June 6, 2001

Miami Coach Jim Morris

Jim Morris: I’m here and ready to take your questions!!

Danny (Sioux Falls, SD): Coach Morris, good luck in the CWS. Your teams have been a fan favorite for many years in Omaha, how will that feeling change now there is a legitimate home team in the Huskers?

Jim Morris: I think it makes it a different tournament if you are playing Nebraksa, it will be a sea of red. It will make it very emotional whenever they play. You will be an uderdog.

Jim Morris: We are lucky we are not in their bracket.

Mike (Lauderdale): Coach Morris: Do you think the team will have an advantage because of their experience in playing in the cws and the regionals?

Jim Morris: In my mind you have an advantage if you have been here before. Some of our playes have been here three times.

Stan (Ponca City, OK): Two questions. Should the draft be held after the CWS as I and everyone else except MLB seem to think? How much of an advantage will Nebraska have playing in Omaha? Thanks.

Jim Morris: From my standpoint, I would rather it be after the season because we have some players that are totally elated and some that are crushed. We have lots of mixed emotions. It’s hard to focus on what we have to do here in Omaha. We had 11 guys drafted so far.

Gina (Naples FL): Your last loss on the road was 2nd game of the season at FAU. Keep it up!

Do you have a plan for rotating Mike DiRosa and Sexy Greg Lovelady at catcher or will the pitcher and game situation determine that?

Jim Morris: You are right, we do have a plan. We like the system we have right now. Both catchers are good and pretty equal overall.

Joe (Philadelphia): Hey Coach, how do re-group your team after a good pitcher or good defensive play squashes the “rally caps” and hopes of your team? Is there a cinderella in there series?

Jim Morris: Part of regrouping is the maturity of your team. Veterans came come back from those situations. You talk to guys sometimes inbetween innings.

The cinderella has red slippers on – Nebraska.

Eric (Atlanta): How do you maintain consistency in the program when the MLB draft takes away underclassmen and signees. You recruit to fill holes in your roster and then you get some more unexpected holes.

Jim Morris: It’s something that is hard to control. The better you are the more players you lose. We just have to work hard in recruiting and bringing good guys in. We will be very young next year.

Adam, : hey coach, another great season, just wondering how we were doing health wise, and do you think kb can pull off another game like we saw in the regionals

Jim Morris: I’m doing a lot better now that I was last week. I’m very excited because we are here so that makes me feel better!

I hope KB does do what he did in the regionals. He is playing very well.

Dave (Saratoga): Coach, Minus LSU it seems CA teams have dominated the CWS lately. Why is this and do you actively recruit in CA? Also, after CA and FL, which state has the best high school talent. Thanks!

Jim Morris: We recruit very heavily in California and Florida, that is where the best players are in the country. California teams are doing very well but I don’t want to say they are dominatiing. We have been there 7 of 8 years and nobody else can say that.

frank(miami): as a season ticket holder for the Canes i’ve seen many players mature but Brown has played incredible what do you think the future holds for him?

Jim Morris: Hopefully his future in the CWS will be great! He was drafted by the Braves so hopefully he will be a very productive player. I’m sure he will be successful.

Luis (baltimore): Dear Coach now looking back do you regret at all the chance of not being able to obtain Mark Texiera?

Jim Morris: Of course!! We did recruit him and he visited us. For some reason he could only be here for one day and didn’t get a good flavor for the city. He is a great hitter, one of the best in college baseball.

John Naylor(Dixie,Georgia): I’m your biggest fan from south Georgia.Bring it Home!!!!! Coach Morris and the Miami Hurricanes.What is the key or keys to winning the national title this year for Miami?I’m in Omaha Jim,got here tuesday.See you at the game.

Jim Morris: Well, for us it is good starting pitching and good timely hitting. It’s a cliche but it’s tougher here in Omaha. They have even more seating now, I think 30,000. And it’s on national TV. Some teams can’t cope with that pressure.

STeve(Miami): Coach congrats on a great year, but did you ever think of putting a more offensive player behind the plate, because of the lack of offense that comes from your catchers?

Jim Morris: First of all, I believe the catchers number one duty is defense. Our two catchers together have done a good job and gotten some big hits.

Chuck, Fullerton, CA: With “big” innings fairly common in college baseball, what do you do to keep your team in a game when they go down eight runs in the second inning?

Jim Morris: For us, we are in trouble. We are not a big inning club. We’ve had a few but that is not our normal style. If we get down big early, we might be in trouble.

josh(hawaii): which team fears you the most in the cws?

Jim Morris: We haven’t played any of the other 7 teams in the series this year. Actually we did play Cal State Fullerton once. They swept us! They are all great clubs. It’s just a matter of who gets hot. There isn’t a fear factor at all.

will,( murfreesboro): GO CANES, delmonico just read my question but i didn’t say i was a miami fan. my question to you is does your team play with the same swagger and intensity as the football team?

Jim Morris: I hope so because we have a tremendous football program and you have to have that swagger and know that you believe in yourself. I’m proud to be at a university that has a team as good as ours.

merrill: how about mark prior?

Jim Morris: Mark Prior, I haven’t seen him throw but I understand he is the man. He can get to the majors quick. I hope I get to watch him from behind the plate since we won’t be playing him in the opeing game.

Mark(Omaha): Charlton Jimmerson has been a surprise this year for the team.What has he done to have a good year?

Jim Morris: He is a great story because he is a young man who walked on. He came from Oakland and just gotten better and better through hard work. He really turned it on this season. It’s all due to hard work and believing in himself. He was drafted in the fifth round by Houston.

