David Pierce, Emerson Gibbs and Hunter Williams came into the interview room. I requested Lex Kaplan because I wanted to ask him about the catch/non catch, but Tulane was required only to bring in two guys and elected not to bring him in. After watching a replay of Kaplan's play, I do not think it was a catch. The ball was moving around in his glove and when he reached to take it out, it popped over his hand. It was a very close call, though.
After the Ole Miss game, Tulane revealed that Alex Massey will pitch tomorrow against Ole Miss. The Rebels are going with lefty David Parkinson, who was terrific as a reliever for the first half of the year but has struggled since moving to a starting role, particularly lately. If Tulane's bats don't wake up tomorrow, they won't have the excuse of facing an elite pitcher.
Here's what they said right after the game:
PIERCE
"I just thought we did not play a very clean game. It just affected us. We give up a double, and we hadn't had too many wild pitches or passed balls, but we had a wild pitch/passed ball right there to make it two (runs), but we were still OK. And then the play in right field cost us two runs. If the ball game was at 2 right there, we would have had a chance to tie it up, and we did (score two runs), but it didn't turn out that way."
What was the umpire's interpretation of the play in right field?
"He just said that he dropped it, that it wasn't on an exchange."
How did you see it?
"I thought it was a caught ball, since you asked."
What are you thought on Dunn, and what was your game plan against him?
"Well, we've seen a lot of good Friday night guys, and he's no exception. He was as good as any of them. The thing is, he's so clean in his delivery, it's easy. He was sitting on 94 or 95, and when he needed to throw the breaking ball, it was good. We got something going when we got the two runs when he got behind. He's just a quality arm and did a great job."
There were a lot of strikeouts again. How big of a concern is that?
"It's always a concern. We've lived and died on the long ball. We just didn't come up with them today, but you'd like to see us put the ball in play a little bit there with two strikes, but it's what we've been all year. When we've pieced it together, it's worked, but it hasn't worked the last few games."
What's your message to your team?
"I've been here before. It's a little bit like Hunter Williams said. You can't see the big picture. We have to go out and understand our backs are against the wall. What we need to do is go out and pitch and play good defense and be clean and then trust ourselves at home plate."
On the throw threw on the stolen base when Jake Willsey cut it off, was that the plan because of the guy on third?
"Yeah, we've been good there when we've thrown through and gotten the runner, but I just didn't feel like we were in a position (to go for the out) with the (potential) double steal there and go behind by 3 with the guy on the mound. I trust Jake. I just felt like its as the right call at the time. I think if we let it go through, he's out and the (other runner) is still at third base, but that's what happened."
HUNTER WILLIAMS
What made Justin Dunn so effective?
"He was a really good arm up there. He was throwing good off speed and he has a good fastball. He kept us off balance, throwing his pitches which we couldn't really hit. We didn't square as many balls as we needed to and find a way to get on base."
How did Dunn compare to some other pitchers you faced this season?
"Everybody is different. Everybody has a good arm, but facing a quality arm like that with a fast ball and a really good breaking ball, we've seen guys like that before. We just have to stay with a good approach and get base hits when we need to. We got some guys on base and couldn't drive them in."
You've been scuffling at the plate lately. How confident are you the hitting will come around and give you a chance to stay in this regional?
"We have to take it one pitch at a time and not worry about the big picture. We have to find a way to get on base and find a way to get them over and get them. If we do that, slow it down and take one pitch at a time, we'll be all right."
EMERSON GIBBS
How did you feel like you pitched today?
"I felt good. Boston College made me throw the ball over the plate. They were laying off my curveball. I don't know if that was the game plan going in. Overall I felt all right."
After the Ole Miss game, Tulane revealed that Alex Massey will pitch tomorrow against Ole Miss. The Rebels are going with lefty David Parkinson, who was terrific as a reliever for the first half of the year but has struggled since moving to a starting role, particularly lately. If Tulane's bats don't wake up tomorrow, they won't have the excuse of facing an elite pitcher.
Here's what they said right after the game:
PIERCE
"I just thought we did not play a very clean game. It just affected us. We give up a double, and we hadn't had too many wild pitches or passed balls, but we had a wild pitch/passed ball right there to make it two (runs), but we were still OK. And then the play in right field cost us two runs. If the ball game was at 2 right there, we would have had a chance to tie it up, and we did (score two runs), but it didn't turn out that way."
What was the umpire's interpretation of the play in right field?
"He just said that he dropped it, that it wasn't on an exchange."
How did you see it?
"I thought it was a caught ball, since you asked."
What are you thought on Dunn, and what was your game plan against him?
"Well, we've seen a lot of good Friday night guys, and he's no exception. He was as good as any of them. The thing is, he's so clean in his delivery, it's easy. He was sitting on 94 or 95, and when he needed to throw the breaking ball, it was good. We got something going when we got the two runs when he got behind. He's just a quality arm and did a great job."
There were a lot of strikeouts again. How big of a concern is that?
"It's always a concern. We've lived and died on the long ball. We just didn't come up with them today, but you'd like to see us put the ball in play a little bit there with two strikes, but it's what we've been all year. When we've pieced it together, it's worked, but it hasn't worked the last few games."
What's your message to your team?
"I've been here before. It's a little bit like Hunter Williams said. You can't see the big picture. We have to go out and understand our backs are against the wall. What we need to do is go out and pitch and play good defense and be clean and then trust ourselves at home plate."
On the throw threw on the stolen base when Jake Willsey cut it off, was that the plan because of the guy on third?
"Yeah, we've been good there when we've thrown through and gotten the runner, but I just didn't feel like we were in a position (to go for the out) with the (potential) double steal there and go behind by 3 with the guy on the mound. I trust Jake. I just felt like its as the right call at the time. I think if we let it go through, he's out and the (other runner) is still at third base, but that's what happened."
HUNTER WILLIAMS
What made Justin Dunn so effective?
"He was a really good arm up there. He was throwing good off speed and he has a good fastball. He kept us off balance, throwing his pitches which we couldn't really hit. We didn't square as many balls as we needed to and find a way to get on base."
How did Dunn compare to some other pitchers you faced this season?
"Everybody is different. Everybody has a good arm, but facing a quality arm like that with a fast ball and a really good breaking ball, we've seen guys like that before. We just have to stay with a good approach and get base hits when we need to. We got some guys on base and couldn't drive them in."
You've been scuffling at the plate lately. How confident are you the hitting will come around and give you a chance to stay in this regional?
"We have to take it one pitch at a time and not worry about the big picture. We have to find a way to get on base and find a way to get them over and get them. If we do that, slow it down and take one pitch at a time, we'll be all right."
EMERSON GIBBS
How did you feel like you pitched today?
"I felt good. Boston College made me throw the ball over the plate. They were laying off my curveball. I don't know if that was the game plan going in. Overall I felt all right."