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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: LUBBOCK REGIONAL

June 2, 2017

Lubbock, Texas

Sam Houston St. - 5, Arizona - 4

THE MODERATOR: Coach, an opening statement, and then questions for the student-athletes.

COACH JOHNSON: Great college baseball game. NCAA Tournament baseball game, two really good teams doing what they do. You have to credit Sam Houston State. We seem to be one hit, one play away from deserving to win tonight. So you give them all the credit. We've got a short turnaround. No doubt our team will be ready to be at its best tomorrow.

Q. Louis, what did you think was the difference tonight?
LOUIS BOYD: Just looking at the sheet, they left four on base, we left 11 on base. It comes down to that. We didn't execute a couple plays in big situations. You know, we had the ability to win that game, and we all know that. So we can kind of take that with a grain of salt and hopefully improve next game.

Q. You guys had several elimination games in last year's playoffs. How do you think that experience will help you this time?
LOUIS BOYD: I think it will help immensely. Just like you said, last year we battled a lot when we were behind, and we're just going to take that experience, be confident in tough situations and get on the tough road back. We know it's going to be a tough road from here on out, but we're ready to win four games straight starting with tomorrow.

Q. How difficult is it for you guys when they've run up six different pitchers in the first game of a regional like this?
CAL STEVENSON: It's very tough. They threw a lot of guys. Had some great arms out there. You've got to adjust to it quickly, and if you don't, they'll get you like they did tonight. I think it was just very tough for us to adjust to, and they made the right moves.

Q. Cal, this was your first NCAA Tournament game. How did it go for you, do you think?
CAL STEVENSON: I just approached it like any other game. I didn't want to change anything the way I was playing. I felt really good out there. Definitely different environment. So I had a lot of fun with it. Hopefully things end up better tomorrow.

Q. Can you just explain bunting situations and when to bunt and not bunt with Jared in the different spots that you did with him?
COACH JOHNSON: Yeah, early in the game I think it's important to play from ahead, especially in this type of game against that type of team. It maybe forces them to do some different things with their pitching, and that guy, we didn't get a real good look at him first time through the order, and I felt like the safety does a good job of it. A lot of times he executed, we get the run and he's safe because he's a great runner. That was the thought process there.

He ended up getting the two strikes and chasing. We didn't execute right there, and then the umpire called and it didn't go our way. Which was the right call. It hit his foot. The ball probably wouldn't have deflected the way it did if it didn't hit his foot. I saw that after the fact.

With first and second and nobody out, I believe it was in the fourth or the fifth, the flip side is they are not going to turn a double-play with one of the elite runners in college baseball.

Cooper, his batting average against left-handed hitters is .128. So with Alfonso on deck, the double-play probability not high, I wanted to try to go for it there, let Jared swing to where maybe we're first and third, no outs, run in, so Alfonso doesn't have to create the inning for himself and Cooper made a nice pitch and he popped up to shortstop.

So the decision was who did we want swinging the bat against Cooper who has been really good especially against lefties. Then also the probability of a double-play with him running, it probably had to go like that diving play, tag the bag, throw it across the infield, and you just don't see that very often. It was a great play by the third baseman.

Q. Louis mentioned the left on base numbers in this game. When you look back at this game in the third and fourth innings, you guys had bases loaded in the third and only got one run, and didn't get anything in the fourth.
COACH JOHNSON: That's the game. No question. We're in the NCAA Tournament for two years because there hasn't been very many teams in college baseball better than one run games better than Arizona. And tonight, that's the game. I can't remember. I believe it was the third inning. It was the third inning, bases loaded, nobody out. JJ, Jared, Alfonso, three first team, all Pac-12 players, and rightfully so. I don't know what the stats would be, but we're going to get two or three runs out of that, and you've got to tip your hat to Backhus for keeping us at one. He made the pitches to do it. Then the plays later in game, you use football analogies a lot. We're first and goal inside the ten, and fumbled probably twice, at least.

Q. Do you get the feeling going in that you were going to face a whole bunch of their staff?
COACH JOHNSON: No question. As soon as we found out who the starter was, you had to think they were going to match it up. And Matt did a really good job with that tonight. They were prepared. We were prepared. You look at it, games like this are going to come down to one play. Robbie had to have been the MVP of the Southland tournament based on the four games I watched on video.

He's on fire. He stayed inside the hanging curveball on JC and hit it out. Tip your hat to him. They deserved to win tonight.

Q. Were you able to do as much background work on that pitcher?
COACH JOHNSON: Yeah, we were totally dialed in. We were totally dialed in. Our process was fine. Brought the computer to the field. We showed the five guys that we thought we would see. He was one of them. Then we reinforced it once we saw it. He did a nice job.

They've got a good future in that program. Hopefully it just doesn't start until after this tournament's over. Lot of good freshman and sophomores on that team.

Q. Does it feel like in some way that they kind of beat you at their own game the way they executed the defensive plays that they made?
COACH JOHNSON: Yeah, yeah. I mean, there is a lot, when you look up and size up the two teams, a lot of things that we do really well and the reason we're here, they do really well. That's an athletic group. They hit the ball to the outfield with the man on first. They're getting to third. They put a lot of pressure on you. You saw it in the first couple innings. JC was pitching great, missing bats. Balls off the end, balls on the inside and those guys are flying down the first baseline. So credit the athleticism of Sam Houston State.

Q. What was your message to the team after the game?
COACH JOHNSON: You can't win the tournament tomorrow. So we want to just try to play great in the first inning tomorrow. You have to compartmentalize it. But really, when you get in a situation, a loser's bracket situation, it's not even about baseball anymore. It's about competitiveness. It's about togetherness.

One thing that we will do for the duration of our time together, when they tell us, until they tell us we can't play anymore is we'll be extremely unified and we'll be extremely tough minded and we'll compete extremely hard. I mean, that's what we're built on, and I'm ready to go. I wish it was first pitch right now.

Q. This is a quick turnaround for your guys tomorrow. What kind of challenge does that pose for you?
COACH JOHNSON: It's great. Like I said, I wish we could go first pitch right now. Call Delaware up, keep the lights on and go for it. It's good. You can't look at it any other way. Hopefully the rain stays away and we get an opportunity to keep it on schedule.

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: LUBBOCK REGIONAL

June 2, 2017

Louis Boyd

Jay Johnson

Cal Stevenson