UC Irvine Postgame Quotes

NCAA Lincoln Regional
Sunday, June 1, 2008
UC Irvine Press Conference

Coach Mike Gillespie
On the game
"We are thrilled with what our guys did and what they accomplished and how they played here and how they handled themselves.  This was an extraordinarily well-run, well-organized, first-class regional.  The people in Nebraska did a sensational job.  This is of course an amazing facility.  We certainly commend them.  We also commend Oral Roberts for a great run (and for having) a great team.  We think we beat arguably the best hitting club we saw all year, and if not the best, on the short list of the two best.  Bryce Stowell was spectacular.  He had a premier, elite, spectacular day.  That game was a dogfight until we scored the four in the seventh.  With their ability to score, you couldn't feel that the game was necessarily over, but he (Bryce Stowell) was sensational.  We got a big day from Sean Madigan and Casey Stevenson.  We played crisp, clean defense again.  It was a really good day and a great weekend for us.  I'm really proud of our guys."
 
On UC-Irvine pitchers combining for 15 straight shutout innings
"I think it's a sensational achievement, a real, real achievement.  Our players know and the people who follow us know that the key to our club has been five pitchers: our three starters (Stowell, Scott Gorgen and Danny Bibona) and two relievers, Christian Bergman and Eric Pettis.  We've been picked up lately by a couple other guys.  We've certainly come to trust and have confidence in our starting pitching to hold people down, keep us close and give us a chance to win.  We feel that if we have a lead late, we have a chance to hold the lead.  To do this (throw 15 innings of shutout baseball to close the regional) against these two teams and in this atmosphere was extraordinary."

On the late surge by UC Irvine's offense
"We were without (Jeff) Cusick for a full month until last week.  To have him back in there does make a significant difference.  Sean Madigan was in the lineup for a long time, was out of the lineup for a while, but frankly earned his way back into the lineup by performance, as it has been with Casey (Stevenson)."
 
On playing super regionals at LSU after playing in front of big crowds in Lincoln
"It serves us well.  Sean (Madigan) was one of the guys last year who played at Texas, Wichita State and Omaha.  There is a nucleus of our players that have played in front of big crowds and in some cases, very difficult places to play.  Baton Rouge is certainly one of those places.  They've (LSU) been extraordinarily hot in the last six weeks or so, numbers similar to what we saw here last night.  They play in an echo chamber.  Having played here last night and to a lesser extent Friday should serve us well.  I trust our players will be excited, as they should be, but not intimidated or awestruck."
 
Pitcher Bryce Stowell
On a long layoff before this start
"Coming into today, everyone knew what was on the line.  I don't really think that not sticking on routine and not throwing yesterday really had any effect with it.  We were all really fired up and pumped to be out there.  Once the first pitch took place, we all had the same vision in mind, and that just took over."
 
On shutting down a potent Oral Roberts lineup
"My hat's off to them.  They're a great hitting ballclub.  They were tough.  They had great approaches.  It really helped locating the fastball, early and often, and working off that.  They can swing it, and that was pretty evident throughout the tournament, watching that in the first game and again today against a good Nebraska team.  Coming in, I knew that it was going to be a dogfight.  Just locating the fastball and working off that is what helped me. 
 
On his command against Oral Roberts
"It just felt like I had everything.  It felt like I could put the ball wherever I wanted to.  I had all three pitches.  When that happens, it's something that you hold on to, because it doesn't happen every time.  It worked out, and we put up a great team effort today and came out on top."
 
On playing in front of a smaller crowd
"I think it (the smaller crowd) put us all at ease a bit.  Danny (Bibona) pitched a heck of a game yesterday in front of almost 9,000 people.  Just watching him go out and do that really inspired all of us to come out and get this thing done today.  I think the smaller attendance helped us all a little bit."
 
Second Baseman Casey Stevenson
On building momentum against Oral Roberts
"It was pretty big, especially being the visiting today.  It was huge to get out early with that two-run lead, though we didn't feel comfortable until we put up a four-spot in the seventh.  Bryce (Stowell) was just cruising.  He pitched a great game today.  After that point, I don't think we had any doubt about our winning the game just because of how Bryce was pitching and how well our bullpen pitched down the stretch and this year."