Mark, San Francisco: What’s your biggest concern about facing UT in opener?

Jim Morris: They have a great club. Their pitcher who is facing us went in the first round yesterdday. Wyatt Allen. He is a great pitcher. Their SS was player of the year in the SEC, Chris Burke. Both those guys are surrouned by great teammates. It will be a big challenge.

Randy R. (Omaha): The City of Omaha takes a lot of pride and effort into this great Series. Some people would like to move the CWS to a larger City. Would you like the series to stay in Omaha or move to a larger market?

Jim Morris: I don’t think it should move to a bigger market. I don’t think anybody can do a better job than Omaha. I can’t see a place in America that would do it better. Omaha IS the college world series.

Jim (Huntsville Ala): Great job this year coach.With all you success at Ga Tech and Miami,why are you arent coaching major league??especially with all the bub par coaching in the minors???

Jim Morris: Well, that gets asked fairly often. College ball and pro ball are like football and basketball almost, professional managers normally get brought up through the system. I have been offered some positions in the minors and front office. I didn’t give them much serious thought though.

Pete Mitchell(Gainesville,Fla): I see where Miami as a team has stolen over 200 bases this year.Is being aggresive important for your team?

Jim Morris: For us it is something we have to do. We don’t have a lot of HR hitters like we have in the past. We have to get guys in scoring position and use every chance we get.

Scott A (Lexington): Do you consider the success of the top of your lineup the key to your offense?

Jim Morris: I think it has been a big key. The top of our lineup have over 100 stolen bases, that means lots of guys in scoring position. In the regional and supers, the rest of the lineup contributed heavily also. We have 11 guys drafted so far .. this is a team sport .. we don’t have a Mark Texierea but we have 11 guys that can play.

Matt (Denver): Coach Morris,Is TJ Prunty going to play football next year? Do you encourage kids to play more than one sport?

Jim Morris: It’s very very hard to play more than one sport. He is only going to play baseball the rest of his college career. We switched his scholarship from football to baseball.
Our two wins in the Super Regional were by DAnny Smith a TE who quit football and TJ Prunty who played QB this year.

jay(philly): Griffey or Bonds ?

Jim Morris: I’d take Barry any day!

Jim Morris: I also like Pat Burrell from Philadelphia …

Jim Morris: Thanks for all the questions, this has been very enjoyable. You guys ask some good questions!

Tennesse Coach Rod Delmonico

Rod Delmonico: Hello everyone!! I’m ready to take your questions!

SONNY-ATHENS TENNESSEE: For Rod Delmonico: How good do you feel about your chances against the Miami team in the first game and the overall chances of winning the whole series.

Rod Delmonico: I think we are playing the best baseball we have played all year. WE are the healthiest we have been all year. We are getting good pitching and timely hitting. I like our chances.

Danny J. (Panama City, Fla): Do coaches like you cringe when a excellent coach like Andy Lopez gets fired at Florida?

Rod Delmonico: I think you understand in coaching there expectations to win. For college baseball coaches, we’ve wanted college baseball to be elevated to the level of basketball and football adn that means winning.

will,( murfreesboro): With the baseball draft occuring, how do you keep the players focused on the world series?

Rod Delmonico: We’ve been talking about all those distractions, family, the city, the crowd, the draft. It’s a difficult task. We had a couple guys drafted pretty high but hopefully we can put that aside for a week. You have to understand it is set up for all of college baseball, not just the eight teams here.

Jake (Chattanooga, TN): Do you think Chris Burke can be as good of a hitter in the big leagues as Todd Helton, and how soon could we see him in the Majors?

Rod Delmonico: It’s hard to predict. They are two different types of hitters. Chris is more of a leadoff 1-2 hitter who will steal some bases. He is capable of hitting 20 homers in the big leagues.

KellyMankatoMN: going to make my third trip to omaha in three years. what can I expect out of the VOLS on Saturday?

Rod Delmonico: I think we will play very aggressive. Especially if it is close. I just ask the guys to give everything they have.

Jeff from NJ: Do you ever hope to coach in the big leagues or do you just hope to stay at the college level?

Rod Delmonico: I don’t think anybody has gone from college to the big leagues, it’s not like basketball and football. I like the college game though. I like developing players. I don’t really hvae those aspirations.

Charles, Los Angeles: Coach Delmonico, Where are most of your players from? Have you seriously considered recruiting in Southern California?

Rod Delmonico: We have been very fourtuante to get many players from Southern Calif. We get lots of players out of Florida also.

Michael R (Omaha): With the budding rivaly between Nebraska and Tenn. in football (Bowl Games) How do you think your team will fare should these two schools meet in the Championship Game?

Rod Delmonico: If we had to play thier football team we would be in trouble, but I think we can hold our own in baseball. It would be great for TV!

Los Angeles: How much do you think Nebraska will be helped by playing at “home?”

Rod Delmonico: It will give them some momentum but all these teams are used to that type of crowd. It will help them a little.

Rich Columbia, SC: Do you think the Vols can keep coming from behind like they have been doing?

Rod Delmonico: We’ve done it all year, 24 times out of 46 wins. It’s been something we have done all year so I don’t see us not battling now. I do guarantee we will give it all we’ve got.

We are just excited to be here. We are here with a purpose of winning the national champtionship .. thanks so much for your questions. We just got done working out so I have to go talk to the team now. Keep pulling for us!!