May 27, 2007
CHAMPIONSHIP QUOTES * #2 NORTH CAROLINA 3, #8 WAKE FOREST 2
NORTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH MIKE FOX
On competing against Wake Forest for the title...
"First of all, I want to congratulate Wake Forest for being in the championship game with us today. Any time you get an opportunity to compete in the championship game, you have accomplished something. And I certainly hope that Wake Forest gets some good news on Monday."
On how you feel winning the championship today...
"I am overjoyed on behalf of all of our players to win the ACC Championship. It has been a long drought for the University of North Carolina and it was a pretty special day for our players and our entire program. I am happy for our entire team, especially our three seniors as this was their last opportunity. They get to take something special away from this. An ACC Championship is a big deal because this league is so very good in baseball. So we are happy."
NORTH CAROLINA RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER ANDREW CARIGNAN
On facing adversity...
"I don't think any of us were surprised by today's outcome because we all know how good our team is and we have faced adversity before, especially the core group from last year. We came down here and lost two games and then had a pretty good run after that. So we all knew how much talent we have and what would happen if we all started playing our game."
NORTH CAROLINA SHORT STOP AND MVP JOSH HORTON
On not winning an ACC Championship in the last 18 years...
"I don't know about the last 18 years, but definitely in the past two years we have used Jacksonville as a stepping stone. We would go back to Chapel Hill afterwards in order to regroup, so this is definitely a different feeling from that. When we won our game against NC State, it was a much different feeling riding back to the hotel with a win. We hadn't done that since I have been here."
On winning the title of Most Valuable Player..."I really am tickled to death winning the championship as the team. All of the individual awards get pushed to the side. We worked really hard and it is a really good feeling to pick up these wins and the ACC Championship."
WAKE FOREST HEAD COACH RICK REMBIELAK
On the game...
"I think this is the type of game you want on championship day. It was a very good ball game. In games like this, you look for a little mistake to capitalize on. You've got two good pitchers and two very good teams that are playing well. Usually what it comes down to is a mistake here or there, a play not made or a run not scored when you have a guy in scoring position. You're looking for some sort of opening to take advantage of...and they did. We pitched well. Both teams pitched well so you can't fault those guys, they did a great job. A 3-2 championship ball game is probably what you're asking for on a championship Sunday."
WAKE FOREST SHORTSTOP DUSTIN HOOD
On doing what it takes...
"Coming down here we knew that we needed to win two games to give us a chance for an NCAA berth. After the first game, we all just came together and said that we needed to do this. We had great ball clubs to play against in Clemson and Miami. We knew that we had a chance. We owed Clemson that loss from earlier in the season. We played Miami tough three games in Winston-Salem. We knew we could do it, some cards fell our way and Clemson beat Florida State for us and we came back to make it here."
WAKE FOREST OUTFIELDER EVAN OCHELTREE
On the team's chemistry...
"We really pull for each other. We don't put up a bunch of flashy numbers. We just find ways to get on base whether it's a hit by pitch, reach on error or a base hit. Everybody's just pulling for one each other and that's what it's going to take. I think we might have come together a little more in this tournament."
