Quotes: Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech

Quotes: Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech
Location: Oklahoma City - Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
Result: Win, 17-4
Attendance: 5,104
Date: May 27, 2016

Oklahoma Head Coach Pete Hughes
Opening Statement:
“We had eight out of nine hitters get two hits apiece and our nine-hole hitter got one hit, one strike out in seven innings of play, three walks. Pretty proficient offensively. Dylan [Grove] did just enough and his stuff is good enough to get settled in and work through jams and pitch effectively with a big lead.”

On the performance in 3rd and 4th inning and resting the bullpen:
“It gives you a little more wiggle room. The worst thing you can do against an offense like that, believe me, we've been on the other side of that in Lubbock against that same group, [Steven] Gingery, [Robert] Dugger, [Hayden] Howard. Those three guys, they dominated us in Lubbock. The game will humble you and comes back to you, always, but their offense is relentless. The conditions are so offensive out here. Davis hits a home run, his first home run of the year. That is always in the back of my head. You get a lead and I think it's going to be a tight game, it's going back and forth, it was going to be quick hook. Dylan wasn't great today. It was 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, runners on base. Gutierrez is always looming in the background in my head and then first base is open. He is not going to beat us, he has done it too much in the last three years. Yeah, we'll make a hook in the third, in the fourth, and then the runs keep going. You know, I can do this, I can't allow my players to do it, but I'm thinking about tomorrow. When you are in the losing bracket, how are you going to win the tournament when you have to win the tournament to extend the season for your team? I'm thinking about making moves to win the tournament. We managed our running and bunting and playing for the ten run rule, that is why it's crazy. I respect coach [Tim] Tadlock. I voted for him for Coach of the Year, he deserves it, a great program should be a national seed. It had nothing to do with lack of respect. I'm trying to win a tournament. The best way for us to get in position to win the tournament is to rest our bullpen for tomorrow and go with one guy and end the game at the 7th, so that's how I played from the 4th inning on.”

On if the offense is finding a rhythm right now:
“Our offense the past 15 games, I think we have averaged over nine runs a game. We got punched in the mouth our first game here. It had nothing to do with an early morning start, it had nothing to do with lack of focus, it had nothing to do with guys panicking because we have to win this tournament to go to the national tournament. It had everything to do with a left-handed pitcher who threw unbelievably well. That is what good pitching does to anyone's offense. That kid was really good that day. I told our offense not to worry about yesterday, just worry about what you did the last month of the season. You guys are a really good offense, and you are going to be good moving forward.”

On how you prepared for a team with nothing to gain from this tournament:
“Coach Tadlock rested some guys. He had a couple of unfortunate injuries, too and that is a nightmare for them considering where they are going. He had some inexperienced guys in his lineup. I didn't talk about it. I didn't let our players know about it. We looked to build a lead and try to win a game against the best team in the league.”

Alex Wise, Sr., OF
On what allowed his team to be successful on offense:
“Everyone was seeing the ball well today. Everyone is hungry. I think we all know what's on the line right now. We have to win this tournament in order to get into the national tournament. Everyone is just fighting; no one wants to take that jersey off for the last time this year. Everyone is just fighting, putting good at-bats together.”

On how much this team has improved since the beginning of the season:
“We are a lot better. We had a lot of young guys heading into the season. They are just maturing and helping this team out a lot. Steele Walker and Cade Harris are both putting good at-bats together each time they come up, and not wasting any opportunities. (Dylan) Grove has grown a lot, too. He has been throwing strikes and competing for us. It has been a huge maturing process that some of our freshmen have gone through to help this team.”

On if the first game of the tournament served as a motivation for the team:
“It was definitely a wake-up call. At that point, we know it was win or go home and we aren't getting into the tournament if we lose two games in a row here. Our seniors have been talking about how we don't want to finish our careers like this, and we are fighting to wear that jersey another day. Who knows what will happen if we go out and play as hard as we can each game.”

Dylan Grove, Fr., RHP
On the pressure he faced with today's outing:
“There is always pressure with any elimination game. You have to play like it's your last game every day. I knew that I needed to go as long as I could to save the bullpen because we still have three games to go before we can take a rest. I just tried to go out there and minimize innings, minimize pitches, and work my way out of jams the best I could.”

On giving up a home run early in the game:
“That rattles you a little bit. You have to think, 'I can't do that again.' I have to figure out how to get these guys out. I think the biggest thing is maintaining composure because it's a long game. I trusted our guys. We have been hitting the ball well, and scoring a lot of runs. I knew my teammates would back me up. I just worked my way through the inning and tried to minimize the damage as much as I could.”