The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
05.26.2014 | Baseball
Quotes from head coach Augie Garrido and Texas players
The Texas baseball team was awarded a No. 2 seed in the Houston Regional where it will open NCAA Tournament play vs. No. 3 seed Texas A&M Friday at 3 p.m. CT.
Head coach Augie Garrido, senior pitcher Nathan Thornhill and senior center fielder Mark Payton met with the media Monday afternoon to preview the regional, which also includues No. 1 seed Rice and No. 4 seed George Mason.
Head coach Augie Garrido
On being in the Rice regional and playing A&M in the first game: I think what they are trying to do is make it revenue successful, and there is no one from our conference on that committee. We have influence through one of the coaches, but not really a voting member … there has been so much speculation, we have been scheduled to go to Seattle, which would have been a lot different adventure. This makes more sense. You notice how the Texas schools are going to eliminate each other, and the California schools are going to eliminate each other, and then the Florida schools are going to eliminate each other. That is a part of the process and the formula to getting balance to the College World Series. So, there isn't anything wrong with that, you just have to win out.
For a while, a lot of the selections like that were because of gas prices and travel expenses, they said they were localizing when they first started to have that happen. I don't know beyond that. We are excited about our opportunity to be in the tournament. This is where it starts for this program, we have done a good job of qualifying and we will represent The University of Texas to the best of our ability.
On if Friday is even more exciting getting to play Texas A&M: It is for the fan base, but if we are going to give the fans what they want, which is that three-letter word 'Win', we have to stick with the process. For us to perform we have to play the game fundamentally sound, both offensively and defensively. All three aspects, offense, defense, pitching, we have to stick with the fundamentals of the process to get the results that everyone wants. Emotions have to be balanced in baseball; it isn't like football where you can just go out of your mind and beat somebody up. Basketball runs on a lot of emotions too … baseball is an ongoing balancing act as, it is more like golf mentally than it is the other two sports.
I don't think A&M means nothing, I think it does mean something. [Mark and Nathan] have to see it [like it doesn't mean anything special] because that is how they have to see it to perform. Oklahoma State meant a lot to us, TCU meant a lot to us, every weekend it is somebody in the Big 12 that meant a lot to us. What they learned is, we can only control the performances we are able to control. I think it is a very mature response to the realities of how they need to perform … they have to see it that way to be good individually and collectively, and they have been through the difficult. They know why that happened, too. I think they have found a better balance and better maturity.
On if it is helpful to have already played at Rice this season: I think it is going to help all of the teams. I think all of the teams will play better because everyone is familiar with the environment, I think it has a settling effect. The other thing is, all of the players on all of the teams are going to be excited because they all know each other, they have all played select ball against each other, they have all played against each other since they were 12 or 13 years old. I do think there is that natural excitement in it, and you are playing for some bragging rights. From our point of view, which is different than the fans point of view, there is that excitement. I know I am excited about it.
On if they have confidence beating Rice two out of three earlier this season: At this point you can toss that out. It is a whole new season at this point and time. They are a whole different team, and we are a much better team than we were a couple weeks ago. What happens in these tournaments if we want to go down the road a little bit, is you start to get momentum, and all of a sudden some team gets this sense of being invincible. We are all trying to capture that as coaches, we are all trying to teach that and get them to think that way, but there doesn't seem to be any recipe for it. We have words for it, but it doesn't seem to produce that spiritual feeling that gets you there, gets you into that zone. That will happen to these teams that move forward, and there will be some surprises. Would someone be surprised if someone other than Rice came out of this region? I don't think so.
On what it means to see seniors like Mark Payton and Nathan Thornhill get back to the post season: I think it speaks volumes for how healthy the program is. Would those two players come back if they didn't have a very positive attitude for where the program is going? I think it speaks a lot more accurately and is a lot more trustworthy than anything I can say.
On Mark Payton breaking the Big 12 consecutive games reached base record: Unbelievable. That is a lot of anything, 90-something, and still going. It is amazing, but it is his discipline at the plate and his skill level is really high. The great thing is he has been patient enough to take his walks because they pitch around him a lot. They don't want him to win the game; you look at anybody's scouting report, 'don't let this guy beat you.' So he beats you by scoring runs.
On if there are any changes coming to the back end of the bullpen: I think making changes with John [Curtiss] is where the answer is. He has the stuff, we have to maybe not depend on his fastball as much in certain counts and not expect him to be overpowering, especially in day games. But, I think he has the mentality, and he also has the other skill sets that we like, he can hold runners, he fields his position really well, he gets off the mound in the bunting game, all of those things to a short reliever are really important. I don't think we have a better guy who can do all of those things and I think that we have to not see him as just a power pitcher, with these metal bats, good teams are going to catch up to any fastball. So, we would most likely stay with him. the big thing would be if he had any arm problems because we use him pretty sparingly. A lot for your short relievers, you will pitch him two or three times in a weekend and we hardly ever do that with him.
