April 16, 2011
South Carolina Head Coach Ray Tanner
Opening Statement
It was another good ball game tonight. I was certainly impressed by Grayson Garvin. We battled him and took some pretty good hacks and got some runs early. We competed all night long. We tried to get it in position to sneak back in and win the thing. They a great job out of the bullpen getting big outs when they needed to.
On Adam Matthews…
Hamstring again. It’s the same hamstring. It’s too early to tell (how long he will be out), but I would image that it will be awhile.
On Jackie Bradley Jr….
He’s having a hard time. There’s no doubt it. He’s slumped a little bit. He’s going to battle and he’s going to find his way out. It happens in baseball. He’s having some tough at bats, and when he squares one up he doesn’t get much to show for it. That’s part of it you have to keep grinding it out. He’ll be fine. He’s the reason that we’ve won a lot of games the last two or three years.
On the excitement of the series…
It’s really good. We won a close one last night and lost a close one tonight. They have outstanding players and great pitchers. (Jason) Esposito at 3rd base, if you hit it close to him and that wingspan, he’s going to get you out. We won a game a piece. Two pretty good games going at each other and we’ve got a rubber game tomorrow. Hopefully it will be standing room only and that’s the way it should be. It’s a Super Regional-type game. I told our guys after the game that it’s one of those deals that we have a short turn around. We have pre-game at 9:15 in the morning. I just made a deal with the guys that I’ll go back and wrestle with this one until 2-3:00am, if they flush it right now. Look forward to it and have a good time. That’s the way it has to be. We’ve had a pretty good run and they’ve had a pretty good run. Just have a good time tomorrow.
Scott Wingo, Second Base
On getting ready for tomorrow…
We just have to flush it. You lose games, we just have to flush it and go and be ready to play tomorrow.
Brady Thomas, Catcher
On the Vanderbilt pitching staff…
They have great arms and they mix it up well. All their guys I think are 90 plus. It’s a battle every time you step in the box against them.
Evan Marzilli, Left Field
On the Vanderbilt pitching staff…
We’ve heard a bunch of things about their staff being great. They have a bunch of hard throwers and they did a great job tonight.
On the thin outfield…
It stinks that we aren’t going to have them (Jake Williams and Adam Matthews) . I know we do have some guys who are willing to step up; everyone will get an opportunity. We have a great team and I think we should be able to fill those holes.
