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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 20, 2017

Omaha, Nebraska

TCU - 4, Texas A&M - 1

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Texas A&M.

COACH CHILDRESS: Well, very proud of our team. Stephen Kolek was well rested and ready to go. Felt like in the first inning he was nibbling a little much and very fortunate to get out of that inning with runners at first and second and nobody out. Couple of strikeouts and a big play by Bedford. Second and third inning, we had advantage counts, didn't make pitches. Went to the bullpen, and Kaylor Chafin gave us a wonderful effort and keep the game close and gave us a chance. It wasn't meant to be.

The story today was Brian Howard. He was fabulous on the mound didn't have a whole lot of opportunities to show. Once they went to the bullpen, they got off the field with runners at second with nobody out.

Q. Cole, you've seen Howard before. What were you expecting from him and what did you see from him that made him so tough?
COLE BEDFORD: Yeah, I mean, he's a competitor and he had his stuff today. You've got to give him credit. But at the end of the day, it's tough. I mean, I know everyone was giving their best out there and everyone left their best -- everything they had out on the field. And at the end of the day, you've just got to give them credit.

Q. Kaylor, back in Houston in March you pitched like six and a third really good innings against TCU. Another really good outing today. Is there something about the TCU lineup or playing TCU that really worked for you?
KAYLOR CHAFIN: Not really. I treat it like every other game. Just go out and try to do the best I can for the team, give them chances to win, giving them holes. But that didn't happen today.

Q. Cole, both games you guys had to chase runs. Did it change what you guys kind of had to do at the plate? Was there any more pressure on you because of that, do you feel?
COLE BEDFORD: No. I mean, I think we knew if we stuck to our approach and I felt like we don't chase the scoreboard, if we would have strung some at-bats together and we do what we're supposed to, then the runs will take care of themselves. And looking back, I don't think that no one tried to hit a 4-run bomb or 5-run bomb. I don't think anyone was trying to swing too big.

It's baseball. There's only going to be one team at the end of the year that's kind of pumped at where they ended up.

Q. Had 12 strikeouts. Could you talk about what he was throwing, the strikeout pitch, what he was getting you guys with? Why so many strikeouts is the simple way to put it?
COLE BEDFORD: He was coming in both sides of the plate with his fastball. And he was getting us to chase a little bit. I think we kind of got away from our approach early on.

I know I did in the first inning. I chased the first pitch down, and that's what he kind of feeds off. He's an adrenalin guy. When he gets in a groove -- you try to get him before he gets in the groove because when he gets in the groove, he's got good stuff. And, I mean, he kind of showed it today.

Q. This is the second time the Kentucky pitcher, real tall, 6'11" guy, you guys had trouble with. Was there something like that. Is that just a tough matchup or fighting a guy that's --
KAYLOR CHAFIN: I don't think so. No. It's just one of those days. It's baseball.

Q. Cole, Coach mentioned he thought Stephen was nibbling a little bit. What did you see from him that kind of led to him struggling?
COLE BEDFORD: Yeah, I think maybe in the first he was trying to, you know, paint up a little bit. But he's got good stuff, and everyone's seen that his last six, seven, eight outings. I mean, I think looking back maybe I should have helped him out set up a little bit on the plate. I was probably trying to pick a little bit, too, and trying to be too fine instead of trusting the movement in the ball and letting it work and trusting the guys behind us, probably a little bit on me, too.

Q. Kaylor, just talk about the season a little bit and what this ride meant, even though it's ended here with these two games, losing these two games here?
KAYLOR CHAFIN: Yeah, this is by far the most fun I've had playing baseball. Even starting the season, getting swept in the SEC and things like that. Kind of makes you closer, a lot more like a family.

These are all my brothers. Coach over here. He kind of just let us take control. We had a team meeting in Vanderbilt. Turned it around there. Kind of sputtered at the end, but we made a good run in the playoffs. Can't hang your head on that at all.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach.

