May 26, 2006

ACC Baseball Championship
Coaches Quotes
May 26, 2006

Florida State Quotes

Florida State head coach Mike Martin

Obviously the game is day-to-day. You never know what is going to happen. I thing the key to this ballgame was Michael (Hyde) getting out of the first two innings when he left five runners on base. I thought that was pivotal towards keeping us energized. Sometimes if you give up four of those runs, it puts you behind the eight ball for six or seven innings and Mike did a great job of getting us out of those innings. Travis (Anderson) gave us a big lift with the first hit for us, a ball that was well off the wall and then all of a sudden everybody just seemed to pick it up. It was a good win for us and I wish we could enjoy it longer, but we know we are playing a very good NC State club tomorrow.

On having a day of rest
It certainly puts in a good spot tomorrow knowing we used one guy today. We will throw Mark Sauls and we know we have everybody ready to go besides Henry, Chambliss and Hyde. We're going to do everything we can to win the first ballgame and worry about the second one if we get there. It is a very difficult task. We know we are getting their third starter who put it to us in Tallahassee a week ago. It is also the time of year that we're all excited about and this is a great atmosphere over here in Jacksonville and we're excited to still be in this competing.

On the possibility of hosting an NCAA regional in Tallahassee
I think we certainly helped ourselves today by winning against a very good Virginia club. Our RPI, according to Boyd's World was 11th and theirs was 13th.

Florida State designated hitter Travis Anderson
On the bottom of the lineup jumping over the top of the lineup We don't really look at it as the bottom of the lineup. It's one team and we ought to do our part to help the team out and that is all you can ever ask of anybody - to do your best and contribute.

Florida State pitcher Michael Hyde
When I went out there, I knew I was going to be in for a battle. I just wanted to give my offense a chance to strike first. I tried to throw good pitches and hold them off as long as we could so we could jump out on them a get a lead.

Florida State shortstop Buster Posey
On the ability to drive in runs today
It was definitely nice to have runners on base today. We did a good job swinging at the pitches we were supposed to and hitting the pitches we were supposed to. To have guys on base is huge.

On the first half of the season and second half of the season as it relates to pitching
I feel like the second half of the season we have made tremendous strides in hitting. Hitting is contagious and I think defense can also be contagious. You see guys making great plays, making the routine plays and it catches on for everybody else.

Virginia Quotes

Virginia head coach Brian O'Connor
Opening statement
It's obvious that this is a ballgame that got away from us in that third inning. It was another example of what we didn't do yesterday, and that was take outs when we had opportunities to. Tony Thomas bunted in that inning and we didn't collect an out, and the inning got away from us. That was the ballgame, that third inning. Early in the ballgame we had opportunities offensively to step up and get a clutch hit and we didn't do that and that's a credit to (Florida State starter Michael) Hyde. I thought he did a very, very good job. I think he's a good pitcher, and he's going to serve Florida State well going down to the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, this is a very difficult loss going into the NCAA Tournament. We've had such a great year. We have 46 wins, as much wins as anybody has in the country, and you suffer a tough loss like this. But I know that our guys will be ready to come back next Friday to play good, winning Virginia baseball.

On Thomas' catching a line drive up the middle to quell a potential Virginia rally
That was a big-time play. Tony Thomas is a great athlete and he made a great play there. He doesn't make that snag, all of a sudden we've got two runs in and I think the confidence level of our players is different. Like any starting pitcher, I think you pitch with a lot more confidence when you have a lead. If that ball gets through and we get two runs on the board, I think Mike Ballard's a different pitcher. Maybe he handles that situation in the third inning different.

On whether Ballard was leaving pitches up in the zone
I tell you, he was sharp those first two innings. He was really pitching well. Typically, he does throw a lot of ground balls. He's not a big strikeout guy, although he gets some at times. He was up in the zone and it's a credit to Florida State. They took some great swings at pitches that were up in the zone in plus counts that they had, and made him pay for his mistakes. There was a ball hit to third base that was hit really hard at (Patrick) Wingfield, and he couldn't make the play on it. I thought that was a big play in the inning also. It was one of those innings - anybody that's coached has always been a part of them. You've had them at times. It's just the inning that gets away from you. Hitting is contagious. All of a sudden they get a couple of hits and those guys are champing at the bit at the plate.

On the difficulty of this loss compounded with last night's close loss to NC State
Obviously last night's game was a tough game. You want to be 2-0 and be in that winners' bracket game. I spoke last night here about the character of this team. We've had tough losses at points this year - not very often, we've only lost 13 games - but they've done a great, great job this year of bouncing back after tough losses. Today we didn't. It was one of those rare situations that I haven't seen out of this team yet this year that we haven't bounced back real positive after a tough loss. What's great about this game is you get another opportunity. We'll get another opportunity Friday. A chance to play another club, and a chance to redeem ourselves. We'll look forward to that.

On whether the team will dwell on the loss or look ahead to NCAA Tournament play
It has to (look ahead). I told the team in our meeting on the field after the game that it's over with. You have to turn the page. I was excited to see our players and our leaders challenge our team and make our team run off the field. It's over with. This is what we've worked so hard for all year, is to have the opportunity to play next weekend. That's our reward for the effort that they've put in all year long, to get the opportunity to play next weekend.

On whether going out early in the ACC Tournament is beneficial to the team in terms of being well-rested for NCAA regionals
This tournament is very, very taxing on a team, it is. It can drain you out for next weekend. Or you can use it as momentum working into next weekend. We'll see how we have handled it. Last year we played all the way to the championship game and we came out at Oregon State and we looked like a tired group. Hopefully we'll be rejuvenated next weekend and full of energy and ready to play. These guys, they're 18- to 22-year-old young men. They should and do love to play every day. You never want to lose and hope that that prepares you better for next weekend from a stamina standpoint. You just try to win every game you can and you take it as it goes. Now next weekend you know if you lose a second game your season is over, so there's a lot to play for.

Virginia junior RF Brandon Marsh
On his hot hitting in the ACC Tournament
In the first inning I got that hit, but my next at bat was with bases loaded and I popped up. I felt that if I had come through and possibly made it seven (consecutive hits for him in the tournament) that that would have changed the game and it would have given Ballard a lead he was pitching with. I got a pitch to hit and I got under it little a bit. I didn't treat today any different than I would any other day. Yesterday doesn't carry over for today. It's a new day. Every at bat's new. My second at bat - it doesn't matter. You don't have momentum from at bat to at bat. I went in and I just got under that pitch and I think that was a big play in the game. That could have really helped us win if I'd have come through there and gotten some runs across the plate.