I talked to Jackson Linn, Carter Benbrook and Uhlman today.
Linn, who I never thought should have been pulled from the lineup even though he was struggling for a stretch, has rebounded with a vengeance now that he is playing regularly again. Not only is he hitting home runs--five in the last five games--but he also has drawn five walks in the last six games, one fewer than he had for the entire season until that point. He is one lethal nine-hole hitter.
Since the start of April, Benbrook has an ERA of 1.59 with 22 strikeouts and two walks in 17 innings. He has become the bridge from the starters to late-game relievers Henry Shuffler and Jacob Moore Tulane really needed. If you take out four dreadful performance in a row near the beginning of the year, his ERA is below 2.00 for the season.
JACKSON LINN
On his sudden propensity to draw walks (he faced 10 two-strike pitches on those five walks)
"I'm seeing the ball well right now. It helps when you are able to kind of react to the ball and see it deeper. When I'm aggressive and looking to try to hit the ball, my mind and eyes are going to work more in synch and I'm going to realize that's not one (a pitch) I can get to versus balls that I do want to get to, I'll be able to react quickly to."
On drawing walk to lead off 10th inning against ECU on Sunday after hitting home runs in two previous at-bats:
"The idea is just not to do too much in those moments. When the moment gets too big, in that moment I would try to hit a homer and end the game rather than just take what was given to me. I went in there with the understanding they didn't want me to beat them. They were going to try to not work around me necessarily, but I wasn't going to get a good heater for a strike. With that in mind, it helped draw the walk."
On if this is the best team he's been on:
"Yeah. This team certainly has more talent than any team I've been on. More talent and more drive I'd say and with the momentum going in our favor, it feels loose and confident out there right now. I think the whole team is feeling that way. That's a good spot to be in."
On tricky series against Charlotte when what really matters is AAC tourney next week:
"We're not going to take this week off. No shot. We're going to want to win, and we want to get the best seed we can for the tournament for sure. Also belief and momentum are big things in baseball, so if we can keep the winning history going and we sweep these guys, everyone is going to be scared of us when we go into this tournament."
On back-to-back tremendous catches in outfield in 10th inning Sunday:
"I've spent so many innings in left field now that I should be more comfortable. Playing left field, I'm not going to be getting all the attention for being a stellar outfielder, but when the ball finds me, I've got to do my job. That's what my goal is out there."
On the first catch, when he got good jump and caught it near the line on the warning track:
"I was confident all the way. We were in no doubles defense, so I was playing a little further back and that certainly helped me get a better angle on it. When the ball's in the air and you think you've got a bead on it, you maybe kick it into that one extra gear. I went for it."
On importance of newcomers on this roster:
"It's huge. The shortstop's a transfer. Second base, catcher, our right fielder Brock (Slaton) played a lot of the year. They've taken up a huge portion of our innings, and that's a lot of the reason we've had success this year."
CARTER BENBROOK
On what's clicking:
"I'm really enjoying playing with these guys and having Izz (Anthony Izzio) call pitches and CT (Colin Tuft) behind the dish. It's still the same. When I come in with runners on, I try to limit the damage and go as long as I can and give the ball to Moore in the ninth. We've got one of the best closers in the country. He makes our jobs a lot easier coming out of the pen knowing that he's behind us."
On locking down Friday after giving up two-run single to first batter:
"It was good. Obviously wish (on the first batter), I was trying to throw a strike there, but wish he got that on the ground for a double play maybe, not a single, but I was trying to come in there and throw strikes and see what happened,"
On biggest adjustment he made during the year after giving up 11 runs over four relief appearances in late February and early March:
"I really tried not to change a whole lot of things. Just kind of how those shook out. I tried to stay the course and focus on the process rather than the immediate results."
On bullpen:
"For a staff in general. (Luc) Fladda's been really good. Chandler (Welch) has been great. Blaise (Wilcenski) has given us what we needed. We've asked him to step into other roles. Everybody knows their role, does the best they can and all that matters is we get the win at the end of the day."
