The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
04.06.2014 | Baseball
Quotes from head coach Augie Garrido and players
Head coach Augie Garrido
Opening statement: I think over the weekend what we demonstrated was three different ways to win a ball game. That's what it's going to take. It takes versatility, you can't just have one dimension to your offense that will win a game. I think we have more balance in our lineup now, for sure. Any part of that lineup can score runs in any one of the innings and we proved that over the weekend and over the week. I think that part of it, we really haven't added anything that's dramatic. We're just executing the things we know how to do more consistently. We're making more productive outs. Last night it was C.J [Hinojosa] with two fly ball outs. Things like that is what I'm talking about. We got our bunts down today, all but one. I mean, pretty darn good. We have a lot of different ways to advance runners, either by stealing, bunting, quality at bats that produce the right kind of outs, productive outs. It all leads to runs scored and that's what we're trying to do. You can say, you only got four runs today, but there were some balls scalded. They hit some balls really hard, and I think that's [what we really take away].
I think the pitching was good all weekend and you're not going to win without pitching and we got that and the defense played extremely well behind them. All of the positions are functioning at a pretty high level right now. Can we get better? Absolutely. Will we get better? Probably so because we have the right attitude toward team. We have 32 guys in the locker room that are coming out here every day to help the team win the game. That's what it takes. You can see that in their unselfishness at the plate, their patience at the plate, the way that they're taking their at bats with runners in scoring position. You can read all of that and see that they are confident in what they're doing. As that goes on, it will be challenged. They got a little frustrated when they didn't get hits today because they've had a lot of hits. But hits are just about feeling good. It doesn't necessarily produce runs so I think that we got better over the week. We had a good week and everyone contributed.
On if the pitchers building on each others' successes: We do have four quality starters and we also have three very fine set up guys and closers. That's what you need for a pitching staff. Then you need good defense behind it. We played a very high level of defense. Missing that double play is probably the first one we've missed all season that we could have gotten. We're getting better and we have the right attitude.
On Nathan Thornhill's performance: Nathan was excellent today. But that's within the framework of what he's capable of doing when he focuses on hitting the mitt and not feeling responsible for winning the game. That's the demon in that whole deal. If you feel like "We have to win the game," well the pitching staff is a lot looser now. They can see that we can get runs and they see that we can come from behind. They see that we can find ways to win. Now that relaxes them a lot. The nuisances of this game are so subtle that most of the coaches, including myself, don't really know why one team wins and the other team loses. It's an unbelievable game. It really is.
On if it hard to not have the expectation that Mark Payton is going to do something great in every game: I believe in him and I believe that he'll make good choices. He's got one of the best baseball IQs at the college level that I've been around and I've been around some really good ones. He's one of the best. He knows when to bunt, he knows when to take the pitch. He knows when to hit it. I don't expect him to do anything because I just don't think that way. It's like hope, what does hope do? I don't know. So I just trust him because he's so mature as a player.
On Tres Barrera's maturity through the season: I think what he did there [on the double in the seventh inning] was go back to a short swing. The tendency, when you fail, which he did earlier cause hitting is all about failure, [is to try harder]. He then made an adjustment, which I thought was very mature, to go back to his batting practice swing of just hitting a line drive and getting the barrel on the ball. Strong guys want to hit the ball out of the ballpark, so they reach back for more power, but they don't need because they have already got strength. But, he was smart enough to make that adjustment.
Senior pitcher Nathan Thornhill
On the starting pitching staff: We all know that myself and the other three are pretty good pitchers. It is fun to watch, we take some stuff from each other about what's working and what's not working, and all watch each other's bullpens. I don't think there is any one upping [one another], we just take pride in being a good pitching staff and we want to go out there and show it.
On if he wanted to go out for the ninth inning: I was trying not to make eye contact with [pitching coach] Skip [Johnson]. I went and did my routine, drank my water, put my jacket on, I was ready to sit down and then he came and found me, but I was trying to avoid him to see [if he would leave me in the game].
On the sweep of Baylor this weekend: It is awesome. This team is much different than the ones we have had in the past. Our hitters took great at bats all day and it started to show there in the later innings. That is what this team is all about, just grinding it out until the end.
On how he felt about his performance today: I was kind of frustrated with myself throwing some balls, sometimes I felt like I was throwing too many, but then I would look up [at the scoreboard] and I was doing fine. I had to consistently talk [to myself] about attacking the mitt, and Skip had to constantly tell me to attack because that is what makes us good.
On the state of the team currently: I think we are confident. I don't know if we are there yet by any means, but I don't want to be there yet. I want us to keep working hard the way we are, stick to our game plan like we did today, and it should work out for us.
Senior outfielder Mark Payton
On how it feels to get a conference sweep and why the team seems to be playing so well: It is a good feeling. We are carrying a lot of momentum right now and we'll just get back to work tomorrow and get ready for Tuesday … We are just believing in each other, playing great defense, of course our great pitching, and mixing in timely hits. We know that with two strikes or two outs we can put together a rally.
On if the offense was frustrated today before they broke out and scored: We were putting together really good at bats, just not many results coming from it. Coach Garrido did a great job talking to us and saying hey don't let at bats wear on you, they are good at bats, [the hits] are going to come. We just believed in that, and took care of our business.
On the team's patience at the plate: We are just trying to get the guy behind us to the plate, that is our job to just move the bat along and do whatever we can to have a quality at bat. Whether that is taking a walk, getting hit by a pitch, or getting a hit, it is our job to move the bat along.
On Nathan Thornhill's performance today and the pitching staff overall: He worked fast, he threw strikes, all of our pitchers all weekend did a great job. We know what they can do, we have belief in every guy on this team, and we are just going to keep this thing rolling.
On this team's consistent ability to score runs with two outs: Just believing [in ourselves], and knowing the guy behind you with two outs is going to get it done. One through nine [in the order] is not an easy out, that is always good to have, even the guys on the bench are tough outs. Like I said, we believe we can do it with nobody out or we can do it with nobody on and two outs, so we are just going to keep having quality at bats.
Freshman catcher Tres Barrera
On his success at the plate recently: I just had to remind myself this is the game I have been playing for a long time. I have been playing all my life, just me being myself is enough to help contribute to the team, and that mindset has really helped me out a lot.
On throwing out two base runners today: It is fun. It is fun catching our pitching staff, it is probably the best in the country, and helping them out by [throwing people out] is just a plus to help our team win.
On if he knew the team was capable of this success: Yes. We know what type of team we have here … we know we are here to win and we have a team to win it all, so, we have to just keep working and good things will happen.
On his two RBI double in the seventh inning: Earlier in my previous at bats I was pulling off the ball a little bit, and I just told myself to calm down. They walked Mark in front of me, who wouldn't right? So, I just told myself to trust my swing and [the pitcher] left it up and out over the plate and I put a good swing on it.
On hitting behind Mark Payton in the batting order: It is a lot of fun, I know I am always going to get pitches to hit because everyone is scared of him right now. It is a good experience, but it is my job to protect him as well, so that he can get some good pitches because he is one of the best hitters in the country.