Q. You always say it starts on the mound. Just talk about just up here it just didn't happen for you on the mound with the starters.
COACH CHILDRESS: No, it didn't. And you asked the question of one of the kids when you're chasing runs it's a little bit different. Everybody's squeezing a little bit tighter, trying to do a little more to get us back in the game.

When you're facing the likes of McKay and the kid today, you're not going to have very many chances. When you're doing a little bit of this, you're asking for trouble.

Q. Having seen Howard before, I guess last year in the Super did you try to approach him any differently or what was the game plan against him?
COACH CHILDRESS: Just don't miss a fastball. That's the best way is to hit his breaking ball. We didn't have a whole lot of opportunities. We fouled a lot of fastballs off.

And, you know, he's really good. I mean, I think that kid is going to pitch a long time. I don't know what his numbers are against Texas A&M, but I would expect they're pretty good.

Q. Can you do a little bit what Kaylor did with the season, this was a team that a lot of people didn't think would be here. And I know you didn't do what you wanted to up here, but just getting here almost seems like a positive?
COACH CHILDRESS: Very proud of our team. I mean, I told the guys after the game, the five seniors have created a team that will always have a reunion, a College World Series team, the 2017 team.

And they're part of a couple of really good teams the last couple of years that weren't able to get here. And for them to see it through for those guys that have moved on says a lot about those five guys.

The pitchers, a lot of them had hung out in the kiddie pool for the last couple of years while some really good pitchers pitched. They all stepped forward and did a wonderful job. We had a lot of freshmen jump in the grease and do a wonderful job through Southeast Conference play and on into the postseason. Now it's their turn to carry the torch in the future, and there's only going to be one team that doesn't feel the way we do right now left at the end of the College World Series.

So we've got to learn from it, grow from it, and do our best to get back here as fast as we can.

Q. Do you sense from your players now any extra frustration or disappointment that not only did y'all lose here but it came to TCU again?
COACH CHILDRESS: No, I mean, our guys, if they hang their head walking off the field, I would be disappointed in them. I told them: You don't hang your head. You have nothing to be disappointed in. You should be incredibly proud. I don't care who is in the other dugout, whether they're green, orange or purple. They're a good team and incredibly well coached. And Howard reminds me of Michael Walker with the tilt and ability to power the fastball down. He's incredibly competitive. I'm not going to apologize for losing to him. That guy's a really good pitcher. I'm not going to apologize for anything that we did this year.

Q. You mentioned those five seniors. What do you think those guys meant to the program just over the last four years?
COACH CHILDRESS: An awful lot. Those guys have been role players as well, been everyday guys, with the exception of probably Nick Chor, being those guys didn't get off to great starts, maybe felt a little bit of the pressure, but down the stretch, when we needed them the most into the postseason, they played really well the last three weeks.

Q. When you all got down four, when you got down against Louisville and rallied, got back into contention, what was the discussion, what was the talk, the message in the dugout after that?
COACH CHILDRESS: Just trying to scratch a run across each inning and lessen that 4-run lead that they had. We weren't able to do that. We had a couple of shots. I think we only had four shots with runners in position, maybe five. And the only thing we had was a sacrifice.

So, again, like I said in the opening, the story of the day is Brian Howard.

Q. People are going to ask about the way you started, the two guys you started rather than Brigham, just go over that a little bit about what your thought process was behind that.
COACH CHILDRESS: We didn't come here to make a good showing. We came here to win the College World Series. You can sit in the dugout and not make any decisions or do what you think is best for your team that sets you up with an opportunity to win the tournament. And that's what I did. And I'd do it again in a minute.

And all the decisions we made throughout the postseason, throughout conference, throughout nonconference, once we got through at Minute Maid, certainly one of the reasons we got here, I'd do it again.

If our pitchers weren't all in on it, we wouldn't have made that decision. But they were all in and an incredibly selfless group.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Congratulations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 20, 2017

Rob Childress

Kaylor Chafin

Cole Bedford