OMAHA, Neb. – Playing in the College World Series is an experience unlike any other for a college baseball player. The packed crowds at Charles Schwab Field give the feeling of a zoo, as Arizona coach Chip Hale put it Friday.
Now that the Wildcats have a game under their belt at the College World Series– a tough 7-4 loss to Coastal Carolina – it’s back to the “foxhole mentality,” Hale said.
“We got a lot of family here, lot of friends, they’re going to have to make hard decisions to get themselves ready for Sunday,” Hale said. “Luckily we have a day off. We have a nice event tomorrow we’ll go to, get a good practice in.”
Arizona will take its off day to regroup before trying to play its way out of the loser’s bracket. Our recap of Friday’s game can be found here.
Below is what Hale, starting pitcher Owen Kramkowski, catcher Adonys Guzman and shortstop Mason White said after the game.
Hale on what Coastal Carolina did right to win: “It was a tough game. Hard fought. Both teams I thought played their tails off. Some funky plays in there. Some hit batsmen. Some funky bunts.
“But in the end, it came down to some great two-strike hitting by them. Great pitch almost on the ground. Guy dunks it into right for a double. Then they get jammed, hit a ball into center for a base hit. Obviously the two runs that Tony gave up, those hurt, too, because we ended up getting first and third and nobody out.
“But that’s the reason, that’s why they have the record they have and they’ve been able to run so many off. They have a lot of confidence. Hopefully we’ll get another shot at them.”
On the bunt Kramkowski dove for but missed: “It led to two runs. The ball went up and it didn’t look like Adonys could see it. He was looking behind him. And Maddox was at third. He didn’t get a good break in. Owen’s a great athlete. That’s a play he makes. He had it in his glove. I think when he hit the ground it just got jarred out.
“But, again, that’s what we talked about before the game. Other than that bunt, we did a really good job of defending their bunt for. It’s a big play for them, the hit batsmen and bunt. I thought we did a really good job.
“He limited the damage beautifully there. Gave up the two runs. We moved on and we were able to stay in the game.”
On Coastal’s Cameron Flukey coming out of relief: “You expect anything in these situations. I was surprised by Eikhoff starting. And then after watching him pitch the first couple of innings, I understood why they started him. He was a really good match-up against our guys.
“Like the guys said, he was sinking well and using his breaking ball more than we’re used to, right on left.
“And, yeah, I’m not surprised. They’re probably going to use everybody they can every game, just like we’re going to have to now. Our backs are against the wall.”
On Arizona blocking out distractions and getting back to winning: “I think the point that I try to make after the game was the zoo, everything that goes on with Omaha that’s really cool and really fun is over for us. It’s back to foxhole mentality, playing for each other and worrying about baseball.
“We got a lot of family here, lot of friends, they’re going to have to make hard decisions to get themselves ready for Sunday. Luckily we have a day off. We have a nice event tomorrow we’ll go to, get a good practice in. And then we’ll get ready for one of the two teams that’s playing after this. That’s all it is.
“They’ve done it all year. We’ve lost Fridays and won the series. It’s going to be tougher. This is that four-team deal. So it’s not just like winning two more games. We’re going to have to win a bunch of games. To do that we’ll have to fight and battle and scratch.
“I was very proud of them in the ninth. We had the tying run at the plate. We pitch hit Dom. He had a tough at-bat. And Brandon hit the ball — a few feet the other way it’s a base hit we keep it going. They keep fighting. They’re not going to stop fighting.”
On Coastal catcher Caden Bodine: “Obviously Donny does a nice job, but Bodine was fantastic, one of the best players in the country. I was really impressed.
“It’s a tough thing because I come from the old school. When you see guys doing that, I’m just shocked that umpires call strikes when they move the ball that much but they get them. Everybody, all the old guys get upset with the one-knee catchers. And this and that there’s a reason why we do it. And I tell guys, there’s a reason why — they’re stealing strikes. He does a beautiful job of it.”
On playing outfielders deep: “I guess you’re playing semi no doubles. It’s so big you’re just playing where you play, if you look — everybody’s going to play deep here. Obviously Summerhill’s ball, would have liked him to get to it and hold him to a single. That would have been great. It’s just so hard where it landed. Went to the right.
“The next one to Walton, were we too deep? I don’t know. I’m not going to second-guess it right now.”
On when Arizona decided to bring in Tony Pluta in the eighth: “Kevin Vance and I talked about it. Most of the times he makes the decisions on pitching and I’m the guy that goes takes him out.
“But I think, the guys the closer the year in the country, and we just wanted to keep it at one run. And that doesn’t happen very often with Tony Pluta. And Garrett was doing great. Don’t get me wrong. Two bloop hits beat him.
“Maybe that was a mistake. Tony was ready. He was loose. But he got behind. Who was up, was it Barthol? Who hit that ball? He did a great job hitting it in the gap. That’s really what broke our back. I think one run we definitely could tie that sucker.”
Kramkowski on fielding the bunt in the second inning: “I saw the ball was going to be up in the air for a while. I didn’t see anyone near it. I knew I was going to have to make a play on it and went all out for it, I guess, just trying to make something happen. Ended up with a tough situation out of it. But a play I wish I could have made again, but it happens”
On the team’s ability to come back to win games: “I think this is a group we want to do it with. This is all the guys we feel most confident doing it with. We’ve done it before, so it’s just taking it pitch by pitch and knowing it can happen. If we trust it it will happen. So just trusting everyone we’ve got with us is the biggest part right now.”
White on the balk called in the 6th inning: “I heard the home plate umpire scream balk. I wanted to make sure, just reaction. It was a good inning. I wish we could have capitalized more. We left some guys out there. But it’s all right.”
On Arizona’s history of fighting back from a series deficit: “It’s a familiar feeling being at the bottom. In a tough situation, tough spot. We’re going to have to play on Sunday. We’re going to play a really good team, whoever it is.
“We did it twice in North Carolina. We battled and then that’s what our whole season has been, battling back from tough things we had to face.”
On facing Coastal Carolina starter Riley Eikhoff: “He was sinking the ball and sweeping it pretty well. And he was locating too, so what you had to do against him is jump the mistake. We started to do it as the game went forward.”
Guzman on his bunt in the 6th: “Going into that at-bat, the had a mound visit so we took a timeout. I knew I was going to bunt. Got to 2-0, gave me a green light, swing away. I didn’t like it. And they said bunt. He had a little ride, throws hard. I was trying to get on top of it. Thankfully I squeezed it past the defenders.”
On facing Eikhoff: “I knew he likes his heater. Has a little bit of sink. So I was just trying to see his heater, put a ball in play hard.”