For the last two years, almost every time Tulane went to the bullpen it was a disaster.
Yesterday looked to be headed the same way until freshman Krishna Raj took the mound at the start of the eighth inning. His command, his presence and his stuff were a revelation in a six-inning, one-hit, no-run outing that allowed Tulane to rally for its second consecutive dramatic victory, both of which required help from the GW defense.
Here are Tulane's quotes after that game:
RAJ
How would you describe what you just did?
"Honestly it's a great experience. All my teammates around me, that's all that matters to me right now. It was a great win."
What were you expecting your contributions to be today? I imagine not six innings.
"I didn't imagine that at all, but I expected to pitch in this game, but I didn't know when. When I got my chance, I was ready and all my teammates were backing me up, making plays for me, and that's all that matters."
What were the coaches saying in between innings. Did you know you were going to keep going back out to the mound?
"About the second or third inning I didn't know if I was going back but no one really said anything to me. I just kept going out, coming back, going out, coming back, and that's pretty much what happened. They didn't really talk to me that much. I was just in the dugout. I was just sitting down in my thoughts. When I get back in the dugout, it's just me and I think about the next inning."
It looked like everything was working for you. Did you feel that way?
"Yeah, they put together some good at-bats. They put the bat on the ball. Luckily I have great infielders and outfielders that are able to make the plays for me and then (Luke) Glancy hitting the double (to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning) kept me going. That's the only reason I'm even her right now."
What's your repertoire?
"I throw a fastball that kind of have some sink to it, and then I throw a curveball and a changeup and a knuckle curve. Today I just felt like my curveball was really working well. I was able to extend and get it out over the plate and get some swings and misses."
What other schools recruited you?
"Actually it's funny. George Washington was actually recruiting me. There were a few others. I can't really remember them right off the top of my head. It was Tulane, George Washington and Georgia State. That was pretty much it."
Why did you choose Tulane?
"I love the facilities. It's a great field, the best field I've ever seen, and I love coach (Travis) Jewett and the whole staff. That is what made me come here."
So I guess those coaches for George Washington knew you?
"That's why I was pretty hyped up, excited to pitch."
Are you usually that pumped up on the mound?
"In high school I was kind of known for it, but on this state with all the fans and my teammates behind me, it's exhilarating."
When you say you were known for it in high school, what do you mean?
"Like, yelling, screaming, getting really excited, stuff like that."
Did you get in trouble for that ever?
"One or two times, but never's ever come bad from it."
JEWETT
So was the plan to get Raj out there in his first college game and have him dominate for six innings?
"You can tell I like him and why he's grown on us because it's strikes, you know. If it's ball 1, then he's putting the next pitch over the plate. He competed. For a freshman, first appearance in a college game, we inserted him in there and he just kept that thing at bay for six innings. We kept pounding on the door and nobody was knocking (think he meant answering). But down the stretch there, did we go down 1-2-3? I can't remember (the last time it happened was the sixth inning), but we were having more than two guys on, so eventually we were able to just crack it now. They give us a little late, but that's what they did to us, too, tonight. We gave them some things to get the game in that range which what it was, and then fortunately we were able to take one back there. I'm proud of the kids. Finding different ways to win."
What was the recruiting process with him, and what did you like about him in high school?
"Well, it was 89, 90. 91, sinker, slider, strikes. Strikes. He's maturing right in front of my eyes. His personality's starting to shine, and the kids in the clubhouse, they love him. They do. They love him. I saw a whole new side of him tonight, his spirit. He was pretty fired up in a few big situations. I like that. We need that spirit, so it's good. He's been great. He's a good student. He's a good teammate and he works at his craft and he got rewarded tonight."
Was his emotion today a little different than what you'd seen in workouts?
"100 percent different. Really. Not that he hasn't been excited about being successful in our training. That's not it, but I haven't see that (clear emotion). I haven't seen that, so it was good and I think our kids fed off of it and then that led to confidence and then the continual getting it in the strike zone kept everybody engaged and kept giving us a chance."
