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NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUPER REGIONALS: LUBBOCKJune 10, 2016Matt BridgesCliff GodwinTravis WatkinsLubbock, Texas East Carolina - 8, Texas Tech - 6 CLIFF GODWIN: Just real happy for our guys, to come into the most hostile environment we've played in all year, to play poised. Kruczynski pitched well. Obviously Travis had a big day offensively, but I thought we held our poise when we could have -- when they were coming back, really kind of let things get out of hand. They're the best offense we've faced this year, and no lead is safe, but two good teams going at it tonight, and we're just happy that we won. Q. Travis, your two home runs obviously really lifting the team over the top. What were they giving you today that you were able to see it so well? TRAVIS WATKINS: Well, that's what we talk about in our program is try not to get beat the same way twice, and I looked bad on that first slider but then I was fortunate enough to get another one and I was able to get the bat out to it. I mean, it goes to our guys for being on base and stuff. But I'm just thankful to be in this situation. Q. Travis, you said some of the same things in Charlottesville last weekend and kind of downplayed it, but can you explain this power surge? Is there anything behind it or is it just approach? TRAVIS WATKINS: Well, I've worked really hard with Coach Godwin over the past few weeks. I've kind of shortened up my swing a little bit, went to my two-strike approach, and that's what we work on. It's just something we're comfortable with. Coach Godwin puts us in a great situation to win, and we've worked really hard at it, and it's just paying off right now. Q. Matt, probably the biggest environment you've pitched in. You seemed to kind of feed off the crowd and probably throw your best baseball. What was working for you and how did you kind of feed off this environment and everything? MATT BRIDGES: We're just taught to go one pitch at a time, and however big the moment is, just take a deep breath. I know the guys behind me are going to do great defensively, so I just know I had to fill up the zone and didn't have to worry about anything else. Q. Travis, you've caught Evan all year and maybe he didn't have his best command, but it seemed like you gave him some support defensively and offensively. You're obviously receiving the pitches. Talk about his outing tonight. TRAVIS WATKINS: I wouldn't say this was one of Kruz's best outings, but the one thing you know you're going to get from Kruz is you know he's going to go out there and compete, and I think that was evident today. He was able to get deep in the game for us, eat up some innings, and he turned it over to our bullpen that was able to do it. Kruczynski was able to throw his changeup all day. He was keeping guys off balance, and I think that really helped him out and he was able to command the zone. That's what you need out of your Friday night starter. Q. Talk about what Matt brought to close it out. TRAVIS WATKINS: Well, Bridges, he's really good. That arm angle is deceptive for both righties and lefties. He was able to throw a slider in any count today and get ahead, and I mean, it was just awesome to see him go out there and have success. He deserves it. He's worked really hard to be in that situation. Q. Travis, the wind was kind of blowing in today. Did you think your grand slam was going to get over when you first hit it, and what was that feeling like? TRAVIS WATKINS: Well, honestly, like I said in Charlottesville, I wasn't trying to hit a home run. I called it out in front the past couple days. Haven't really been getting them out in BP. The wind has been howling in, but that's not what we were worried about. We were just going out there trying to win pitches and hit the ball hard and have quality at-bats, and in the end it'll work out. Q. Travis, at least from talking to some people who have followed the team all year, y'all seemed offensively to be more of a team that was kind of get guys on, move them over, scratch across runs. Obviously this postseason has been a different story, a lot more power hitting team. What do you attribute some of that explosiveness to this offseason? TRAVIS WATKINS: Like I said, Coach Godwin is one of the best hitting coaches in the country. He's going to put us in the best situation. I think our guys have really been able to execute our approach lately. I mean, we've been able to get that big hit when we need it. A couple games earlier in the year, we were right there but we lost because we just didn't get that big hit, and I mean, fortunate enough we got a lot of guys swinging it well right now, and we're just trying to roll this momentum and try to go out there and get another one tomorrow. Q. Coach, one win from Omaha; what does that sound like, and what do you need to do to get that final win and get this team over the hump? CLIFF GODWIN: Well, we were 0-6 in super regional games, so we're just happy that we won one right now. That was a big deal for East Carolina. But we're going to enjoy it for an hour or two, but quick turnaround. Happy for our guys. I'm happy for East Carolina University. I'm happy for all the guys who have played in super regionals for East Carolina to have won a game. But that doesn't mean anything. We're playing at Texas Tech. They've got a really good team. It's going to take our best effort to be able to squeak another one out of here. Q. Cliff, what was the approach tonight offensively? CLIFF GODWIN: Yeah, we had the one inning where it kind of blew up on us and we didn't execute well, and Turner got back-picked on a missed bunt attempt. But I thought our guys battled. I thought they had tough at-bats. We were able to get guys on, and Travis had a big hit, two big hits. I joked with them, I told them, I thought Chad Tracy, who played in the Big Leagues for nine years, was the only guy who could get six RBIs in a super regional, but Travis is another guy. Our run support helped Kruz. Kruz is normally pitching in 0-0, 1-0 games or 2-1 games, and we needed all that run support tonight. Q. Bridges was one of the differences in the game; what did you see from him maybe feeding off the environment, one of his best outings of the year? CLIFF GODWIN: It was definitely the best he's pitched all year in the toughest environment. You're talking about a freshman that has never pitched in front of 5,000 people before, and as much as we try to put pressure on him in practice, you can't draw it up. I think it was good that he pitched in the regional just like Sam pitched in the regional because it gave him some experience in the postseason, but you can't expect anything more than what he did. I think he punched out six guys in like two-and-a-third or whatever it was, and very special performance by him. Q. How important do you think the double steal was just from the standpoint of kind of especially after the grand slam, sending the message of kind of being relentlessly aggressive and showing that that wasn't the last punch? CLIFF GODWIN: Well, I mean, look, we're never comfortable with a lead playing Texas Tech. Like I said, they're the best offense that we've faced all year. They have a lot of power in their lineup. This is a veteran lineup. You can't get them out the same way twice. We knew we needed to push the envelope and try to score as many runs as we could. In that ninth inning I really wanted to try to get another run, and they turned the double play. But we wanted to push the envelope to get more runs. Q. Obviously great start tonight to get your first super regional win, but those close-out games, no matter the sport, just the toughest ones to come by it seems like. How tough do you expect that to be in somebody else's house, be able to get that second win? CLIFF GODWIN: I mean, it's going to be very tough. Texas Tech didn't use their best bullpen arms. Howard is still back there, Moseley is still back there, Dugger is still back there. I know those guys are waiting for us and got a great starter going tomorrow. We're going to need to play our best game of the year tomorrow to be able to win a game. It'll be somewhat fun, I guess. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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