Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening statement
“Colin (Linder) did a decent job to start it with. Fitzy (Sean Fitzpatrick), that was huge coming in there with the bases loaded and getting the strikeout, passing the torch to JB (Josh Butler). JB was throwing the ball much better today, and then (Derek Schaefer) obviously. What can you say about him? He just continues to do his job. So, a big performance on the mound. They picked our offense up big time today, because our offense was dismal at best. Pumped for the pitching staff and the way they came in and did it today.”
On being able to win games by both small and large margins
“That’s reassuring, because it's been a while since we've been able to win a low-scoring game, or have low-scoring games for the most part. So tribute to the pitching staff, coaching staff, obviously, for bringing in better talent and being able to have the opportunity to do this. We haven't arrived by any stretch of the imagination, but the momentum has been better. Being able to win a game like this and gut it out when our offense just doesn't show up, it’s nice to be able to win that type of game.”
On Derek Schaefer’s five-out save
“It takes a different breed to come out of the pen and close games. It’s the toughest three outs, the ninth inning, and it’s like he's calmer when he comes into the ninth. To have that demeanor and have that late-inning guy that can do that is extremely valuable. Calm as a cucumber. When those things, those situations, get sticky, he just comes in and trusts his stuff, which is what you have to do in those situations. He's done a great job so far.”
On the slow offensive day
“We’re getting situations, we just have to execute better. For me, it's just staying through the baseball right now. We're trying to get too big. Sometimes when you have offspeed pitches that are hanging in the plate or just off the plate, we're trying to do too much with it, and it's how you squiggy it off the end and hit soft contact. We just have to do a better job of getting the ball up in the zone and staying in the middle of the field. Not trying to do too much. Sometimes you do too much on those pitches, it makes soft contact, versus staying through the baseball. One of those things we got to address and get better at. We kind of told the guys in there that we cannot afford to get complacent. We can't feel good about ourselves and pat ourselves on the back right now. It's just not that time that we can afford to do that. We understand there are a lot of areas of our game that we have to get better at, so hopefully we'll have a better offensive performance tomorrow to pull that off a little bit.”
Pitcher Derek Schaefer
On potentially settling into a closing role in the bullpen
“Pitching is pitching. Whenever they have me pitch I'll throw the ball over the plate. Again, if that role ever changes, I’m a Swiss Army Knife. I can do whatever. But yeah, I love the closer role. Again, pitching is pitching, I'm excited to just throw the ball.”
On Colin Linder’s start on the mound
“Huge props to Colin Linder today. I mean just for what he's gone through. He missed the past year and a half with Tommy John surgery and with his first time back in the game last week, he's gone out and given us 8 and 2/3 of 2-run baseball. That's really good. That's really hard to do coming off of an injury like that. So huge props to him.”
On facing some competitive teams in the upcoming schedule
“It's nice to know that we have the advantage as pitchers no matter what. We don't have to be perfect, we just have to go dominate with our stuff. Bloomy (Willie Bloomquist) always says, 'dominate the process.' So that's all we have to do, and we will have the advantage. We just have to do what we do well, and that should beat them.”
Pitcher Josh Butler
On what the conversations were like regarding his replacement
“It’s like these guys have said, every time I get the ball, I just give the team what I have that day. It's really not up to me to make those decisions. I just want to be able to go up there and take the ball and give these guys as many outs as possible. And if it's long, if it's short, I'll do whatever it takes.”
On the mindset he has pitching with runners in scoring position
“You have to have confidence in yourself, and like we talked about, confidence in the guys behind us that they're going to make a play for us too.”
On Cole Carlon’s ability to transition into a starting role
“I think it's cool to see. Props to Ted (Henson) and the whole strength program for being able to develop guys into roles that they might not be used to.Taking him out of the bullpen last year and now giving him Friday night and letting him go do his thing for five innings is huge. It’s really props to the coaching staff as well."
Pitcher Sean Fitzpatrick
On putting the next pitcher in a good position
“That’s our job. We know what our job is. It’s not always going to be perfect to come in with a clean slate. So our jobs pick each other up, and we did a good job of that today.”
On being placed into situational pitching roles
"It's kind of what Schaefer was saying, whenever I get the rock, I'm just going to go throw it and compete. It doesn't matter if it's a hitter like today or if it's an inning like last Sunday, I'm going to compete and try to do everything I can to help us win. I love baseball, and I love pitching. I enjoy when there's runners on, I think that's pretty fun to execute pitches then, but I really don't care. Anytime I get the rock, it's a great day. I'm super blessed to be able to play this sport, and especially here.”
On what they think about former reliever Cole Carlon
“He's a dog. He was a dog last year, so I figured in the starting role he's going to be a dog. Having him go five innings last week and six innings this week is huge because it gets us through the rest of the game. He's doing his job. Obviously we know he's a great pitcher, so it's expected, but props to him. He's doing a heck of a job, and he's also fun to be around all the time, so it’s good vibes."
Infielder Austen Roellig
On the slowing of the offense today, and what they could have improved on
“Laying off the first pitch breaker. I think that's a big thing for us. But, as long as we stick with our approach, gap to gap, up the middle, I think we'll be alright.”
On the offense’s capability to score in multiple ways
“I think it's pretty awesome, honestly, because we have the long ball and we have the small ball. Our coaches preach all the time, like, ‘hey, if we have to do it, we have to do it’ and if the small ball is the way we have to go, then we have to and that's kind of our approach.”
On having a fan base that buys into their program
“It's pretty awesome being able to play in front of fans that really care about ASU baseball. I’m right there at 3rd in front of the ASU student section and they’re chirping. I’m just laughing my butt off. I really enjoy it. So keep going, keep doing you, fans, thank you. We appreciate it.”
Up next
Arizona State will look for its second series sweep and a 7-0 start to the season tomorrow at Phoenix Municipal Stadium with first pitch against the Red Storm scheduled for 1 p.m. MST. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ by the Cronkite School of Journalism.
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