On dangerous team:
"When we play to our capability and how we are supposed to, we can beat anybody in the country. We know that and I think now everybody else knows that."
On Charlotte series:
"It's still the same. We're going into this series expecting to win, expecting to sweep. Just being into Clearwater, knowing that we're going there no matter what is always nice, but we're focused on Thursday night and getting off to a good start and keeping the momentum rolling."
On validation against ECU:
"Absolutely. We expected to win going in, and it's obviously a good feeling to get what we want out of it. Sometimes you don't get what you want, but it's nice that stuff went our way. We played the best we could have could. Actually I take that back. We didn't play the best we could have. We still have room to grow. There wasn't anything easy about it, but we went out there and we did it."
JAY UHLMAN
On Benbrook rebounding from slow start this year:
"The hiccup came against a team (UC Irvine, when he gave up six runs in 1.2 innings over two appearances) he's faced for four years (he played for UC Irvine's Big West foe UC Santa Barbara). Irvine's seen him many times, so familiarity was on their side for that, but his league stats have been outstanding. That's what we got him hoping and believing he would be. Fifth-sixth, sixth-seventh (inning bridge to the back of the bullpen)."
On Linn walking five times in last six games:
"He matched his season total in two weeks. Walking is a component of hitting. Good hitters walk. The mindset to go up and hit is good, but when you're hitting to avoid something like two strikes, that's when chase shows up. A lot of his walks have been with two strikes (four of the five)."
On Linn as weapon:
"That's a heck of a nine hitter. I don't think there are probably a lot of nine hitters with 12 homers. A fully functioning Jackson Linn is a dangerous weapon for us."
On approach to Charlotte series:
"We know we're mathematically in (the AAC tournament). We want to win the series, but we also want to set ourselves up for the tournament. If we win the series but don't win the tournament, it doesn't matter. It matters because we want to get 20 wins. We want to win the series. Those are always goals all the time, but we're going to make sure we put ourselves in the most advantageous position to be ready for Tuesday in Clearwater."
Linn, who I never thought should have been pulled from the lineup even though he was struggling for a stretch, has rebounded with a vengeance now that he is playing regularly again. Not only is he hitting home runs--five in the last five games--but he also has drawn five walks in the last six games, one fewer than he had for the entire season until that point. He is one lethal nine-hole hitter.
Since the start of April, Benbrook has an ERA of 1.59 with 22 strikeouts and two walks in 17 innings. He has become the bridge from the starters to late-game relievers Henry Shuffler and Jacob Moore Tulane really needed. If you take out four dreadful performance in a row near the beginning of the year, his ERA is below 2.00 for the season.
JACKSON LINN
On his sudden propensity to draw walks (he faced 10 two-strike pitches on those five walks)
"I'm seeing the ball well right now. It helps when you are able to kind of react to the ball and see it deeper. When I'm aggressive and looking to try to hit the ball, my mind and eyes are going to work more in synch and I'm going to realize that's not one (a pitch) I can get to versus balls that I do want to get to, I'll be able to react quickly to."
On drawing walk to lead off 10th inning against ECU on Sunday after hitting home runs in two previous at-bats:
"The idea is just not to do too much in those moments. When the moment gets too big, in that moment I would try to hit a homer and end the game rather than just take what was given to me. I went in there with the understanding they didn't want me to beat them. They were going to try to not work around me necessarily, but I wasn't going to get a good heater for a strike. With that in mind, it helped draw the walk."
On if this is the best team he's been on:
"Yeah. This team certainly has more talent than any team I've been on. More talent and more drive I'd say and with the momentum going in our favor, it feels loose and confident out there right now. I think the whole team is feeling that way. That's a good spot to be in."
On tricky series against Charlotte when what really matters is AAC tourney next week:
"We're not going to take this week off. No shot. We're going to want to win, and we want to get the best seed we can for the tournament for sure. Also belief and momentum are big things in baseball, so if we can keep the winning history going and we sweep these guys, everyone is going to be scared of us when we go into this tournament."
