The University of Mississippi Athletics
NCAA Regional Game 7 Postgame Quotes
6/1/2009 | Baseball
OLE MISS
Head Coach Mike BiancoOPENING COMMENTS
"A legendary performance by Drew Pomeranz. We talked about it in our coaches meeting this morning that we felt it and knew that he was that type of guy that would give you that type of Curt Schilling, bloody sock performance that people will remember for the rest of their lives. What can you say when you have that kind of performance? I'm proud of the rest of the team for the way they responded, but they have responded like this all year long. At times we haven't been our best and at times we have been slapped around and knocked down to the canvas, but they have always responded. Tonight, the biggest night of the year, probably couldn't put anymore pressure, especially after last night's loss with the lead and the way we lost at home. To be able to bounce back like that, they were able to lock in and just grind it out against a very good Western Kentucky team. What Coach (Chris) Finwood has done with the Western Kentucky team is no fluke. They were tremendous in every aspect. Everyone has talked all weekend about their offense, but their defense was tremendous and they pitched well. They are a very complete team."
On what he expected from Drew Pomeranz...
"I didn't think that he would go out and throw a complete game. I really had confidence that he would go deep. I thought he would get like a regular start- somewhere between the fifth and the seventh. The last few weekends, he has always come up to me saying that if we needed him for one, he was ready. He has that confidence and feel to him. He is a horse and warrior out there. He is the type of guy that you believe in when he says that he can do it."
Sophomore LHP Drew Pomeranz
On his complete-game performance...
"I was just trying to go out there and get ahead of the hitters. The last game we struggled not getting ahead of the hitters. It allowed them to sit on certain pitches and hit the ball a little better. From the first inning, I was just trying to go out there, hit my spots, get ahead of the hitters, leave them off balance and try to focus on one hitter at a time. I was just thinking pitch-to-pitch trying to hit every spot. I wasn't really thinking about anything else."
On throwing with two-days rest...
"Throughout the whole season I have usually pitched on Friday, and by Sunday my arm is fine. I have gotten in shape, and I do the same thing after each start. I long tossed for both days and was ready to go today."
Senior C Kyle Henson
On Drew Pomeranz's performance...
"Drew looked great tonight, obviously with all the strikeouts. He looked just like he was going out there for a Friday night game. He was ready and focused. It was definitely one of the best games that I have been a part of catching and offensively as well. It was a great overall game and a fun, exciting game to catch."
Sophomore 1B Matt Smith
On getting past the tough loss Sunday night...
"I think losing like we did last night is not common and you don't see it too often. We just had to flush it. You aren't going to get any better just sitting there and thinking about it. We just had to flush it and come out today and grind it like we did."
Senior OF Logan Power
On Matt Riding's game...
"He was really good. I'm sure his adrenaline was rushing coming in because he was throwing hard. He was throwing strikes real hard. He was throwing it right off the plate. When you can do that and throw your curveball for a strike, you are going to have success. I guess he was trying to keep up with Drew."
WESTERN KENTUCKY
HEAD COACH CHRIS FINWOOD
OPENING COMMENTS
"Drew Pomeranz- what a special night. He pitched like a big leaguer and certainly deserved that most outstanding player award for the tournament. He was definitely the differenece. Our guys might be a little tired from playing 18 innings yesterday, but you really have to tip your hat to him. Having said that, we had them one-to-one in a two inning game and that was what we were trying to do because anything could happen. We walked the lead-off guy in the eighth and that led to a three-run inning, and that was the end of it."
On Pomeranz coming back in the eighth with a lead...
"They are playing to host a super regional. He is a big, strong kid so he will probably be able to absorb that a little more. I think at that point, if a kid tells you that he wants to go out and you are playing for a super regional, you let him go, especially when he is throwing that way."
On Matt Riding's performance...
"I thought Matt was just outstanding coming off of two days reast and 118 pitches against Missouri going out there and giving up just one run in seven innings. He worked out of a couple of jams and made some big time pitches when he had to save runs. I couldn't be prouder of him- pitching in that venue in that atmosphere on short rest, which is outstanding."
Junior RHP Matt Ridings
On his performance...
"I think drew was on the same page I was. We both threw on Friday and we knew coming in that we might be on a limited pitch count. We both just filled up the zone. There weren't that many walks tonight. You don't know how many innings you are going to throw or what your pitch count is. You just have to go out there and throw strikes."
Junior 3B Wade Gaynor
On the team's slow start....
"We knew before this game that Pomeranz was really good. It was just a battle every time you got in the box against him tonight, and he was really good tonight."
On level of pitching compared to Sun Belt...
"Tonight what we saw from a starting pitcher was the best starting pitcher that I have seen all year. He was really good. Irwin and Pomeranz were both good this weekend."
Senior RF Chad Cregar
On Drew Pomeranz's performance...
"He mixes pitches really well with a really good curveball. He has one of the best curveballs that we have seen all year. He was just painting in and out with his fastball. He had a heavy fastball all night, and his curveball was really sharp. He seemed like he was the same pitcher the last inning as he was in the first inning. He was amazing tonight.
On WKU's overall season...
"If you would have told me that we would have been here on my recruiting visit, I would have kind of laughed, but it has been amazing what we have been able to do. This is the best ballclub that I have played for. It's been a great year and the best two years of my life."
