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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMay 23, 2017Andrew CabezasJoe GomezJim MorrisHunter TackettLouisville, Kentucky Miami - 6, Georgia Tech - 5 JIM MORRIS: Well, needless to say, it was a great win. I don't remember the last time that at Miami we've gone through 13 innings. So it was a long game. Great effort by both bullpens. Good defense and we're fortunate enough to get one more hit right there, big hit by Joe. But a great effort by Cabezas pitching and throwing more than three innings in his career at Miami -- I think that's right. And of course, the big Grand Slam by Tackett. It was a great win. This tournament's tough, because you lose that game right there and you have no chance to advance to the next round. So it's a crazy format, and one that probably will be adjusted sometime in the near future, if I had to guess. A lot of guys quit playing when you're out like that, and there's only a chance for four teams to throw their No. 3 pitcher. So it's an interesting format, needless to say. But big win for us, proud of our guys, and proud of Joe, the big hit, and everybody that played today. Q. What's it like, first time you're in the ACC Tournament and you kind of hit a Grand Slam? What's that feeling like? HUNTER TACKETT: Yeah, it's pretty cool. He threw me three sliders in the count and I was kind of hoping he was going to try to sneak a fastball by me and I happened to guess right. I knew when I hit it, it had a chance to get out. It was just a really good opportunity for the team, too, because I knew we needed something to get us going. I was glad I could get it done. Q. A tournament like this requires you to focus on the task at hand, but with all the noise out there about the ACC, from a player's perspective, how difficult is it to put that aside and concentrate? JOE GOMEZ: Simple. All we focus on, like we said is one game at a time and we're going to do our best to win that game and that's it. We're not going to let anything else bother us. We're going to do what we've got to do and that's it. ANDREW CABEZAS: We all try to do the best that we can. I know it's not been the best season in the University of Miami history but we are making it pretty interesting right now. We all know we have great players, great coaches and I know a lot of people are pulling for us and I think we can do it. HUNTER TACKETT: Yeah, I think we've got a good shot to get in, and we've definitely picked it up a lot better as a team, as a whole, when we needed to get hits, we've gotten hits. Our bullpen has been there, our starting pitching has been there all year. I really think we're going to the right direction. Q. You showed a lot of emotion up on the mound. Going back into the dugout, what was your mind like -- JOE GOMEZ: Score, because I was afraid Coach was going to pull me out. No, I mean, I was trying to fire up the team. I saw that we -- I don't recall when is the last time we scored but it was awhile and I wanted to fire up the team. I knew after the inning before when we were hitting, we were getting to the closers and I just wanted to get that extra push for my team. Q. And Joe, just stepping up when the moment called for it, senior, how does that feel? JOE GOMEZ: Feels great. I just wanted to do what I can do to get a team win. Just anyway, anyhow, wanted to get it done and I'm happy that I could do it for us. Q. What do you think about the ACC Tournament being here in Louisville this year? JIM MORRIS: Louisville is a great town and the Louisville AAA club has always been a club that threw well, and I've heard about them as far as that's concerned; and they are competing with the Cincinnati Reds as to who draws the most fans. I've never been to a game before, but I've heard a lot over the years. I know it's a great city, and of course the University of Louisville has got an outstanding baseball program, one of the best in the country. It starts with their athletic director who I think is a baseball guy, and their assistant AD is a baseball guy who played here, and of course their head coach is outstanding. So a really good program that they do everything they can to win, and you know, I saw where he signed that big contract which he deserves. And it shows the commitment from their administration to baseball, and that's something that's really grown over the years. And I'm happy to see guys get the opportunity to -- maybe what I got what I came to Miami from Georgia Tech. So it's been great to watch college baseball grow and Louisville grow and it's part of that, and I've got to watch that from when they weren't winning. Q. Back-to-back walk-off wins for your team. Is that something that can kind of build to great things as you move forward in the tournament, or is that something sometimes that can kind of like flame out? JIM MORRIS: Well, we couldn't buy a big hit the first half of the season. Our first half of the season was kind of a nightmare for us and for me and for our team. It's been tough on us, because the expectations are so high at Miami, and the pressure is there with the 44. I just talked to the team and they answered the question; let them play it and let me worry about the pressure of the 44, don't worry about it. It's there, like a little monkey on your back or a big monkey on your back, or maybe a gorilla. But man, it's something that I think about. And I know Ken was in my room yesterday morning after the press thing, and my phone was ringing off the hook. It's the Sharks calling. So it's a tough thing. But I think that our guys believe in ourselves now and we're starting to play really a lot better the last month. We got some big hits, and that's something I think can grow and get better. We get in a tournament and we've got good pitching and we've got a chance to win. Q. Do you feel like you've done enough now to get in? Do you think one more win is enough? What's your mind-set? JIM MORRIS: Well, I'd like to win the tournament and have no doubt. So we're still a way. I don't think we're a lock by any means. We need to win on Thursday, and play good the whole tournament, in my opinion. Q. Who will start on Thursday? JIM MORRIS: We're starting Jeb. At least I remember one guy -- we had to pitch really our one, two, three this weekend, because I feel like every game has been a must-win to get to this point to get our record to where it needed to be and to get everything to set us up for an opportunity. Q. How hard has that been to make sure they don't get caught up in that, and that you are the guy that handles it all? JIM MORRIS: Well, I just talk to them about it and hopefully they understand it and let me handle it. I've been around a long time, and it's don't think about it. Just have fun and play hard every day. Our guys have practiced hard and play hard every day. Still, they think about it. There's no doubt about that. But I try to get them not to think about it and just play the game. Q. Does it help going into Thursday having had this series against Wake Forest this season? JIM MORRIS: Well, I think that we played them, so that's good and we played Georgia Tech, so you know a little bit more about them than you would if you were playing a Louisville that you haven't really seen play other than on TV. I'd rather have played people and see what they do, and let our coaches analyze their hitters and their pitchers and for us to have that experience behind us to know what we need to do to win. Q. What are your thoughts about the new format this season? JIM MORRIS: Well, I don't -- I voted against it. I don't like it. To be honest, I was for the eight-team thing. I liked the way the eight-team thing was set up and we go to the ten-team and now this one. I think the purpose of the ACC Tournament -- and some people in the ACC don't like to hear, but I've said the purpose of the ACC Tournament is -- (Livestream ends). FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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