May 31, 2015
Indiana-Radford Postgame Quotes
Radford coach Joe Raccuia
Opening Statement:
“We beat a really good baseball team. A team that was really hot at the end of the year, and we weathered a storm of line drives, double plays, and hard hit baseballs all over the field for the first five innings and really, really weathered it. I’m more proud of the fact that after Indiana came back with that three-run inning we responded late in the game and put pressure on them. Made them climb some pitch counts. Gave us an opportunity to score some runs and we had a chance to extend the first three innings with a lead off guy on. Two of them didn’t get past first base. We didn’t extend them past first base. We didn’t execute, but later in the game we had opportunities and Shane and Reavis took really good at bats against a kid with obviously just electric stuff. Power slider and a way above average fastball, but Palmer did a great job, and obviously got the ball to Meisinger and he did what he normally does, which is finish games for us. So, it’s a huge win for us and we are excited to play Vandy in the Championship round I guess it is. Obviously, we are depleted a little bit in the pen going into this, but hey we just need to play. We just need to move forward play, and see what happens.”
On what winning on back to back elimination games say about your team:
“They’re a solid bunch of kids and they’re great, and they are the best team I’ve ever been around. Yesterday, during the rain delay, we were sitting in the Vanderbilt Football locker room and I realized at that point that I didn’t want the season to end only because I wanted to be around them more and that was the pre-game talk or the middle of the game talk. When we went back on the field it really clicked in that this is so fun to be around them. That I really don’t not want to coach tomorrow. That’s the group of guy’s that we have.”
What was different about this game against Indiana that gave you the win:
“I think yesterday helped us. I think just getting our feet in the ground and playing better baseball and taking better at bats. You know, I thought we came out and even though the Hart kid was really good two days ago, but I think we just settled down and played got better swings off and the ball found our glove in the first three or four innings. So, we got through those without much damage.”
On Shane Johnsonbaugh approach today and what lead to his success today at the plate:
“He’s an aggressive kid and that’s a good match-up. A right handed power arm is a good match-up for Shane. I was really, really excited that he would have an opportunity. The goal was to really get either him or Coia some swings off in that situation because he had been swinging the bat well. That’s why we had Zach (York) bunt because if they didn’t pitch to Coia then we had Johnsonbaugh, and those are the two best hitters right now. So, I felt like giving one of those guys a crack at it would be the best option.”
What has Ryan Meisinger meant to the team this year and what was the decision to go with him in the eighth?
“Well, there is you know and you play that in your head. I tell coach McQueen I said, `We throw him two innings he might be done for the rest of the weekend’, and this team deserves to go out and play in a final game. So, he got us there now it is our job to, the other guy’s in the bullpens job, to try and do what he has done. He’s the MVP of the team. I mean you can see it. As soon as he comes into the baseball game we win the baseball game. It’s done, it’s finished and there has probably not been another kid I have coached that you can say that he has literally helped you win all your games he’s been a part of.”
On the aggressiveness of the base runners in this game:
“They put pressure on people. You know we had a bunch of base-runners. We got hit by pitches. We got a couple bunts down. We read some dirt balls. We got some big two out hits and that has kind of been our recipe.”
Indiana coach Chris Lemonis
Opening statement:
“Another hard fought ballgame, Radford is a very good program, a very good team, and the last 24 hours I think our guys played as hard as they possibly could. We just came up a swing short or a play short here or there, but that’s postseason baseball. I’m very proud of our guys, and I tip my hat to Joe and his team — a great year, a great program.
On his first season at Indiana:
“It was a whirlwind. We had some ups, some downs, some crazier things that happened my first year as any head or assistant coach. I’m very pleased with the way we finished, and I think that’s the biggest thing. I think our kids were resilient and grew throughout the year and believed in the program. I’m pretty pleased at this point. Yeah, I’d like to play a little farther, but I think everybody does this time of year. Losing that many guys from last year’s teams and having so many uncertainties this year, I’m proud of where we’re at.”
On what Radford did better or differently in the rematch:
“They definitely played defense better. I think we had the opportunity to jump on a couple of things defensively, earlier. They got a lead in the first, which makes a difference. We had the triple-play the other day which makes a difference so I think there are some things there. Radford’s a really good ball club. I think our regional was one of the toughest ones out there with Radford as a two and almost hosted, we thought we might be a two and obviously Vanderbilt, one of the best programs in the country and then Lipscomb who I think was close to 40 wins, so it’s just good baseball here. I think we got the good bounces the other day, and I think if we made a play late we’d probably still be playing.”
On the team’s resiliency:
“We have had our back against the wall for the past five or six weeks. We keep talking about it. It’s just a tough group, they won’t give in. They play hard, and that’s what you get from them, and that’s a championship type of quality we try to ingrain in all those young men.”
On seeing the seniors leave:
“It’s tough. I’ve been told my whole life that’s the toughest speech you got to give to your guys. As an assistant, you just stand there with your head down. The reason it’s tough, is because it’s a great experience. Like I told our guys, because it’s a special experience, what these kids have gone through at Indiana, and for a lot of our seniors– they put this program on the map nationally. That’s three regionals in three years, a couple of Big Ten titles, a super regional, Omaha, these kids have built this program and it’s an everlasting memory. That’s what you get when you come to Indiana. The kids get treated great, the fans are great, and it makes it bittersweet at the end because it’s hard when it’s over. I don’t think you get that everywhere that you go, and that’s why Indiana was so attractive to me.”
On controlling the game:
“I think it’s a little bit of everything. I know that the weather got real humid and sticky with the ball. Jake, we ran out there and got him a rosin so I know that affected him a little bit. That is a very tough game to play. To play the emotional game last night and to lose it late…we got into our rooms about 12:30 or 1:00 and we were out the door by midday today and you come out today and it’s not the emotional game that it was last night so you don’t get that rammed up feel from the big crowd. It’s still postseason, but that’s just a combination of everything. We just have to execute better. I think the HBPs, and some of the walks, that’s just not very characteristic of us.”
On the weather affecting the closing performance:
“I think the weather was getting to him a little bit. His breaking ball was starting to spike and it was a little bit wet. He’s one of the best closers in the country. He’s the all-time every Indiana think, so the situation doesn’t really bother him, but I think the weather got to him a little bit there late.”
On how the game felt versus last night:
“It’s the crowd. It’s hard not to say this, but you have a bunch of seniors in the dugout and they’re not stupid. They know their back is against the wall and if we don’t win, my career is over and that’s a hard thing for some kids. When you get to that last game, you get a little more pressure. Every team has that across the country, but that’s the big difference between last night and today. Last night was a special night and it was an electric crowd, and fun game to play. Most of it I think was the pressure of the moment.”
Second baseman Casey Rodrigue
On difficult ending to the season:
“It definitely didn’t end the way that we hoped. But this season has been an unbelivable experience. My last two years at Indiana have been great. I couldn’t of asked to be around a greater group of guys and a head coach. Coach really believed in the seniors and put a lot of faith in us and I’m grateful for that.”
Third baseman Brian Wilhite
On the evaluation of their season:
“I think overall, making it this far, we can’t be to down on ourselves. We went through some ups and downs to start the season, but I think the entire time we knew we had a good program and a great group of guys and that we would be fine going forward. Definitely we aren’t happy with the end result, but I think we played well and still had a solid season.”