Senior pitcher Nathan Thornhill
On how it feels to be back in the regional tournament: It is good to be back, it is exciting, our locker room exploded when we got the announcement, it is going to be a fun regional in Houston … we have some good teams, Rice, A&M and I'm sure George Mason will be a very competitive team. We figured we would be in the post season, but it is a lot better to see it when it is announced that you are officially in.
On if it was more exciting or relieving to make the tournament: It is more exciting because we are not done yet. This is where we wanted to be at the start of the season, giving ourselves a chance to advance to Omaha, and that is still alive and we still have work to do.
On what it means to him as a senior to get the program back to the post season: It makes your decision (to return for his senior season) that much better. We had a goal to do something, and we got back in the post season and that is what makes it all worth it. It is good to be back.
On playing Texas A&M the first game: It will be fun because we don't play them during the regular season. But, at the end of the day it is another baseball game that we need to win to reach our goal … the rivalry is not as big of a deal, it is still a baseball game. I don't think we are going to be really hyped up because it is A&M, we are going to be really hyped up because it is a regional baseball game.
On seeing some familiar faces in this regional: We all know guys who play for A&M and Rice, that is going to be a lot of fun playing against them and we are looking forward to it.
On if the team is confident knowing they beat Rice two out of three times this season: We know if we play our game, everything should take care of itself. We have a good baseball team, but those are other good baseball teams in the regional, it is whoever executes best on that day. I think if we do that we will come out okay.
On the team's mood after losing two close games at the Big 12 Tournament: The mood was fine, not as excited or as happy as we wanted to be. We won two really good baseball games, the first two we played in Oklahoma City, then we played pretty good baseball on Saturday. We just came up a little short in both of those games, but I think what we need to take from that is that we played against a team that was almost a national seed and we were ahead of them for the majority of the day, we just didn't quite finish them off. That should build confidence for ourselves event though we didn't quite get the win, we played against a really good team and played them closely.
Senior outfielder Mark Payton
On getting back into the tournament this season: Now is the time to get ready to go. We are excited for Friday, and we just have to go out and play our brand of baseball.
On his reaction to playing Texas A&M: It is just another game for us. It is a baseball game, no matter who you play in the post season you have to find a way to win, but we have to concentrate on ourselves and stay in character … We just have to go out and play, you can't focus on your opponent because then you can't play your own game.
On if they are confident knowing they beat Rice two out-of-three times already this season: You saw Stony Brook beat LSU a couple years ago in the Super Regional, the post season is anybody's ballgame. When you concentrate on your opponent to much you don't see the ball, you don't throw the ball to the mitt, you don't hit it, crazy things happen. We have to stay in our game, play in character, and keep the right attitude.
On the excitement for the regional: We are happy to be back in the post season of course, and to be playing close to home is nice because we will have a good fan base out there. I think we are just excited to get going, get back in the post season, and have a chance to make a run to Omaha.
On if it helps having already played at Rice's field this season: Yes, it is nice being in a familiar setting and environment. They are going to have a great crowd of course, it is going to be loud. It helped playing on dirt this past weekend in the Big 12 Tournament. We will get a good day of practice out there on Thursday and be ready to go on Friday.
On what it means to him as a senior to get the program back to the post season: It is cool, but it is obviously not done yet. We are never going to be satisfied until we reach our ultimate goal. It is a good feeling. We have a great group of young guys that are going to continue carrying us for the next few years to come. Right now the torch is in our hand to carry it and hand it on to the next guy.
On if the young players are ready for this spotlight: I think they know what is expected. Of course, this program is built on a rich tradition and history. They understand where it needs to be, and I think this is a good stepping stone for them to learn here pretty quickly and set their feet right in the fire. They are excited and they came in with the right attitude from day one.
On breaking the Big 12 consecutive games on base record this past week: It is cool. I think a lot of people pay more attention to it than I do, my job is to get on base and score as many runs as possible and do whatever I can to help the team win. I really don't pay attention to it, but I think when I got the standing ovation it hit me, it was pretty cool, but it is just my job to get on base and score runs.
On how the seniors plan on helping the younger players who lack post season experience: It is a game. (We seniors) are just going to have to tell them, hey the game is going to pick up speed a little bit, it is going to be louder, there is going to be more emotion. But I think it is just being able to go out there and do it, and learn that way, rather than telling them hey the game is going to be different. You don't want them thinking it is going to be different. You just want them to go out and play their game, not try to do too much, and just be themselves.
On if there will be even more excitement because the first game is against Texas A&M: No, you watch every College World Series game, everyone is yelling if they get a big hit or big strikeout. The fans go crazy, it is either win or go home. I think that is where it comes from.
On if playing Texas A&M means more to the local players who witnessed the rivalry growing up, but have yet to play in it: It is going to be a great atmosphere, cool environment, a lot of people wanted to see this game. As a Texas baseball team we are just going to go out and treat it as just a game, not worried about who we are playing.
