April 15, 2015
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South Carolina Head Coach Chad Holbrook
Opening statement
Obviously I sit up here extremely disappointed. Baseball can be exhilarating at times and it can be awfully cruel at times. Like I told the team after the game, there might be some things going against us and we might be a victim of some tough luck, but in this game you have to make your own breaks. [Presbyterian College] made their own breaks tonight. We’ll hit a ball on the screw and it’ll be caught and we’ll feel sorry for ourselves and you can’t do that. The next guy has to hit a ball on the screws and the next guy has to hit a ball on the screws until the ball falls in. We’re looking around for answers when we thing something good should happen and you can’t think something good should happen, you have to make something good happen. [Presbyterian College] played free and easy tonight and played very, very well and executed and we fought hard but I thought our guys were up tight and trying to hard. Sometimes you don’t play your best baseball when you play that way.
On Wil Crowe’s season-ending elbow injury
Our players feel for Wil. Wil told the team yesterday and, obviously, he had some discomfort, a little bit more than his usual discomfort level after pitching at Florida. We sent him to the doctor on Monday when we got back to get checked out and actually, Wil played catch down at Florida and felt good, felt great. Everything was fine. He doesn’t have any symptoms that led us to believe that he had the injury that he has. We came back from Florida optimistic that he would need a few days of rest but that he would be OK, but we wanted to do an MRI anyway, and the MRI revealed that he has a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which is obviously devastating for Wil and his family and for our team and our players and our program. Like I told Wil, in 13, 14, 15 months, he will be as good as new and be ready to go. He’s got a bright future; he’s an incredible kid to coach.
He came into my office yesterday and he was obviously very emotional. He’s got a warrior mentality. He said, “they said rehab is an option that’s on the table, maybe let’s rehab it and get surgery at the end of the year because I’ve been pitching with it for such a long time.” I said, “We don’t treat our players like that, you’re going to get the surgery done now.” That way he can be on the road to recovery quicker. He’s got a bright future and I hope he hasn’t thrown his last pitch here. I think that’s one of the reasons Wil was so emotional. I met with Wil’s family this morning and, just to kind of tell you the kind of kid Wil is, he came in and said “it’s my goal to be the opening day starter in 2017 and be a first team All-American. For a kid to say that and not think about the pro-ball aspect or the draft next year, it tells you all you need to know about Wil Crowe and the type of player he is and what he thinks of this program and how much he enjoys being a player here.
Wil will be fine. We’re all devastated for him, but like I told him this morning, this is just a little bump in the road for him in his career. If he chooses to come back to the University of South Carolina in 2017, of course he’s got two years of eligibility and there’s a possibility of redshirting him next year. We’re not going to rush him back into pitching next season, I can assure you of that. His future is too important to him and its too important to us and we will take each day as it comes and be with him every step of the way with him in his rehab.
South Carolina Pitcher Wil Crowe
On timeline and progression on injury
Honestly, I didn’t think I had an issue. I went into the doctor yesterday just believing that he was going to look at my elbow and say everything was fine and I was going to throw a bullpen tonight and get ready for the weekend. I just wanted to get it checked out just in case there was anything I needed to get done. I didn’t think there was any problem. It’s been sore, its normal soreness for probably the past month, but I just got used to it and kept throwing.
On future outlook
My family and I know how the surgery goes and everything. We’re just looking to get the surgery done and start the process back so I can pitch here, like [Coach Holbrook] said, on opening day in 2017.
On importance of his leadership
I’m going to do all I can as a vocal leader and vocal supporter to help them with anything they got as soon as I can. We don’t when the surgery is, but whenever it is, I’m going to be back here with them and be back with my team. I love these guys and I want to be there to support them as much as I can.
