SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 25, 2021

Jaden Woods

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Georgia Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Georgia 4, LSU 1

THE MODERATOR: We've got Jaden Woods on. Jaden, if you could, just open it up with a quick statement to kind of recap today's game, and then we'll open it up for questions.

JADEN WOODS: Just went into the outing, just wanting to throw strikes. Nothing too major, nothing too little, but wanted to do what I could for my team to put them in position to win.

Q. You were rolling so much there in the middle. Was there any discussion when Coach made the pitching change after that inning? Did you want to stay in? Was it one of those type of situations? Or you knew what was happening was the best thing for the team?

JADEN WOODS: I wanted to stay in, but if that was the decision that needed to be made to set the team up for success, I was just all for it.

Q. Just wondering, they showed you on camera when Ben Harris was out there getting out of that jam. What did that mean for you to stay in line for the win and see Ben come through in a clutch situation?

JADEN WOODS: From me knowing Ben personally, I know that he's not going to let any situation like that beat him, and I know for a fact -- I knew he was going to get out of the situation. Just to see it actually happen, just it fired me up a lot.

Q. I guess the saying goes at this point in the season, freshmen aren't really freshmen anymore. You certainly looked like that today. How comfortable did you feel out there on the mound in the biggest game of your season and college career?

JADEN WOODS: I felt very comfortable out there. I saw it just like any other game. Just like I go into every game throwing strikes, that's pretty much it. Because I feel if you don't throw strikes, you're not going to get any progression from your team.

Q. Jaden, you talked about just attacking with the fastball. Did you have a special onus on that because your team had the lead and you really want to get ahead in the count? Was that the move there?

JADEN WOODS: Yes, sir. Usually, I'll throw a lot of fastballs, throw a couple change-ups in there, but usually I live off my fastball for sure.

Q. Just the moment, obviously, Coach wasn't wishy washy about what he felt like this game meant, pretty much do or die. How did you deal with that? Does that help you knowing that, or is there something you go through to deal with an intense situation like that?

JADEN WOODS: Yeah, for sure. I saw it as a do-or-die game and also just a game for our seniors. Our seniors have done so much for the program that the program is now -- that we should have paid thanks and give it back to them by working hard and never giving up.

Q. Kind of talk about what the -- I guess, your ride over to Hoover was like, knowing it was a must-win situation. How relaxed were you guys coming into this ball game?

JADEN WOODS: We were pretty relaxed, just a tad bit of tension, I guess you could say, knowing it was a do-or-die game, what we had to do to win the game. Yes, sir.

Q. How do you all feel about the task ahead? Arkansas next, obviously. It's never easy in this league.

JADEN WOODS: We've played them in a weekend series. We've taken one from them, but I feel like if we play the same we've played the last three games we've played them, we have a really good chance of beating them.