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University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA 6, Virginia Tech 5
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 6, Virginia Tech 5
Los Angeles, Calif. (at Jackie Robinson Stadium)
May 30, 2026
ย UCLA Head Coach John Savage
opening statement
"Sorry, I was late, I was talking to my cardiologist. I had an appointment with him after the game. But just a credit to Virginia Tech. I thought Virginia Tech really handled themselves professionally over the last two games. They gave us a very, very competitive game today. Just a credit to our guys for being resilient, staying with one another. We've had several games like that. We really don't want to play games like that at this time of the year. You're flirting with fire, and you're walking a tightrope a lot of times. But it is playoff baseball, so we are used to that. We do know what that looks like, certainly, the coaching staff and these players over two years. But we just live another day. I thought [Michael] Barnett was really, really good. We tried to stretch him into the seventh just because of what we're about to face. He gives up the home run, so we've got to bring in [Cal] Randall. So I'm sure you guys will ask me that question, but I think at the end of the day, Barnett was somewhat handling them with his fastball and his change and his breaking ball. So we just pushed the envelope a little bit and, you know, good for him. He had an outstanding outing. He stepped up. I think a reporter asked if he would step up, and he clearly did. And just a credit to our team and, you know, live another day."
on Michael Barnett's performanceย
"Barnett was excellent. I thought it was the best game he's pitched all season. He pitched with his
fastball. We stretched him because of the situation. I think if we were in a different boat, I think we would not have stretched him, but I wanted to get through the seventh with him, maybe hold on to Cal [Randall] or Zach [Strickland] or even Easton [Hawk]. That's a tough road. But we were forced to do that after the home run.ย Randall came out, and it was a clean inning, so it worked out okay, but I thought Mike earned it. He's a captain, he's a senior, and he told me he wanted that inning, and I believe in my players, and I listen to my players. And so I went with my gut and I gave him the ball for the seventh inning."
on the injury situation
"It does not look like [Payton] Brennan will be back for a couple of days. [Aiden] Aguayo was taped up and shot up and the whole operation. So he did a good job. He was ready to go. Again, like I said yesterday, no one really cares about our injuries. Everybody has injuries at this time of the year. We can talk internally, but at the same time, no one's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to have next guy up. [Jarrod] Hocking got a huge double. He had two big bunts there the other day. So we have guys. We have guys that can step in and fill the need if we need to. We're going to need that tomorrow. We want to play 18 innings tomorrow."
on the bottom of the lineup
"We've had a long lineup throughout this season. When we were playing really, really well, it felt like we had nine really tough outs. And today it felt like that again. Phoenix [Call] had some really good bats. [Jarrod] Hocking had two hits, [Dominic] Cadiz off the bench. Those guys were hitting eight and nine. And you talk to any pitching coach or any other club, whenever you have that sort of length, it just puts pressure on the pitcher, on the pitch calling, on the defense. It just stretches it and makes it long. And it makes it difficult on everybody when those guys are having quality at-bats. We really hope we can continue that and stretch that lineup all the way through, one through nine.
ย
on what Aiden Espinoza means to the team
"We would never be in a position without him. I mean, it started in the Globe with that amazing at-bat in the Globe in Texas. And then I think he's hitting .385 off the bench in pinch-hitting duties. He walks and gets hit by pitches. I mean, fabulous, fabulous guy off the bench. Great mentality. Players love him. Espinoza has been as good as advertised all season coming off the bench."