Did you even contemplate taking him out the way he was pitching?
"I think (pitching coach) Daniel (Latham) said something to me and I said, excuse me, I don't hear you. No, I'm just kidding. We did talk about it. I've wanted to ask him again, first time out, where's he at, pitch count, how are you feeling, how is he feeling? Everybody was on full go. We were just going to try to ride him out. I can't promise you (he would have pitched a seventh inning if needed). We had a couple of guys ready to go down there just in case because you know obviously that's an extended outing for him."
You could be 0-2 right now but you're 2-0. How much can you build off of two dramatic wins like this?
"If we can't build off of these, I think there's a problem. We talk about our way is our way. It's just like how we want to play offense, how we've been winning games. It just doesn't matter. We're just trying to find a way to win and the kids are hanging in there right now. I like this group. They are fun to be around. They care. Like success, we talk about deserved victory. Right now the way we're going about our business, I think it's our time. This game, sport, sometimes it doesn't always happen on your watch, when you want it, how you want it could be perfect for you, and sometimes it just doesn't happen. I'm hopeful that through the first couple of years now, maybe the watch is on our time. We want to take advantage of it. We want to be ready, but we are deserving, and we're good enough. We just have to keep going. We had some guys step in tonight, too. Glancy, huge at-bat just coming off. He's a little bit beat up, but he can hit, now. That was a huge at-bat, and Kobi)'s home run there late to kind of bring it within 1 was huge, too, because that kind of gave us in the striking range. We got (freshman shortstop Collin) Burns in there tonight and he played a little bit nervous as a freshman (committing two errors). I talked to him afterward and it's like, this is your first game in college, it's not your first game. It's still a bat and a ball and first base and all that kind of stuff, but it was nice to be able to use some different people for a team win."
Have you ever seen a sequence like the dropped pop-up and then the dropped throw on the force-out on the same play?
"Not quite. Not quite. I saw the first baseman wobbling a little bit, so obviously without saying anything you kind of cross your toes a little bit, and then when I saw the shortstop turn the glove the way he did, I thought it was maybe going downhill. Fortunately it popped out. The thing is, just like (Jonathon) Artigues, they felt his feet pressure last night, David (Bedgood, who ran full out to second base to try to beat the throw after the dropped pop-up), what is he going to do? You can't do much. You have to hang in there (near first base) because if they catch it, you can't get doubled up, but when the ball went down, he didn't walk to second, he didn't jog to second, he went for second. And then when he went for second, he knows he needs to slide into a force, and he did, and then he was entangled in the base, and when the guy grabbed it and tried to tag him, he was hustled, he was trying to finish the play to completion. That's some of the things we're talking about and are starting to show up. It was a heck of a hustle play. It was unfortunate for them obviously, but like I said, it's a little give and take tonight. Both teams kind of gave each other some stuff, and we were able to take advantage there late."
Ty Johnson was not in uniform at the start of the game due to his thumb injury, but he started running on the side of the field in extra innings. Was he saying he was available?
"He said to me tonight, don't be surprised if I'm playing tomorrow. With him I'm never surprised. He's a tough kid. He played that whole game yesterday with a pretty banged up thumb. He says his sister's a specialist in Chinese healing or something, so that's good. He's a heck of a spirit. He wasn't really in uniform tonight, but he had the bunker going pretty good. He kept everybody engaged. We appreciate his spirit and we need him, but tonight Raj kind of took his spot in terms of that kind of emotional leader, so that was pretty cool to see."
Were you figuring on pitching him tonight?
"Yeah, he was on the docket for sure. The whole thing, it was Keagan (Gillies) to (Brendan) Cellucci, who's going to pitch Wednesday against Lamar, so we knew it was going to be one inning right there in the middle after Keagan and then (Robert) Price, Raj. That's how we set it up."
