The University of Mississippi Athletics
NCAA Regional Game 2 Postgame Quotes
5/30/2009 | Baseball
OLE MISS
Head Coach Mike Bianco
Opening Comments
"I thought we got off to a great start, especially offensively with the three runs in the first. From then on Drew (Pomeranz) took control of the game and was really dominant to keep them at bay with a good mixture of fastballs, curveballs and even a handful of change-ups. He was as sharp as I have seen him all year. I thought that the first two innings were big with some clutch hits with Jordan (Henry) getting on and causing havoc out there. Without a doubt the story of the game was Pomeranz."
On the play of the defense
"It was fabulous. The high-chopper where (Kevin) Mort picked the ball in the six-hole, he sensed that he had time and didn't rush it to (Evan) Button. That was another inning with runners on first and second, where if he doesn't make the play or makes a bad throw the run scores. All year long Mort has been so solid out there and makes the play. All of them have been solid out there. I thought we were very solid in the field."
On Junior RHP Phillip Irwin matching up with Western Kentucky
"It was a toss up between him and Brett Bukvich. Watching Western Kentucky play they are very offensive. The guys in the middle can hit with anybody, but throughout the lineup they were very agressive and very impressive."
Sophomore LHP Drew Pomeranz
On being able to pitch into the later innnings
"In a lot of my other starts around the fifth or sixth inning I would start to lose focus and stopped filling up the zone like I had been earlier in the game. I just tried to tell myself to keep focused and go out there and keep pounding the zone."
On the play of the defense
"The defense was solid all night. There were some plays that our players made that got me out of tough spots."
Junior OF Jordan Henry
Thoughts on matchup with Western Kentucky
"We watched a little bit of their game on tv. They are a great team obviously. They hit the ball well. We have to come out tomorrow with the same gameplan to just try to get on the board early and be consistent throughout the game.
On getting on base in all five plate appearances
"I'm just going up there trying to find any way to get on and see a lot of pitches, and let my teammates see a lot of pitches to work the pitcher. I found a few holes and got a couple of walks to get on. We had some big two-out hits and a couple of RBIs tonight, so we are going to try and do the same thing tomorrow."
MONMOUTH
Head Coach Dean Ehehalt
Opening Statement
"Obviously we were on the worng end of an 8-1 game. First thing is I thought our kids played particularly hard. We ran into a buzzsaw with (Drew) Pomeranz. We got unlucky in the first inning. It kind of put us behind. I thought the game settled in some. We just couldn't string together some at bats. We couldn't get back in it, but I thought our kids fought all game. The story of the game was Pomeranz. He did a great job. He made some plays to get out of some innings. They deserve the win. I tip my hat to them."
On Ole Miss LHP Drew Pomeranz's performance...
"He pitched with a lot of energy. In the first inning when he got out of the inning with a lead-off single then double play, he got right back up there. He kind of dictacted the game right after that. He pitched to both sides of the plate, so he could keep you honest in that regard. He threw pretty good breaking balls. I don't know what his velocity was, but certainly if I was a lefty and I was Pomeranz, I would be pretty jacked up in front of that crowd. He did a great job."
Junior RHP Brett Brach
On the difference of the first four innings from the last...
"I defintiely started to mix the speeds more and kept them off balance the entire game. That's all I was really doing. I just kept throwing strikes to challenge them."
On pitching to Ole Miss OF Jordan Henry...
"He's just a tough out. He's the toughest out I have ever faced. He just gets a piece of everything, and he's a scrappy hitter. He's just good."
Sophomore OF Nick Pulsonetti
On Ole Miss LHP Drew Pomeranz's performance...
"Whenever you get a guy who can locate his off-speed and his fastball wherever he wants, he's going to be tough to beat."
