Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“Sloppy six run win. It's tough to scoff at winning by six, but that game was a lot closer than that. There were a lot of different momentum shifts within that game. We were, in my mind, a little sloppy, top to bottom. Gave up a lot of two out base runners, just not a lot of two out concentration there from the pitching staff. And we had a chance to really bust it open a couple times offensively, and we just left runners on base. We came up with some big hits too. But, really, on chances to put that game way out of reach, every time we started getting a nice lead, we would somehow put two or three guys on base and make it interesting. Can't keep doing that and living dangerously. You're going to get burned at some point in time. So that's something we addressed. The ninth inning was a debacle. That's something that we addressed a little bit, you have a freshman making his debut right there and has a chance to get one pitch, one out, and we don't execute a pop up communication well. And he gave up some contact after that, and some runs. But good thing for Cooper Clouser, another freshman making his debut, made a heck of a throw there on a good block ball, and they tried to advance, and he gunned him down at second. So that was huge. Really, just getting that first out of that inning and trying to slow the momentum down so we didn't have to get yet another arm up in the bullpen. That would have been unnecessary. So sloppy win, but nonetheless, a win.”
On the team executing stolen bases
“We know that's going to be a big part of winning baseball games. We’re not always going to out pitch somebody or out hit somebody, but it’s on the bases that can make a difference between a few runs a game, and ultimately the difference in a win or loss. So that's something we have to be very, very good at and continue to remain diligent on that. We have to steal bases when we can. We have to. We did a very good job on down ball reads again today, being aggressive, but not overly aggressive where we run into outs. So continuing to stay on that is going to be important.”
On the offense feeding off each other throughout the game
“The biggest thing that we've been trying to emphasize is just base runners. Base runners equal chaos. If you have to get hit by a pitch, walk, base hits, whatever it takes to get on base. And when we have base runners, good things happen. So hopefully we can continue to pile up base runners and like I said, cash in when we can and take advantage of what we see offensively. And if we need to steal bases, if we're able to steal bases, we will and the right opportunities keep presenting themselves. We'll try to take advantage of the things that we do.”
On Matt Polk’s home run in his first at-bat
“That was cool. His first at bat in over a year, and he hits a homer to left. He was pretty fired up. I think all the boys in the dugout were fired up for him, too. So a big moment for him. I was happy for him, and I think the whole team was too.”
Outfielder Matt Polk
On what it was like to get back on the field:
“Yeah, it was. I guess I’ve been manifesting it since the last time I played. Bloomy told me to be ready and I was ready for the opportunity. Hopefully as a team we can keep this rolling and keep stacking wins.”
On the competitiveness of their outfield and what it’s like having to stay ready to go in:
“It's just an everyday mindset, every day is opening day. You kind of have to be jittery and excited to come to the ballpark every day, and if your name's in the lineup, that's amazing. But if your name's not in the lineup, the next best action is to support your teammates and be the best teammate you can. I think in the outfield we all know that. We have a super talented group and obviously the goal is to get to Omaha. We have to have depth and all of us have to do our part and be ready to get in there when our name is called.”
On how the chemistry built in the offseason has translated to the start of the season:
“It's just like a travel-ball team when you're a little kid — all new dudes just trying to fit in. We all love baseball, so at the end of the day that's what we have in common. And we love whether it's playing nerts, which is a card game, or we're playing 2K in the locker room, we just like being around each other. We love competing and it’s healthy competition. We love competing whether it's between each other or the other team. Now we're getting the opportunity to show what it's like when we compete against other opponents.”
Pitcher Colin Linder
On returning to the mound after recovering from injury:
“It was exciting. I definitely felt some jitters at times out there, but it was really exciting to get back on the mound. I enjoyed it obviously. I wish it could have been a little cleaner, but we got the win and I’m just happy we got the win.”
On how his pitching felt:
“Everything felt good. Obviously I could have located some things better, but everything felt good at home on the mound again, which is nice.”
On how the production from their offense feeds into the confidence he feels on the mound:
“It's great. It’s a weight off your chest when you have guys putting up five to six runs in an inning behind you. We have such a great offense that it could explode at any moment. It puts you at ease a little bit on the mound knowing that even if I give up a one spot, I have guys behind me that are going to smoke the balls and score runs. It's great.”
Infielder Dominic Smaldino
On what was different offensively from yesterday:
“I think that part of it was just how the ball was flying. Last night it was cold and windy, and we're hitting balls well that weren't getting out. Today we stuck with the same approach, not trying to do too much, just getting a good bat on the ball and the rest took care of itself.”
On how dangerous they can be on offense:
“The sky's the limit. I think in the fall we showed a lot of that and then we just showed it again – the sky's the limit for us.”
On what the steady offensive production says about the depth of their roster:
“You could throw any lineup out there and they're going to stack one good bat after another. It's like we said before, hitting is contagious and a lot of it starts with the first guy of the inning. Then it’s just chipping away after that.”
Up Next
Arizona State returns to the diamond tomorrow looking for the sweep over Omaha. The Sun Devils and Mavericks matchup on 1:05 PM MST with coverage available on ESPN+.
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