Yesterday looked to be headed the same way until freshman Krishna Raj took the mound at the start of the eighth inning. His command, his presence and his stuff were a revelation in a six-inning, one-hit, no-run outing that allowed Tulane to rally for its second consecutive dramatic victory, both of which required help from the GW defense.
Here are Tulane's quotes after that game:
RAJ
How would you describe what you just did?
"Honestly it's a great experience. All my teammates around me, that's all that matters to me right now. It was a great win."
What were you expecting your contributions to be today? I imagine not six innings.
"I didn't imagine that at all, but I expected to pitch in this game, but I didn't know when. When I got my chance, I was ready and all my teammates were backing me up, making plays for me, and that's all that matters."
What were the coaches saying in between innings. Did you know you were going to keep going back out to the mound?
"About the second or third inning I didn't know if I was going back but no one really said anything to me. I just kept going out, coming back, going out, coming back, and that's pretty much what happened. They didn't really talk to me that much. I was just in the dugout. I was just sitting down in my thoughts. When I get back in the dugout, it's just me and I think about the next inning."
It looked like everything was working for you. Did you feel that way?
"Yeah, they put together some good at-bats. They put the bat on the ball. Luckily I have great infielders and outfielders that are able to make the plays for me and then (Luke) Glancy hitting the double (to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning) kept me going. That's the only reason I'm even her right now."
What's your repertoire?
"I throw a fastball that kind of have some sink to it, and then I throw a curveball and a changeup and a knuckle curve. Today I just felt like my curveball was really working well. I was able to extend and get it out over the plate and get some swings and misses."
What other schools recruited you?
"Actually it's funny. George Washington was actually recruiting me. There were a few others. I can't really remember them right off the top of my head. It was Tulane, George Washington and Georgia State. That was pretty much it."
Why did you choose Tulane?
"I love the facilities. It's a great field, the best field I've ever seen, and I love coach (Travis) Jewett and the whole staff. That is what made me come here."
So I guess those coaches for George Washington knew you?
"That's why I was pretty hyped up, excited to pitch."
Are you usually that pumped up on the mound?
"In high school I was kind of known for it, but on this state with all the fans and my teammates behind me, it's exhilarating."
When you say you were known for it in high school, what do you mean?
"Like, yelling, screaming, getting really excited, stuff like that."
Did you get in trouble for that ever?
"One or two times, but never's ever come bad from it."
JEWETT
So was the plan to get Raj out there in his first college game and have him dominate for six innings?
"You can tell I like him and why he's grown on us because it's strikes, you know. If it's ball 1, then he's putting the next pitch over the plate. He competed. For a freshman, first appearance in a college game, we inserted him in there and he just kept that thing at bay for six innings. We kept pounding on the door and nobody was knocking (think he meant answering). But down the stretch there, did we go down 1-2-3? I can't remember (the last time it happened was the sixth inning), but we were having more than two guys on, so eventually we were able to just crack it now. They give us a little late, but that's what they did to us, too, tonight. We gave them some things to get the game in that range which what it was, and then fortunately we were able to take one back there. I'm proud of the kids. Finding different ways to win."
What was the recruiting process with him, and what did you like about him in high school?
"Well, it was 89, 90. 91, sinker, slider, strikes. Strikes. He's maturing right in front of my eyes. His personality's starting to shine, and the kids in the clubhouse, they love him. They do. They love him. I saw a whole new side of him tonight, his spirit. He was pretty fired up in a few big situations. I like that. We need that spirit, so it's good. He's been great. He's a good student. He's a good teammate and he works at his craft and he got rewarded tonight."
Was his emotion today a little different than what you'd seen in workouts?
"100 percent different. Really. Not that he hasn't been excited about being successful in our training. That's not it, but I haven't see that (clear emotion). I haven't seen that, so it was good and I think our kids fed off of it and then that led to confidence and then the continual getting it in the strike zone kept everybody engaged and kept giving us a chance."
