University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Baseball Pre-Tournament Coaches Quotes
5/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
On being in the NCAA Regional. "Looking from the preseason to now being in the tournament, I don't know if we would go onto the regional. Right now I don't think we would make it. We would have to win the tourney to assure us the chance. It was a challenge for us to win games there for a stretch, but playing a strong schedule has put us on the bubble. Winning the league helps, and playing well in the tourney will too."
Senior right fielder Jason Kennedy "To play in front of the home crowd is a good feeling. We are as talented as any team that's been here at the 'U', we have to play a complete game. This has been a great spring for Gopher sports. For us to come out and do the same thing would be great - to continue the tradition."
Junior second baseman Luke Appert "To be here [hosting the tournament] now, winning the league after the rough beginning to our season, it feels good to bounce back. This is a group of guys that stayed determined through everything. From first batter to the last, we go out there and keep fighting, keep playing hard."
Northwestern head coach Paul Stevens "I think getting to the tournament this year had meant getting through some adversity. Our number one pitcher going down with a broken hand early in the season and the way that we started we had to keep battling. To lose two of our four top pitchers and be here now shows that."
On the Big Ten teams this season. "There have been some great battles. Many teams have played well right down the stretch. Iowa has played extremely well, and when Minnesota went down to Ohio State last weekend, they really rose to the occasion. There are good clubs that are here and there are good clubs that are not here. Teams finishing in the 7-8-9 spots could easily be in here in the 3-4-5 spots."
On opening tourney with Michigan State. "I feel comfortable right now going against anyone. We're excited to be here no matter what. We have to go out there and pitch, bat and play defense well, whether that's against Michigan State, Minnesota, or Ohio State. We have to go out and do those three things well to be successful."
Iowa head coach Scott Brughamer "I was there in 1990 when we last made it into the tournament. That was a different time and a different place. Just to feel the excitement of being here again. We've worked hard to get to this point. It's something that you will remember for a long time."
"We started this season 3-10, that's a point where you just have to get out there every weekend and get after business. Get out there and play. To have contention we had to split with Minnesota - that was a big series for us. We played like that for the last five weekends. This is a good team, and the last weekends gave us a good feeling with the consistency of our play."
Indiana head coach Bob Morgan "We came in here as a fourth seed, which is a good place to start. We have to stay out of the loser's bracket, come out and play well. Get some good pitching games early and back that up with our good offense. But the key for us will be good pitching and shutting people down."
On season. "We started out by taking 3-of-4 games from Illinois and Iowa. We then split with Michigan State and faced Ohio State and Minnesota. Sometime in there the kids started to doubt themselves and even though they were playing well, they started to question their play. We then stubbed or toes against Penn State and lost 3-of-4, but came back to beat Purdue 3-of-4. In the middle we got out of sync and the kids started to question and press themselves. In baseball, you're not always going to play well. We just hope to be hot in the tourney."
Michigan State head coach Ted Mahan "We've been playing well the last few series, sweeping last weekend and winning the last seven of nine. We are a confident team right now, both swinging the bats and pitching well."
"I think the Big Ten teams that finished 7th through 10th in the final standings could win the tourney this year too. I think any one of the six teams here this year has the chance to win it, more so than any other year. You usually win a tourney with pitching and Northwestern, I believe, the best pitching staff out of the teams here. The first round for the four teams playing tomorrow is going to be key. I don't know if teams have the staff to play the five games it would take for one of the losing teams to win the tourney. Minnesota and Ohio State practically have a win in their column with the byes, and they deserved them. But any team has the chance to win it."
