University of Richmond Athletics
Nebraska 11, Richmond 6
06/09/2002 | Baseball
June 9, 2002
Richmond Head Coach Ron Atkins
Opening Statement
"We played a tough team today. We just didn't get it done. I thought we battled in the early part of the ballgame. The bottom line is it's hard to give a good team like Nebraska 11 walks and expect to come back and beat a good ball club that way. We found ways to win all year and we just came up a little short today. You have to tip your hats to them. They outplayed us today. They deserve to be there (Omaha)."
On Nebraska's chances in Omaha
"They definitely have a great club. They don't beat themselves. You can see it in their fielding. They're a great defensive team. (Shane) Komine can beat anybody. I think (Aaron) Marsden if he gets his ball down in the zone and gets a little better command he can give them some innings. They have a pretty good bullpen. (Steve) Hale did a good job today. He put up some zeros for them and gave them a chance to get back in the ball game. I think losing (Matt) Hopper is going to hurt them a little bit because he was a threat in their lineup. They got by us today without him, but I think they're going to need him in the World Series."
Richmond First Baseman Vito Chiaravalloti
On the role of the crowd
"I thought they were extremely excited today. Their role in all three games was exactly the same. They were the 10th guy on the field, without a doubt, for this club. The people in Lincoln, Neb., are amazing. They're great fans. Like I told the guys through the line, I'll be rooting for Nebraska in Omaha. I wish it would be us, but they beat us. They beat us two games out of three. We did not beat ourselves. We have nothing to be ashamed of. This 53-13 ball club of the University of Richmond has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. We're going to try our hardest to be back here next year."
Richmond Shortstop Matt Craig
On his two-run homerun in his first at-bat
"I couldn't have planned it any better. All I was trying to do was hit a ball up the middle. He just left a change-up up, and I really can't remember it right now. I just hit it and started running. I couldn't think of a better way to start off the ball game. I thought right then that the momentum was on our side. Nebraska came back and fought back all day. They had great hits and great defense and there is not much you can do about that."
Richmond Centerfielder Bryan Pritz
On seeing Shane Komine on the mound again
"I wasn't really surprised that he came back. We had heard word before the game that he might come in and throw an inning or two. To tell you the truth, I was kind of happy to see him. He got me out in all my at-bats the first day, and I wanted to come back and get him. He threw me a nice high fastball and that was all I was looking for. I wasn't really thinking about anything else. I was just trying to hit where it was pitched."
Nebraska Head Coach Dave Van Horn
On the game
"What a great game. They jumped on us with two quick runs. I felt like that Jamie (Rodrigue) was getting some tight pitches. He had to get that outside corner, and he wasn't getting it and we had to make a change. Then we rallied and tied it and went on and on, and then we had a lead and here they come. Richmond is a tough team. We kept saying in the dugout, these guys will not quit, they are not going to roll over, and they didn't."
On Shane Komine
"We brought Shane in and he made one mistake. A guy jumped on a first pitch fastball, and he just clubbed it out of the ballpark. After that he (Shane) did a great job. We rallied in the eighth and scored five or six runs and honestly I still didn't think it was over the way they were. Then they punch one in, in the bottom of the eighth. In the ninth inning, it just kind of went by, we made some nice plays and good pitches, and, hey, we are going back."
"I didn't have a pitch count. I will guarantee you that. I ask Shane after the eighth, I said, 'we can get you out of there,' and he said, 'I'm fine coach. I guess I didn't expect him to say anything else.' If you would have ask me if it was going to be tied whether he was going to go 11 or 12 innings, I don't know what I could tell you. I don't want to tell you a lie, but I probably would have let him stay in there as long as he wanted to at this time of the year."
On the lineup
"I told the players before the game we were going with our mighty-mite lineup. We only had one guy over six foot in the lineup. Really didn't have any choice, Matt (Hopper) got hurt. We decided to go with a little more speed in the outfield and put Justin (Seely) at DH and put Brandon (Eymann) at first. It told them (the team) we are going to hit and run, we are going to bunt, we are going to steal and just create a little chaos if we can. We did a little bit there in the eighth. I think we crossed them up a little bit when we didn't bunt and that opened the flood gates."
Nebraska Pitcher Shane Komine
On the emotion of today's win
"There is a lot of emotion, we go so hard the whole year. It all comes down to these final three games. We just came out with a lot of intensity today. We never got down, and we never got too high until after thegame. After the game you see how many emotions come out of guys. We were running around the field like we did last year, thanking the fans for all of their support and never giving up on us. It hasn't sunken in yet, but when we wake up tomorrow and realize that we are going back to the College World Series that is when it is going to sink in. We are going to have to remain focused and get prepared to play up there."
Nebraska Outfielder Jeff Leise
On his feeling of the game
"We were down after yesterday's game, but coach talked to us and told us we had to forget about it. Yesterday's game was over and we are still playing today. We came out with a lot of focus,a nd we played a pretty good baseball game today and got it done. It feels awesome right now to get back to Omaha and hopefully do some damage this year."
On his base hit that put the Huskers ahead in the fourth
"I think it was a 2-1 count and he put a fastball right there. I got enough metal on it go get it through, fortunately it scored a couple of runs and then we chipped in another one. It was a big hit, but everyone came through with big hits today when we needed them, and we got big pitches when we needed them too."