Senior Third Baseman Roman Martin
on the comeback win
ย โYeah, I would just say it's, you know, the trust and the love we have for each other. I just feel like when you're so bought into winning and you're just trying to do it for your guys in the dugout, it gets rid of any anxiety that you have, you know, performance for yourself. So I just think that, when we had that, when we had that connection, you know, it just, it was just kind of a feel.โ
Junior Second Baseman Phoenix Call
on the comeback win
โWe call it the 7-8-9. And so, when the seventh inning comes around, we kind of just treat it as a new game, whether we've had a good day or a bad day. It's a brand new opportunity, and I think that's why we're so resilient, that helps with our, you know, comeback wins.โ
on his walk-off hit
โNo, the approach didn't really change at all. I was kind of just trying to keep it as simple as possible and, um, you know, trust what Coach Ward had for me. And, um, but no, it didn't really change at all, just the same approach, just trying to help the team win.โ
on his utility role
โI try to see that as just my identity on the team. I think, um, everyone has an identity, and I think I like to do whatever can help the team win, so whatever, I'm playing right, center, then, um, as long as I can help the team win, then I'm happy.โ
ย
UCLA 6, Virginia Tech 5
Los Angeles, Calif. (at Jackie Robinson Stadium)
May 30, 2026
ย UCLA Head Coach John Savage
opening statement
"Sorry, I was late, I was talking to my cardiologist. I had an appointment with him after the game. But just a credit to Virginia Tech. I thought Virginia Tech really handled themselves professionally over the last two games. They gave us a very, very competitive game today. Just a credit to our guys for being resilient, staying with one another. We've had several games like that. We really don't want to play games like that at this time of the year. You're flirting with fire, and you're walking a tightrope a lot of times. But it is playoff baseball, so we are used to that. We do know what that looks like, certainly, the coaching staff and these players over two years. But we just live another day. I thought [Michael] Barnett was really, really good. We tried to stretch him into the seventh just because of what we're about to face. He gives up the home run, so we've got to bring in [Cal] Randall. So I'm sure you guys will ask me that question, but I think at the end of the day, Barnett was somewhat handling them with his fastball and his change and his breaking ball. So we just pushed the envelope a little bit and, you know, good for him. He had an outstanding outing. He stepped up. I think a reporter asked if he would step up, and he clearly did. And just a credit to our team and, you know, live another day."
on Michael Barnett's performanceย
"Barnett was excellent. I thought it was the best game he's pitched all season. He pitched with his
fastball. We stretched him because of the situation. I think if we were in a different boat, I think we would not have stretched him, but I wanted to get through the seventh with him, maybe hold on to Cal [Randall] or Zach [Strickland] or even Easton [Hawk]. That's a tough road. But we were forced to do that after the home run.ย Randall came out, and it was a clean inning, so it worked out okay, but I thought Mike earned it. He's a captain, he's a senior, and he told me he wanted that inning, and I believe in my players, and I listen to my players. And so I went with my gut and I gave him the ball for the seventh inning."
on the injury situation
"It does not look like [Payton] Brennan will be back for a couple of days. [Aiden] Aguayo was taped up and shot up and the whole operation. So he did a good job. He was ready to go. Again, like I said yesterday, no one really cares about our injuries. Everybody has injuries at this time of the year. We can talk internally, but at the same time, no one's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to have next guy up. [Jarrod] Hocking got a huge double. He had two big bunts there the other day. So we have guys. We have guys that can step in and fill the need if we need to. We're going to need that tomorrow. We want to play 18 innings tomorrow."
on the bottom of the lineup
"We've had a long lineup throughout this season. When we were playing really, really well, it felt like we had nine really tough outs. And today it felt like that again. Phoenix [Call] had some really good bats. [Jarrod] Hocking had two hits, [Dominic] Cadiz off the bench. Those guys were hitting eight and nine. And you talk to any pitching coach or any other club, whenever you have that sort of length, it just puts pressure on the pitcher, on the pitch calling, on the defense. It just stretches it and makes it long. And it makes it difficult on everybody when those guys are having quality at-bats. We really hope we can continue that and stretch that lineup all the way through, one through nine.
ย
on what Aiden Espinoza means to the team
"We would never be in a position without him. I mean, it started in the Globe with that amazing at-bat in the Globe in Texas. And then I think he's hitting .385 off the bench in pinch-hitting duties. He walks and gets hit by pitches. I mean, fabulous, fabulous guy off the bench. Great mentality. Players love him. Espinoza has been as good as advertised all season coming off the bench."
Senior Third Baseman Roman Martin
on the comeback win
ย โYeah, I would just say it's, you know, the trust and the love we have for each other. I just feel like when you're so bought into winning and you're just trying to do it for your guys in the dugout, it gets rid of any anxiety that you have, you know, performance for yourself. So I just think that, when we had that, when we had that connection, you know, it just, it was just kind of a feel.โ
Junior Second Baseman Phoenix Call
on the comeback win
โWe call it the 7-8-9. And so, when the seventh inning comes around, we kind of just treat it as a new game, whether we've had a good day or a bad day. It's a brand new opportunity, and I think that's why we're so resilient, that helps with our, you know, comeback wins.โ
on his walk-off hit
โNo, the approach didn't really change at all. I was kind of just trying to keep it as simple as possible and, um, you know, trust what Coach Ward had for me. And, um, but no, it didn't really change at all, just the same approach, just trying to help the team win.โ
on his utility role
โI try to see that as just my identity on the team. I think, um, everyone has an identity, and I think I like to do whatever can help the team win, so whatever, I'm playing right, center, then, um, as long as I can help the team win, then I'm happy.โ
ย