Game 1: Quotes

2009 NCAA Baseball Norman Regional
Game 1: Arkansas 10, Washington State 3

ARKANSAS HEAD COACH DAVE VAN HORN
Opening Statement
“First of all, I thought it was a great pitching duel. The game changed so fast and we were down three to one, and Jarrod McKinney made a great catch in right field to give us a chance to stay in the game. And before I knew it, we tied it up and then took the lead. I give credit to the players to hang in there when things weren't going our way and we were just trying to keep things close until something good might happen and it finally did. ”

On the emergence of offense:
“We had a couple of good innings in the SEC tournament and we felt that we had busted out a little bit. When we drew Washington State we knew that we knew that we were going to face Way (Matt) and to me, there is not better left handed pitcher in the country. We were just glad to come out of the ball game.”

On Arkansas pitcher Dallas Keuchel:
“He did a great job of keeping us in the ball game. And I know that when they had the bases loaded with one out, they scored one run. They had runners at second and third with two out several times and we got the outs.

On the next game:
“We played Oklahoma once and we know how talented they are and we are just going to watch the game, get some sleep and come back and play tomorrow.”

ARKANSAS PITCHER DALLAS KEUCHEL
On key put out in the game:
“I just try and field my position and if guys want to bunt, I feel that I can field my position pretty well. I was not mad about him bunting. I just wanted to make a good play and a good throw.”

On the game:
“Anytime we can stay in the ballgame, I know that our offense is going to do something. I am just going to stick with it because I didn't have my best stuff today, I had to rely on my off speed a little bit more than I usually do. We hung in there and busted out in the eighth.”

ARKANSAS INFIELDER ANDY WILKINS
On key catch by Jarrod McKinney in the game:
“It was definitely a game-saving catch. If he doesn't make that catch, who knows where it goes and it's changed the whole complication of the ballgame.”

ARKANSAS INFIELDER BEN TSCHEPIKOW
On the team this season:
“We have been have been in a lot of tough games this season. A lot of one run loses and wins. As a team, we have a positive mentality, that we're never out of it. Baseball is a game of inches and we showed that as a team today in a couple of plays here and there. We stayed in it the whole game and like coach said, anything can happen in the game of baseball. We had a nine run inning that won the game for us. We didn't say a whole lot, we just know that we are never out of the game until the game is over.”

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WASHINGTON STATE HEAD COACH DONNIE MARBUT
On what went wrong during the game:
“One thing we weren't doing was striking out. We had one strikeout against Dallas (Keuchel). He threw seven innings and struck out one time and had nine hits. Obviously, we didn't string anything together, but our guys battled hard. We put ourselves in a good position, but we just couldn't finish it.”

On Matt Way's pitching performance:
“He did a heck of a job. Matt did today what he does every Friday; he gives us a chance to win. He left the game with the lead. I just would have really liked to hold on for him because he battled his way off.”

“Today he threw 108. I like him to finish the game is what I like, but he said he was feeling a little bit of tightness in his forearm which happens sometimes. You know Matt's a bulldog. He'd throw 180 pitches if we'd let him.”

WASHINGTON STATE SENIOR PITCHER MATT WAY
On his pitching today:
“Obviously, I didn't want to come out. I wanted to go further into the game. My forearm started getting tight, but that's usually what happens when I get up around 110 pitches, especially through six innings. Obviously, I would have liked to go out there (for another inning), but going through the bull pen has always been a good move for us anyways. Our bullpen has been very strong all year. It happens sometimes, it's just baseball.”

On Arkansas' pitcher Dallas Keuchel:
“I've watched him a lot, all last summer and I saw him pitch against me last time we were at Arkansas. He looked like the same old Dallas, just keeping the ball down really well, threw all three pitches for strikes and went at the hitters really well I thought. “

WASHINGTON STATE SENIOR CATCHER GREG LAGREID
On his team's loss today:
“In the big scheme of things, it's just one game. We played well; seven good innings of baseball. I think this game has a lot of resilience. We've lost games before on Friday night and came back and done some good things over the course of the weekend. So I think it's just a bump in the road and we knew we were going to have to win some games anyways. It's just a bump in the road and I think the team will respond really well and come out ready to go tomorrow.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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