June 10, 2007
FULLERTON, CA - Postgame quotes from Sunday night's NCAA Super Regional opener between host Cal State Fullerton and UCLA...
UCLA HEAD COACH JOHN SAVAGE...
(Opening Statement): "I'd like to congratulate Fullerton for moving on. They got hot at the right time. This was one of the toughest Super Regionals in the country... they've been there before."
"I'm proud of our team. We have eight returnees who played tonight. We're a young team. We're growing and getting better. We went to Regionals last year and moved up to Super Regionals this year. We look forward to making a run at it next year."
(On Gavin Brooks): "That's as good a performance as I've seen from a freshman in this environment. If there's a better freshman in the country I'd like to see him."
(On lack of scoring): "We had plenty of opportunities. We could not come up with the big hit. It was a very frustrating night. We just didn't get it done."
UCLA PITCHER GAVIN BROOKS...
(On home run pitch to Hardman): "It was a slider... supposed to be off the plate and down and I left it up. I need to get it down more."
(On his late-season success): "I've been getting a lot of experience and got a lot of innings."
UCLA CATCHER RYAN BABINEAU...
(On lack of scoring): "We had quite a few opportunities to drive runs in. We didn't get it done. It was a one-run game. That was the deciding factor."
CAL STATE FULLERTON HEAD COACH George Horton...
(Opening Statement): "That's as good a baseball game as I've been in a long, long time. I commend my athletes. A lot of people questioned whether we should be in the thing and now we are one of eight playing for a national championship. We're real excited about the opportunity to go to Nebraska one more time."
"We have a way of making it back there."
"We deserved to get in (the playoffs). Not in conference. The Big West Conference is as strong as its ever been. We're the fifth place team and going to Omaha. Enough said."
(On this trip to Omaha): "This is about as sweet as it gets for me. A lot of people counted us out. Only our little group believed we could do this. We played well at San Diego and that gave us some confidence. For me personally, today Kurt Suzuki got called up to the major leagues and I got a text message from Dave Serrano saying they are bussing from Wichita to Omaha, so they are going to get there ahead of us. I wish they were in a different bracket."
CAL STATE FULLERTON OUTFIELDER Clark Hardman...
(On his home run): "The whole weekend they have been giving me fastballs in. He hung a breaking ball and I saw the ball and put my best swing on it."
(On this team compared to previous CWS teams): "This has been a roller coaster season. We beat some of the best teams in the country and lost to some that didn't make the playoffs. The other teams had bigger name players... this has been more of a collective effort."
(On season's turnaround): "The post season was the turning point. As a group we took this as a new season... one of 64 teams with an equal opportunity to win the national championship. We've played some good baseball along the way."
CAL STATE FULLERTON FIRST BASEMAN Matt Wallach...
(On his game-winning single): "He was throwing me fastballs all night. The second pitch was more hittable and I took my best swing and found a hole."
CAL STATE FULLERTON STARTING PITCHER Jeff Kaplan...
(On his effort): "Our bullpen gives me a change to leave everything out on the field. They give me a chance to be confident and go after the hitters."