April 26, 2011
South Carolina Head Coach Ray Tanner
Opening Statement
We are very happy to be able to win today, we knew that this was going to be a hard game for us, Coach Tolman has a really nice team he’s banged up missing some players like we are but I knew they would be excited about playing. I thought Westmoreland was on the verge of having a very special outing for us today, it was still a pretty good one, he got into the fifth, got a little shaking there, and I guess that seven run sixth, we had seven or eight really good at bats to keep that inning going and that was the difference for us today.
Well they did, I think that lets be realistic we’ve got some really good players that are not playing, and we’ve got some guys that feel like they are pretty good and they haven’t gotten a chance to play. I think that’s helpful for us, its not a case that some of these guys feel like I’m just playing because some of our guys got hurt they feel like maybe I could play because they were ahead of me, I’m a good player too. They have that much confidence and they battle, DeSean had a great at bat for us there in the sixth, its tough and it’s a challenge.
Well yeah I think it did, I think the velocity got up a little bit, probably in the third or fourth inning he started getting close to the 90 range, he threw some good change ups he threw some good cutters, he had a big strike out on the cutter, he struck out seven. He showed some ability today, he went after some hitters and that was good to see.
On the injuries
I’m not sure, we go day today, we just try to do matchups I thought that what I did today, I told Mooney that I would rather have him in a different situation than moving runners today, I wanted him to be an RBI guy. So that’s why I changed it today so we will just do it on a game-by-game basis.
On John Taylor
He felt like he might have tweaked his rib cage just a tad, when he tried to cover first. He said he was fine and that’s why he kind of made a couple of motions out there.
Adrian Morales, 3B
On the players out due to injuries
I just think everybody is trying to battle and help out, we’ve got a lot of guys injured and I guess that’s what we are trying to do, just keep fighting.
On the seniors role with people out injured
Now we need to step up even more, especially me. I’ve been ghost a couple of the last weekends. I have just told myself that I need to step up because Jackie Bradley Jr. is out and Adam Matthews been out, two key guys. I haven’t really contributed offensively to help the team win; fortunately we have been winning with out me.
On the 7 run inning
It was good, these midweek games are a test. We have got to come and show up no matter who we play and Liberty is a pretty good team so it was good to see us put up seven runs that inning.
On Christian Walker’s hitting
He’s the terminator, he’s a robot, he’s one of the best hitters I have seen by far he’s locked in right now and hopefully he can just stay like that for the rest of the year.
Christian Walker, 1B
On his hitting
I’m seeing the ball well, that happens in baseball, you get on a real hot streak and it seems like you can’t get out, at the same time you cant take anything for granted, I’ve got to work hard and hopefully my swing stays where it is.
On his homerun
I know my first at bat I hit a ball hard and at my second at bat I kind of rolled over one. I was really just looking more to hit a ball hard and get on base and that happened to carry out.
On keeping a routine
Yeah I’ve always been kind of superstitious but it’s more just in my head. I just think about what I did last time, like what I did last at bat. I try to keep the same routine, but it could just be all in my head.
On the effect of the bats
You know they are a lot different than last year it keeps that warning track fly ball from flying out, but complaining about it isn’t really going to do anything, you’ve just got to deal with it so I guess just put up or shut up.
On the injured players…
Yeah you kind of feel a bigger leadership role on your shoulder and you can’t really dwell on injuries and whose out and what ifs but we have the line ups that’s in there, Coach Tanner is putting in the line up that he thinks can win the most games and we will go from there.
Michael Roth, PH
On pinch hitting for Steven Neff
I wouldn’t say I was surprised, Coach Tanner said stay ready for an opportunity to pinch hit.
On the injured players
I feel like the whole team needs to step up, and I will take a little responsibility for the pitchers, with some new guys in there they might not be able to produce. As a pitching staff leader we need to try to help out our hitters as much as possible and we have had some guys step up. DeSean had a great game on Sunday if we continue to have performances like that then I think we will be fine.
What do you do during the weather delays
We didn’t really have to much time to do anything today we just try to take it easy and have a little bit of fun. We were just throwing a ball back and forth with Liberty with some writing on it, nothing outrageous.
