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NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUPER REGIONALS: LUBBOCKJune 9, 2016Cliff GodwinTim TadlockLubbock, Texas CLIFF GODWIN: We're just happy to be here. You know, after the conference tournament, we went 0-2 and really had to dig deep and play a little bit better, and our guys played great on the road at UVA and played the game like we want them to always play. That doesn't always happen, but they played great, and we're happy to be in Lubbock. Obviously very tough place to play, but happy to be here. TIM TADLOCK: Congratulations to everybody associated with East Carolina and Coach Godwin and his staff and his team. Quite an accomplishment going into the defending national champion and winning a regional. As far as this weekend, hopefully we can make them feel at home and treat them well, and looking forward to competing. Q. Friday night both you guys have two guys pitching that have been through the best in the country this year. How much fun is that for your guys and to see those two guys compete with each other on Friday night? CLIFF GODWIN: Well, it's always good when you can run a guy out there that your team has confidence in. Kruz for us has pitched in 1-0 games, 0-0 games; even last week the score looks lopsided but it was a 1-0 game when he came out. Credit him, it was very humid, and after the seventh inning before we scored runs in the eighth, I said, hey, can you go back out, and he says, Coach, I can't go back out. I'm glad we put a crooked number up before we went to the bullpen, but Kruz has been tremendous for us. TIM TADLOCK: It's been a lot of fun watching our guys throw on Friday, the first game of a series. That's been starting with Davis since we -- probably since we opened up conference, and I think we ran him out there the first time as a starter at Cal. It's been fun watching him. As far as the games go, it's always fun watching a good baseball game, and trying to stay ahead of it and do what you need to do to help your team. At this point, though, it's really hay is in the barn, and I think guys are ready to go play. Q. Tim, looks like East Carolina has some pretty gaudy numbers as far as their numbers on Friday and Saturday nights. How would you compare what you're expecting as far as the stuff from those starters compared to maybe a Power Five conference or some of the pitchers you've faced in the Big 12? TIM TADLOCK: Well, I would say just looking at their numbers and watching them, guys can pitch. They all throw secondary pitches for strikes, and looks like they command the fastball. Again, you've kind of got to go and understand they went into Virginia and beat the defending national champions, and also had two other really good ballgames against Bryant and William & Mary. Looks like they do a really good job holding runners. Looks like they're doing the small things the right way, playing good defense. As far as stuff goes, I mean, I don't know if stuff really wins. I mean, execution wins. That's probably the thing that's stuck out probably more than anything. Looks like they have a plan what they're wanting to do defensively and pitching. Q. Cliff, the field turf, you guys have played on it a couple times the past few years. Where does it concern you the most, the catchers, the infield, the outfield, and how beneficial has it been to have the last two days on the field? CLIFF GODWIN: It's been beneficial. I want to thank Coach Tadlock for letting us practice yesterday. It's different for us, but both teams are going to go out there and play on the turf. It's a little bouncier than a natural surface, but our guys have been acclimated to it for two days, and we're just happy that Coach let us practice on it yesterday, as well. Q. Cliff, what would you say is the biggest challenge in going up against Texas Tech's lineup this weekend? CLIFF GODWIN: Well, they're a veteran lineup. I think that you can't get in patterns. I don't think you can pitch them the same way; even if you make them look bad with a certain pitch the first time, I think those guys do a tremendous job of making adjustments. They're well-coached. They play hard. They execute well, and their pitching staff keeps them in games. We'll need to play our best baseball to hang in there with them. Q. Going 0-2 in The American tournament, do you think in a way it was a blessing in disguise? These guys seem to be really focused, really hungry. CLIFF GODWIN: I don't think going 0-2 in any tournament is a blessing in disguise. I hate losing, so no, I don't. Going into the regional, when you talk behind the scenes, I was concerned because Coach Tadlock will tell you when your guys are not playing well, you want your guys to play well. It's a reflection of you. We really had a kind of come-to-Jesus meeting on Thursday before the regional, and the guys played their butts off. But no, I never want to go 0-2 in a tournament. That's not a blessing. Q. Tim, I know just about every team -- well, every team at this point in the year is hot, but do you think it's -- not to use the term blessing in disguise, but do you think it's beneficial for your team to have two years ago or some of those guys two years ago to have faced a 3 seed, maybe not one of those name-brand programs but know that they still have to get up for obviously a very hot team in East Carolina coming to town? TIM TADLOCK: I would say our guys need to respect the people on the other side of the field, and you need to go play the game the right way. You're really talking about College of Charleston. I mean, that was a great team at that time and had great pitching and a great offense. I mean, the one thing is the coaches don't make the seeds. We all know you've got to go line up and play throughout your whole season. That's how you get to this point in the season. You play 56 games, and then you play in your conference tournament, and you really -- it's probably an importance on showing up every day. These teams that are still playing, most of them get that. They know they need to show up each day, and at the same time there's probably some lapses in that the closer you get to winning something. We've learned that a little bit, too. As far as experience with guys being here two years ago, I mean, really tomorrow is a new day, and again, looking forward to competing tomorrow. Q. Cliff, you're from Green County, North Carolina, 30 miles from Greenville. You played at ECU. You played in a super regional. Now in your second year as head coach, what would it mean for you personally to get two wins here and to take ECU, your alma mater, to Omaha for the first time? CLIFF GODWIN: I mean, I can't put it into words. Obviously it's going to be an uphill battle, but it would mean a lot for our program just to win one game. East Carolina is 0-6 in super regional games. People ask me do I remember the super regional in 2001. Yeah, I made the last out, so I remember that 1-0 change-up that I popped straight up. I see it every single day because I was the tying run at the plate. Yeah, it would be awesome, you know, but we've got a lot of work to do. Q. Tim, I know it was a great atmosphere here a couple nights ago or several nights ago against New Mexico. That night atmosphere kind of ramps up, and you've got to be expecting it probably ramps up even more with the super regional on Friday night. What do you tell your guys about managing those emotions? TIM TADLOCK: I'll probably let Gut handle it. He's probably a little bit better at managing it than I am. Some of those guys have been through some of that stuff, but you're right, we didn't handle it real good last week, and at the same time I think each time you get a chance to play in those environments, you hope your guys grow from it, and we're definitely not going to ask the guys, the fans, not to be up there and be rowdy. I mean, it's a special place. It's been special this year. I think everybody that was involved in the regional last year was complimentary of how good our fans were. I mean, I don't think that's just talk; they really are. Q. Cliff, what do you see just overall as the biggest challenge going up against Texas Tech and obviously facing that atmosphere, as well? CLIFF GODWIN: It's going to be a hostile place to play, number one. Our guys are going to have to manage their emotions, as well. Charlottesville was tough, but from what I hear, this place is going to be even more hostile. I think it's going to be an SEC-type environment in a super regional setting. We're going to need to play well. Like Coach says, this time of year everybody is good; everybody is playing well. It's about executing and winning more pitches than the other team. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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