University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes – Baylor vs. Omaha
POSTGAME QUOTES
NCAA Los Angeles Regional – Game Three
Baylor 24, Omaha 6 (June 1, 2019)
Baylor Head Coach Steve Rodriguez
Opening remarks
“Pretty happy with how it came out. I know Wes Clement during our interviews was just like, ‘What do we change with our approach?’, and nothing really changed. The results changed, but how we kind of approached the day didn’t really change. I just think we needed a big hit, whether it’s a ball down the line that drives in a run or a home run definitely does the trick as well. I’m just really happy that we released a little bit of the tension that was in the dugout, waiting for our guys to kind of relax. Today was a perfect example of [how] that can happen.”
On frustration of scoring three total runs in previous three games …
“Well, we played some pretty talented teams. I mean, we were the ninth-best offense with regards to average in the country. It’s not like we’re going up against a bunch of teams that aren’t very good. We’ve been playing some pretty talented teams these last couple weeks. When you start going up against guys like that, you’re going to have good at-bats, you’re going to have tough outings, but that’s kind of what baseball is. You’re going to have some success. You’re going to have some failures. The biggest thing is you don’t want to revamp everything just because you might have a bad day. A bad day is just that; it’s a bad day. The biggest thing for us is just to make sure that we continue to stay positive, keep with the good approach, and just try to minimize mistakes the best we can.”
On if he knows who will start tomorrow’s game …
“We don’t know. We’re going to talk about it, to be honest. That’s one of the things coming into this. We wanted to kind of see, just in regard to matchups, what we felt was going to be best. We think we’ve done that. Just because we didn’t win yesterday doesn’t mean it was the [wrong] matchup. In regard to tomorrow, we’re going to take a look at it. We’ve told all of our pitchers everybody’s on the board, so just be ready to go. When your number gets called, you have to get out there and give us a good performance.”
On where Shae Langeliers ranks among other hitters he’s coached …
“I’m just going to let you know I had a talk with one of the teams today, a Major League Baseball team. I told them he’s one of the best young men off the field, as well as on the field that I’ve ever coached. I’m not going to put a number on it, but that’s like 11.2.”
On decision to let Sr. RHP Kyle Hill take an at-bat …
“It really is not that big of a decision because I’ve had a rule in my head coaching career that if we score 20 runs, I will give a senior pitcher the opportunity to hit. We let our pitchers hit if we sweep. They go out and there and they take batting practice. And trust me, I’ve had my reluctance putting him in there because I’ve seen him take BP, but that’s just my rule. We wanted to make sure we had the right opportunity to do that. I believe he currently has the highest average in the country.”
On game plan to win next three games in the Regional …
“My goal right now is to win tomorrow at noon and then I will worry about the 6:00 game and deal with everything else after that. Our goal is to try to get as deep as we can. It’s an unbelievable field that we have to go up against in Loyola [Marymount] and UCLA. For me, it’s about winning the first game tomorrow. Everybody’s on the board in regard to finding a way to win that first game and then whatever’s left will be on the board for the second game.”
Baylor Junior Catcher Shea Langeliers
On his 11-RBI performance and if he took it upon himself to reverse team’s offensive struggles …
“No, absolutely not. One through nine, everybody believes in each other on this team and anybody’s capable of doing what I did, personally, today. That’s team accolade. I just came up in the right situations and happened to come through. It was a great team effort today. Everybody was on base and everybody was getting hits.”
On if he remembers any game in his career like today’s performance …
“When I was a little kid, I like to think I was a pretty good hitter, but I think this game will probably be one of the most meaningful games for me as a hitter, probably for the rest of my baseball career. [Our] backs were up against the wall and we needed a big day out of our offense and we got it and it was a lot of fun.”
On if there was any lucky charm that could have contributed to his career day …
“Today’s the first day in three years being at Baylor that I wore my pants up, so that’s probably the lucky thing.”
On if the called third strike in his final at-bat was actually a strike …
“The pitcher made a really good pitch and he got the best of me that at-bat.”
Baylor Sr. INF Josh Bissonette
On how much team’s previous frustrations contributed to today’s offensive outburst …
“I think, like Shae said, you have to forget about what happened in the past. Obviously, you get into this regional and you understand that you have to play some really good teams if you want to move on. I think, once we got here, we realized it has to be a 100 percent team effort. Obviously, we’ve had some struggles at the plate, but I think today we turned it around. We had a meeting yesterday and it was just kind of our mindset of going up there and being aggressive. We’re a really good hitting team when we’re on and hitting is contagious. When you see a guy [Langeliers] like this go up there just absolutely hammering the ball, it flips a switch in our heads and makes us realize we can go up there and do the same. It was a really fun day.”
On Langeliers’ performance …
“It was unreal. I was filling up a water cup when he went up in the last at-bat when he hit his third home run and I was like, ‘There’s no way that ball’s going out.’ In his third home run, I saw it hit the bat and I was like, ‘You have to be kidding me’. It was pretty cool to see.”
Omaha Head Coach Evan Porter
Opening Statement …
“That was a pretty impressive offensive showing by those guys. But basically, what this comes down to at the end of the season you can’t put your season’s stock in one game. I am proud of these guys they have changed the direction of our program. They have done so much for this program I am grateful to coach them.”
“You can’t put what these guys have done for this program into one game. They have done so much for me and this program and everyone who has ever been a player or coach. To be around these guys, it is really fun doing it and doing it with the right type of guy too. It makes the success that much more rewarding when you know what type of people they are and the way they carry themselves off the field, in the classroom and just how they act around each other. It is fun to watch and be around. Like I said before, I could not be prouder of our guys and am so grateful for the chance to coach them.”
On the direction of the program and new stadium …
“This is something we can really build off of because there are some really great players in Nebraska and in the region in the Midwest. Having a stadium will allow us to attract local talent and build off something like this team has done --- coming to a regional and playing teams like UCLA and Baylor. UCLA is number one in the country … for our guys to be around that atmosphere and see where we want to be. We want to be competing with these teams and on the same level as these teams. To see that first hand and play against them these last couple of days is something that we are excited to build off of and continue to move this thing forward.”
On their pitching …
“Our guys are great pitchers. All the credit goes to Baylor’s hitters. I don’t think we had an easy out today. Everything we were throwing they were hitting and they were hitting it well. I don’t think there were many lucky hits out there tonight. That’s an incredible team and an incredible offense they have and they showed what they are capable of doing today and like I said, our pitchers are fully capable and are proven day in and day out of making quality pitches. Today it is against quality hitting and Baylor was swinging it pretty well. You have to just to tip your cap and give them all the credit.”
“We knew Baylor had a pretty potent offense coming in and we had our starter have some arm issues as well and that is never a good thing. He went an inning and a third, so hopefully his arm will heal up here pretty quickly. It makes it a little more tough when you get an inning and a third and then you are into your bullpen, especially against a team like Baylor.”
On what the team will take out of this experience …
“Our guys proved they are a championship level team…the way they carried themselves. We will end up somewhere near the top in fielding percentage. Defense is something you can always control and hitting can come and go so like I said I am so thankful for our guys and feel so blessed and lucky to be around them. In a couple of weeks from now, we will begin to build off what this team has done for this program.”
Omaha Junior 3B Breyden Eckhout
Opening remarks …
“We had a really great season. I am just really proud of the effort we showed and the resilience. We started off really hot…we went like 15-0 and then went through a rough streak and then to make our first appearance ever in a Regional. It has been a lot of fun and the memories will last a lifetime. So I am just grateful for all the guys I got to play with and what they have given to help reach a goal like this.”