Post-Game Quotes: TCU 5, Texas A&M 4
6/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TCU Head Baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle
Opening Statement:
"In 25 years of coaching, that is the best baseball game that I have ever been a part of. I am very wary of celebrating or saying something too great about our team for fear of diminishing the effort of Texas A&M. Unbelievable competition between our school and their school. The fans were unbelievable on both sides and this was just a classic baseball game. I think it was one of the greatest college baseball games ever had considering what was on the line. I am really proud of my team and I am really proud to be on the same field with Texas A&M."
On watching inning after inning in the dugout:
"I was trying to, and obviously I have TCU across my jersey, but I am a college baseball fan too. Just to see the competition between two great teams. Part of it was incredibly enjoyable and part of it was a beating all at the same time. We went through that 22-inning game last year and that was a regional not a super regional, but I just wish everyone could spend two seconds in the dugout around our guys. I am sure Coach Childress would say the same thing about his team. The energy of those guys was that they were never quitting. It was all the coaching things your could come up with. They just never die. They just truly never die. We had opportunities to give-in and so did Texas A&M, but it was a joy to be a part of that game."
Keaton Jones, SS
On the pitching of Ryan Hendrix:
"We really didn't think of it like that. We were just trying to grind out at-bats. He was competing for sure and he is a good pitcher but we weren't really thinking about him at all. We were just wanting some good pitches to hit and we were just trying to grind out every at-bat and every pitch and get on base and try and score some runs."
On staying focused in the extra innings:
"I worked through my routine. We had Brian Kane and he works with us a lot. I just took deep breaths and focused on my routine and each pitch."
On Garrett Crain's play:
"I don't know. It is hard to answer that question. I saw Coach Mosiello give him the stop sign, but I don't think he saw that honestly. It was an aggressive play and he was trying to score and it worked out in our favor. I am kind of glad he did."
Mitchell Traver, RHP
On Evan Skoug:
"Evan is invaluable. He is one of the players on this team that plays a special role. They all prepare the way they need to prepare and Evan is no exception to that. He works so hard and he doesn't expect anybody to give him wiggle room just because he is a freshman. He has a very high standard for himself. We are blessed to be able to have him as our catcher, as a player on this team and I know I am blessed to have him as a friend too because he makes me better. So I know I am thankful for him."
On being one of the last pitchers out of the bullpen
"On the inside of my hat, and I know a lot of our pitchers do this, there is a little reminder written in there. On the inside of mine, it is a reference to John 11, which is the story of Lazarus and that is kind of something that I have clung to this season. But next to that is belief. Jesus talks about 'didn't I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God.'"
"For me, that was where I was at. I didn't know how long I was going to have to go. I didn't know how long this game was going to take. I didn't know if we were going to win or not, but I believed. I know all of our guys did too and I know that we prepared the right way to put ourselves in a position to do that. For this to end like it did, I am just very thankful. I am thankful that we have Brian Kane too. He teaches us to play, along with Coach Schlossnagle, one pitch at a time. There is no better way to do it and I think that is a big part of why it ended up the way it did."
Texas A&M Head Baseball Coach Rob Childress
Opening Statement:
"Just like Sunday, If you are a baseball fan you couldn't have asked for anything more. It was Game 3 of a Super Regional to get to Omaha and it goes 16 innings. It breaks my heart it had to end the way it did, but we certainly had some opportunities early in the first and the third and we weren't able to get them it. Then it was game on. Both pitching staffs did an amazing job. Congratulations to TCU; they put pressure on us and put a ball in play, and they're going to Omaha."
On the pitching staff:
"Every guy we ran out there gave us a shot. I thought Ryan's stuff was actually better tonight than it was Sunday. His attack was really good. He commanded his breaking ball a lot better tonight. I am really proud of him."
On extra innings:
"We set up a couple of innings and had a shot to get a couple of key hits and we weren't able to do that."
How to get his team past this game:
"I'll tell them how much I love them and how thankful I am for all they gave to each other throughout the course of the year. The seniors were amazing from a leadership standpoint. This is as good of a team that I have been a part of in a long, long time."
On starter Tyler Stubblefield:
"I thought he was really good. He gave us a chance. He went 12 up and 12 down and we couldn't have asked for a better start from him. Six and a half hours ago we had a couple of shots in the first and third innings to get some runners in and we weren't able to do that. Then you look up and everybody's fighting for a run the last two hours it seemed."
Not getting runs early:
"It changed the outcome of the game. If we would have scored on in the first and third we would have been done and out of here in the ninth and talking about us going to Omaha. It just didn't happen. This team is as good as I have been a part of. We'll be judged on out destination but the journey was pretty special. I had more fun than I have had for a long, long time from wire to wire."
Ryan Hendrix, RHP
On TCU getting runners on base:
"They're a good hitting team. I used my curve ball a lot to keep them off balance and was able to get a lot of ground balls and got help from my defense. That helped me out a lot."
On getting hit by a line drive:
"It was a good hit right up to me and I was able to get my arm out there and it hit me in the ribs too. Melton was able to throw him out and it was a big play, especially with the bases loaded ... I felt it a little bit but it went away once I started throwing off the mound."
Michael Barash, C
On the final play of the game:
"I did whatever I could to get the ball. I knew that was the winning run, and it was a tough play for Ronnie and I'll take full responsibility for that. I should have had that ball. I should have made the play for our guys. I'm so disappointed for our seniors with the way they had to go out. You can count on us being back here next year without a doubt. This one stings a little bit right now and it will sting for a while, but we'll definitely be back next year."
On Ryan Hendrix:
"He's outstanding. I have the most respect for him and the way he pitches. The way he competes out there for our guys, it's second to none. Without him tonight I don't know if we're in the spot we were. He's been that way all season for us. I love catching him, and love being with him. He'll be back next year for us. We're going to have a great year."
"That's a gutsy performance on his part. Ryan Hendrix is one of the best pitchers I've ever caught stuff wise. He's outstanding. The way he played tonight and the way he competed for us I can't thank him enough. He battled."