On back-to-back tremendous catches in outfield in 10th inning Sunday:
"I've spent so many innings in left field now that I should be more comfortable. Playing left field, I'm not going to be getting all the attention for being a stellar outfielder, but when the ball finds me, I've got to do my job. That's what my goal is out there."
On the first catch, when he got good jump and caught it near the line on the warning track:
"I was confident all the way. We were in no doubles defense, so I was playing a little further back and that certainly helped me get a better angle on it. When the ball's in the air and you think you've got a bead on it, you maybe kick it into that one extra gear. I went for it."
On importance of newcomers on this roster:
"It's huge. The shortstop's a transfer. Second base, catcher, our right fielder Brock (Slaton) played a lot of the year. They've taken up a huge portion of our innings, and that's a lot of the reason we've had success this year."
CARTER BENBROOK
On what's clicking:
"I'm really enjoying playing with these guys and having Izz (Anthony Izzio) call pitches and CT (Colin Tuft) behind the dish. It's still the same. When I come in with runners on, I try to limit the damage and go as long as I can and give the ball to Moore in the ninth. We've got one of the best closers in the country. He makes our jobs a lot easier coming out of the pen knowing that he's behind us."
On locking down Friday after giving up two-run single to first batter:
"It was good. Obviously wish (on the first batter), I was trying to throw a strike there, but wish he got that on the ground for a double play maybe, not a single, but I was trying to come in there and throw strikes and see what happened,"
On biggest adjustment he made during the year after giving up 11 runs over four relief appearances in late February and early March:
"I really tried not to change a whole lot of things. Just kind of how those shook out. I tried to stay the course and focus on the process rather than the immediate results."
On bullpen:
"For a staff in general. (Luc) Fladda's been really good. Chandler (Welch) has been great. Blaise (Wilcenski) has given us what we needed. We've asked him to step into other roles. Everybody knows their role, does the best they can and all that matters is we get the win at the end of the day."
On dangerous team:
"When we play to our capability and how we are supposed to, we can beat anybody in the country. We know that and I think now everybody else knows that."
On Charlotte series:
"It's still the same. We're going into this series expecting to win, expecting to sweep. Just being into Clearwater, knowing that we're going there no matter what is always nice, but we're focused on Thursday night and getting off to a good start and keeping the momentum rolling."
On validation against ECU:
"Absolutely. We expected to win going in, and it's obviously a good feeling to get what we want out of it. Sometimes you don't get what you want, but it's nice that stuff went our way. We played the best we could have could. Actually I take that back. We didn't play the best we could have. We still have room to grow. There wasn't anything easy about it, but we went out there and we did it."
JAY UHLMAN
On Benbrook rebounding from slow start this year:
"The hiccup came against a team (UC Irvine, when he gave up six runs in 1.2 innings over two appearances) he's faced for four years (he played for UC Irvine's Big West foe UC Santa Barbara). Irvine's seen him many times, so familiarity was on their side for that, but his league stats have been outstanding. That's what we got him hoping and believing he would be. Fifth-sixth, sixth-seventh (inning bridge to the back of the bullpen)."
On Linn walking five times in last six games:
"He matched his season total in two weeks. Walking is a component of hitting. Good hitters walk. The mindset to go up and hit is good, but when you're hitting to avoid something like two strikes, that's when chase shows up. A lot of his walks have been with two strikes (four of the five)."
On Linn as weapon:
"That's a heck of a nine hitter. I don't think there are probably a lot of nine hitters with 12 homers. A fully functioning Jackson Linn is a dangerous weapon for us."
On approach to Charlotte series:
"We know we're mathematically in (the AAC tournament). We want to win the series, but we also want to set ourselves up for the tournament. If we win the series but don't win the tournament, it doesn't matter. It matters because we want to get 20 wins. We want to win the series. Those are always goals all the time, but we're going to make sure we put ourselves in the most advantageous position to be ready for Tuesday in Clearwater."