Did you even contemplate taking him out the way he was pitching?
"I think (pitching coach) Daniel (Latham) said something to me and I said, excuse me, I don't hear you. No, I'm just kidding. We did talk about it. I've wanted to ask him again, first time out, where's he at, pitch count, how are you feeling, how is he feeling? Everybody was on full go. We were just going to try to ride him out. I can't promise you (he would have pitched a seventh inning if needed). We had a couple of guys ready to go down there just in case because you know obviously that's an extended outing for him."
You could be 0-2 right now but you're 2-0. How much can you build off of two dramatic wins like this?
"If we can't build off of these, I think there's a problem. We talk about our way is our way. It's just like how we want to play offense, how we've been winning games. It just doesn't matter. We're just trying to find a way to win and the kids are hanging in there right now. I like this group. They are fun to be around. They care. Like success, we talk about deserved victory. Right now the way we're going about our business, I think it's our time. This game, sport, sometimes it doesn't always happen on your watch, when you want it, how you want it could be perfect for you, and sometimes it just doesn't happen. I'm hopeful that through the first couple of years now, maybe the watch is on our time. We want to take advantage of it. We want to be ready, but we are deserving, and we're good enough. We just have to keep going. We had some guys step in tonight, too. Glancy, huge at-bat just coming off. He's a little bit beat up, but he can hit, now. That was a huge at-bat, and Kobi)'s home run there late to kind of bring it within 1 was huge, too, because that kind of gave us in the striking range. We got (freshman shortstop Collin) Burns in there tonight and he played a little bit nervous as a freshman (committing two errors). I talked to him afterward and it's like, this is your first game in college, it's not your first game. It's still a bat and a ball and first base and all that kind of stuff, but it was nice to be able to use some different people for a team win."
Have you ever seen a sequence like the dropped pop-up and then the dropped throw on the force-out on the same play?
"Not quite. Not quite. I saw the first baseman wobbling a little bit, so obviously without saying anything you kind of cross your toes a little bit, and then when I saw the shortstop turn the glove the way he did, I thought it was maybe going downhill. Fortunately it popped out. The thing is, just like (Jonathon) Artigues, they felt his feet pressure last night, David (Bedgood, who ran full out to second base to try to beat the throw after the dropped pop-up), what is he going to do? You can't do much. You have to hang in there (near first base) because if they catch it, you can't get doubled up, but when the ball went down, he didn't walk to second, he didn't jog to second, he went for second. And then when he went for second, he knows he needs to slide into a force, and he did, and then he was entangled in the base, and when the guy grabbed it and tried to tag him, he was hustled, he was trying to finish the play to completion. That's some of the things we're talking about and are starting to show up. It was a heck of a hustle play. It was unfortunate for them obviously, but like I said, it's a little give and take tonight. Both teams kind of gave each other some stuff, and we were able to take advantage there late."
Ty Johnson was not in uniform at the start of the game due to his thumb injury, but he started running on the side of the field in extra innings. Was he saying he was available?
"He said to me tonight, don't be surprised if I'm playing tomorrow. With him I'm never surprised. He's a tough kid. He played that whole game yesterday with a pretty banged up thumb. He says his sister's a specialist in Chinese healing or something, so that's good. He's a heck of a spirit. He wasn't really in uniform tonight, but he had the bunker going pretty good. He kept everybody engaged. We appreciate his spirit and we need him, but tonight Raj kind of took his spot in terms of that kind of emotional leader, so that was pretty cool to see."
Were you figuring on pitching him tonight?
"Yeah, he was on the docket for sure. The whole thing, it was Keagan (Gillies) to (Brendan) Cellucci, who's going to pitch Wednesday against Lamar, so we knew it was going to be one inning right there in the middle after Keagan and then (Robert) Price, Raj. That's how we set it up."