2001 Coral Gables Super Regional - Game One Notes And Quotes
June 1, 2001
Game Notes
University of Miami
***Shortstop Javy Rodriguez registered his 62nd and 63rd stolen bases of the year breaking the Miami single-season stolen base record set by Orlando Gonzalez in 1974, a 27-year old record.
***With 95 career stolen bases, Javy Rodriguez moves ahead of current UM assistant coach Gino DiMare and into a tie for ninth place with Bill Wrona (1982-83) on the Miami career stolen base chart.
***DeBold madde his 85th career relief appearance tying Jay Tessmer (1994-95) for seventh place on the UM career relief appearances list.
***With two hit-by-pitches tonight, Kevin Brown moved to third place on the Miami career hit-by-pitch chart with 25 career HBP.
***Miami extended its NCAA-best winning streak to 12 straight victories. Miami’s last loss came on May 4 (vs. Jacksonville, 5/4/01).
***Miami has won 15 consecutive post-season games at Mark Light Stadium. The last time Miami lost a post-season game at Mark Light Stadium was vs. North Carolina, May 22, 1998, a 6-5 loss.
***RHP Dan Smith did not allow a run in his one inning of work. On the year, Smith has not allowed an earned run in 10 of his 11 appearances in 2001.
Clemson University
***First baseman Michael Johnson hit a home run in the eighth inning marking his fifth straight game with a home run. With the feat, Johnson ties the school record for consecutive games with a home run set by Matthew LeCroy in 1996.***Starting pitcher Steve Reba gave up a season-high six runs.
Miami Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Jim Morris
On the performance of starting pitcher Tom Farmer:
“He didn’t have his normal assortment of pitches today, but he did have a good fastball and a good breaking ball. I thought the strike zone was tight and you had to challenge hitters and they have a good club.”
On the importance of winning the first game:
“It’s huge because it puts the pressure on them. No question about that. It happened to us last year and it’s hard to come back, but we also know that if they win tomorrow night it switches the momentum right back.”
On closer George Huguet’s performance:
“Well, George has been doing that for us for three-fourths of the year so he’s the guy that’s gonna get the ball in that situation. He’s been doing it the last two months and so he’s the guy we look for in that situation. He has the confidence of our team and has the composure to handle the situation. He’s done a great job.”
Pitcher George Huguet
On the controversial last out:
“I had to grab it with my barehand, because I didn’t have time to use my glove. I was just watching the ball, so I couldn’t tell if he was safe or out. I was just concentrating on what I was doing. I didn’t get a look at it, but I think my foot touched the bag before his.”
Shortstop Javy Rodriguez
On breaking the single-season stolen bases record:
“The best thing about breaking the record is that I did it with a win and that’s what I’m most proud of right now is winning the first game and concentrating on going back to Omaha. “
On coming back from a 3-0 deficit:
“All year we’ve been coming back, this team is great at that. We come back. We play with a lot of heart. That’s the way we play baseball.”
Clemson Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Jack Leggett
“I thought we played well enough to win defensively. I thought we hit well enough to win. We just struggled holding them down in the third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings and that was the difference in the ballgame, I thought. We had trouble shutting them down offensively. Every time we started to get back in the ballgame, we had trouble getting over the top. We’ll just have to get over this and come back tomorrow.”
Was he surprised at the high-scoring game?
“I thought it would be a different type of game than it was, but it didn’t work out that way. They did a good job making the adjustment to Steve (Reba) and then we just didn’t have much luck putting them away with two strikes and I think that was probably the difference.”
First baseman Michael Johnson
“I was hoping the home run would just get us back in the ballgame and give us a chance to tie it up. Turned out it didn’t and it didn’t really matter. We’ve been in this situation several times this season. We’ve just got to go back to the hotel and put it out of our mind. Tomorrow’s a new day and we will start all over tomorrow.”
Pitcher Steve Reba
“I really didn’t throw the ball well, obviously. I didn’t make pitches when I needed to make pitches. It’s a disappointing performance and I just didn’t make big pitches tonight. My stuff felt good tonight. I thought we made good adjustments and I had pretty good approaches to the plate. I just didn’t get the ball where I needed to tonight.”
