April 29, 2009

Recap | Box Score

Coach Steve Smith

On Craig Fritsch's performance

"I think for Craig it just had to be a really big confidence booster. He threw well. I mean he really pitched it well. The walks that he had were almost intentional unintentional walks. We were pitching around that guy (Jose Hernandez). Both times he was up there we had a runner in scoring position and a base open, so we are not going to give him a whole lot to hit. I thought he threw very good. I could not have drawn it up any better. He got us five clean innings with 77 pitches and we had a five run lead. I felt good about it and then we go out there and can't throw a strike. That is frustrating."

On Dan Evatt's hit in the eighth

"The whole inning started off good. We got a walk. We got a very well placed bunt by Ben (Booker) that turns into a hit. Then we are going to bunt Dan. I am going to bunt them over to second and third and they balk us over, so he gets a chance to swing the bat. The balk is a big, big play in the game, but we took advantage of it. He gets a base hit down the line. He should have got to second; he doesn't, so now we got to waste a guy to get him over and we wind up leaving him."

On the rest of pitchers' performances

"(Brooks) Pinckard came in throwing pretty good and pitched good tonight. He got his slider going a little bit, located pretty good. I thought he pitched it pretty good. I didn't really want to use him that long. I really would have preferred not to pitch (Logan) Verrett at all, but the situation did not allow that. I thought he was okay. I think one of the things that is happening to him is the deeper we get into the season the hitters are better. They have just seen more pitching and they are just better. And so when you make a mistake they are not missing or fouling it off. He is giving up a few more hits on mistake pitches than he did earlier in the year. But he is still throwing it pretty good. He is still pitching to both sides of the plate pretty good and still got a pretty good slider."

Freshman Dan Evatt

On getting a win

"We definitely need to get things going on a roll and you got to start by winning the first one. We are happy with the win. We have got improvements to make like anybody, but is definitely just great to get a win."

On his offensive play

"As long as we won, I don't care if I went 0-4, but I definitely got the ball in play that last inning and those runs definitely came up big. The ball ran into the bat on that one. It is just so great to get a win and get back on the right road."

On scoring runs late in the game

"We are up 8-5 and you think we are comfortable. Then a guy gets on for them. They hit a homerun and before you know it, you are glad we scored those. It is definitely something to learn from."

On being successful versus a slow-throwing pitcher

"It is all about approach and bringing the right approach: knowing what you got to do up there. You have got to sit back and take an opposite field approach rather than try to pull the ball. I thought we did a good job with that tonight."

On his approach at the plate

"It was just stay up the middle and not try to do to much, because sometimes you try to hit the ball too far when those guys are throwing 85, but I thought we did a pretty good job tonight."

Sophomore Craig Fritsch

On the importance of the win

"A win is a win, but it is great to break that loss streak. For me it is great to just go out there and compete, get some ground balls to go to some gloves and make some key pitches and have guys behind me."

On the win helping his confidence

"It definitely does. Next time I go out there I will be even more ready to go."

On his performance

"I went out there and got what I needed to do done and had some guys come in and close it behind me."