're excited about being here. It's good to play close to home. It's our third straight regional. The previous years we finished second and third, but this year we hope to win it."

(On the team's performance and expectations this weekend)
"I've had a good year and am swinging the bat well. As a team we're swinging the bat well, pitching well and playing good defense. We feel like we have a good chance to win it and are playing in a familiar place. We played Ole Miss three times this year and lost two of three, but hopefully we can come back and take care of business Friday and then get Ole Miss on Saturday."

OKLAHOMA

Interim Head Coach Sunny Golloway
(On his thoughts entering the 2005 NCAA Baseball Oxford Regional)
"Our main reflection is that we are very proud of our student athletes at the University of Oklahoma within our baseball program. They have gone through some adversity, but their attitude has been tremendous. Their attitude has led their body through practice, how hard they have worked and through their body language, how positive they have been to turn their season around. They won 10 of their last 12 regular season games and even though they went two and out at the Big 12 Tournament, they still played really well."

(On his pitching rotation)
"Daniel McCutchen will start out in game one and Steven Guerra is scheduled to go in game two. We will see what we utilize out of our bullpen in the first two games and make a decision who to use in game three."

(Talk about what you know about Southern Miss)
"The reports we have are that they are a very fundamentally sound ball club. Corky Palmer does a great job in that Southern Miss does not beat themselves. They will stay in the game and do what they have to to win. It is a great compliment when anybody says they do not beat themselves and they are fundamentally sound."

Junior RHP Daniel McCutchen
(Talk about this week's preparation for Friday's game against Southern Miss)
"We feel pretty good. We had a good workout today, despite the rain. They have a nice facility here for us to practice in, and we got some work done. We are real excited to be here in Oxford. We have heard it is a great place to play baseball. We are going to come out and try to play our best ball."

(What has the last part of the season been like having gone through turmoil and then turned things around?)
"It has been really good for us. It has made us all stronger, not only as baseball players, but as individuals. We had to deal with the adversity and overcome it and try to finish the season off on a positive note. Heading into the Big 12 Tournament we were a very hot team. As bad of an experience as it was, we turned it into a good situation."

Junior INF Ryan Rohlinger
(Talk about being here and getting a work out in and your preparation for the tournament.)
"It was a long trip. We just wanted to come and get a little sweat working and get our feet under us after a long bus trip. We are excited to be here. We want to play good baseball. We did not play all that well in our last two games and we want to get that out of our system and play well on the field."

(Did you feel like you were in the tournament after the Big 12 Tournament or was Monday more of a wait and see situation?)
"Going in to the Big 12 Tournament we were playing well and we knew there was a good chance we would get invited. As soon as we lost the first two games in the tournament there was a little doubt. I had some doubt and after talking to some of the other guys I know they did too. We did not know for sure, but when we came to practice on Sunday, Coach Golloway reassured us that there was a good possibility we would get in and that lifted our spirits."

MAINE

Head coach Paul Kostacopoulos
"We've been able to pitch effectively at the top of our staff. We've been able to bunch hits together. That's been our key. When we score runs, it seems we score two, three or four runs at a time. That's where we've been successful. We don't look to do a lot of different things. We are pretty much station to station baseball. We look to steal a lot of bases. We have to play defense. That's the biggest concern I have coming into this tournament. We have to be able to keep this game to 27 outs. We can't make it a 30 or 31 out game. That's been a problem for us all year. We are young defensively. On the left side, we have two freshmen. We have two freshmen playing short and third, critical positions. We feel they are going to be very good players, but whether they are ready for the speed of this game right now, we'll find out."

(Is it a concern with a young team to play the host team first?)
"We need to settle into the game in the first four innings. That's what our key is. Once you get your feet on the ground it's like anything, you get better as things go along. We have to handle the first three or four innings, and make this a short game. Then you never know what can happen."

(on top three pitchers)
"They've been the heart and soul of our team as far as our success goes. I think they have 24 wins out of our 34 wins. Steve Richard, Greg Norton Troy Martin have been our go to guys all season. Of all his starts, Steve has only left the game once when were behind. Those three guys have to pitch well for us to have a chance."

(on pitching rotation)
"(Greg) Norton will go Friday night. (Steve) Richard will pitch Saturday. Then we'll go from there."

(Has (Steve) Richard kind of been the ace all season?)
"I don't really use that term, because they are so very similar. In our league the second game happens to be seven innings, and we felt like (Greg) Norton could give us a complete game. It was a little bit of strategy."

(on postseason experience)
"The senior class was all freshmen when we played at USC in 2002, so most of the team hasn't played in a regional. We only have three seniors on the team, but they are very valuable. They have a lot of experience, and they've played a lot."

(on weather)
"We would have liked to practice on the field, but that's the way it is. We have had horrible weather. We haven't practiced on our field, except a half a dozen times since the season started. Everyone likes to feel comfortable with the surroundings going into the tournament, be able to look around know where everything is. As I told the players, it's still 90 feet to first base, 60 feet six inches to home plate. It would have been nice for the outfielders to see how the ball carries. They get an idea of the size of the gaps and how many steps they have to run to the gaps and how many steps they have to run in foul territory. Those are little things, which I don't know if you get in one day, but you like to have the opportunity at least once."

(on playing on the road)
"Buses and planes and travel do not bother us. We've done it historically throughout our history of baseball. It's more playing at Ole Miss and playing one of the best teams in the country and a tough field. I am going to be biased, but this is a tough regional. Oklahoma and Southern Miss are pretty good too."

Junior pitcher Greg Norton
"We got some good work done inside today. We have an indoor facility that we work in because of the weather (in Maine). We started out with 20-something games on the road, so we're pretty much used to playing away from home."

(on starting Friday night)
"Our number one (pitcher) pitched so many innings in the conference tournament is the reason I got the nod for tomorrow night. (Complete game shutout against Northeastern in the America East Tournament) was my best game of the season. Hopefully that will carry over into tomorrow night. I've pitched a lot of innings (this year), so I feel comfortable."

Senior INF Greg Creek
(on weather)
"It's been raining for two-and-a-half weeks at home, so this is nothing new. We needed some time on the field, so this facility is perfect for us. It was nice to be in here and let the ball fly a little bit.

(on the team as a whole)
"We've got strong starting pitching. We're a good contact team; we don't strike out much. We get the bat on the ball, and if we find some holes we should be alright, because we compete at a high level."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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