May 7, 2014
Kentucky Head Coach Rachel Lawson
Opening Statement
I would like to thank South Carolina for hosting the tournament. We have only been here a day, but they have done a great job, the field is great, the hospitality is awesome, and they are doing a great job running a first-class event. I would also like to thank the SEC and ESPN for hosting this event. I think it is one of the premier softball events in the country. We feel really good about being here today.
On the facility and South Carolina’s commitment to softball…
I think this is an amazing facility. It says so much about the sport of softball and for the administration at South Carolina and all the people that support it financially. We have got to a point in women’s athletics that funding does not have to go to softball and the fact that the people in this great state were willing to spend the resources to put it into softball says a lot in how far women’s athletics has come. There is not a bad seat in the house, the indoor batting facility is incredible, the press box is great, and the grass is nice. I feel great about the fact that the state of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina has been willing to put so much into it.
On the future availability of Kelsey Nunley after throwing 142 pitches…
She will be ready. There were games that she did not pitch knowing that for the postseason we would have to ride the pitchers that got us there. She is a strong girl. She has been working hard all year. She will be ready to go tomorrow and will be okay.
Kentucky sophomore third baseman Nikki Sagermann
On coaches’ advice before her game-winning at bat…
They did not tell me much. I was seeing the ball well the whole game, and the coaches have confidence in me. They said, “All right Nikki just square up.” They have confidence in me, and I feed off their confidence.
Kentucky sophomore shortstop Christian Stokes
On what was working today to get three hits in the leadoff spot…
I think the most important thing for me is to stay calm and not put pressure on myself. When I go up there, I feel a lot more confident than if I did put pressure on myself. I think that is the main thing and then just swinging at good pitches in the zone.
On playing in her home state…
It is always good to do well in front of your home crowd. It is nice to come back home and see your family and play in front of your friends. I was just trying to compete today.
Mississippi State Head Coach Vann Stuedeman
Opening Statement
This has been a great atmosphere. Megan Kennington and the whole South Carolina staff, all of you guys, and I mean the grounds crew, everybody has made this a first-class event. The SEC office, Leslie Claybrook and Tammy Wilson, it’s just been a first class event. It made our student-athletes feel like they were in a first-class tournament, which this is, and I appreciate that from all the Gamecocks and the conference office.
On her communication with her players during the game…
You know, we tell them the same thing every game. It’s just we want to have a short-term memory, and we want to fight, fight, fight. And we did that today and made sure that they were reminded of that throughout the game.
On chances moving into the NCAA Tournament…
Well, you know, at this point during the post season, it’s anybody’s tournament and you get hot at the right time and you’re doing all the right things at the right time, anybody can show up at the big dance and win it. So, I like where our team is right now. We are fighting hard and playing well, and we have good athletes at every position. We are a strong lineup and have good pitching.
Mississippi State freshman utility player Katie Anne Bailey
On her mindset going into her big at-bat during the sixth inning…
That bat, I was thinking about having an in-game adjustment, that’s what that at-bat was about. My first two at-bats, I was kind of off with the timing, but that at-bat, I just focused on making the adjustment, and the pitch was there. What we kind of talked about was just being aggressive and swinging at the right pitches and that one was there.
On what her teammates told her after she hit…
They were like, “Let’s go!” That’s something that can spark a team, you know, when they need it and that happened and when I got in there everybody was like, “Let’s go!”
