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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 22, 2018

Omaha, Nebraska

Oregon State - 12, Mississippi State - 2

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Oregon State coach Pat Casey, student-athletes Brandon Eisert and Trevor Larnach and Kyle Nobach.

COACH CASEY: I just thought we really played well defensively in the infield, thought we made some big plays, kind of odd that we haven't got a real quality, quality start yet. Eisy was obviously lights out. These guys over here really produced some offense for us and got us going, feeling good. Thought we had a lot of momentum, thought we were sharp. And we're just thankful we've got another day to play.

Q. Brandon, obviously you haven't got a lot of length out of your starters so far in this College World Series. When you come out there, are you thinking I'm out here for the long haul, are you trying to go deep into this game, or what's your approach today against that lineup?
BRANDON EISERT: Go inning by inning and out by out and keep competing out there. And as long as you can go is as long as you can go, and you just have to keep battling to go as long as you can.

Q. Kyle or Trevor, you guys are batting .377 here in Omaha, averaging about 11 runs a game. What accounts for this explosive offense you guys have had out here?
KYLE NOBACH: I don't know. I mean, I don't think any of us really pay attention to stats. We go out there and we want to play for each other. And I think that raises your level of play, when your focus is not on yourself and it's on the team. And I think everybody feels that way.

I mean, the outfield wants to do it for Kwany who is banged up right now, and our starting pitching is not throwing well, and Eisy wanted to do it for those guys. I don't think it's anything crazy. All of our guys have worked hard and everybody works hard. But you've got a bigger purpose and a why for what you're doing, I think your level of play goes up.

TREVOR LARNACH: I don't think I can top what Kyle just said. So there you go. (Laughter).

Q. Kyle, talking about bigger purpose. I know you guys have that article taped up in the dugout about not winning the national championship last year. How much does thinking about last year and how that ended -- is that on the mind for you guys, just wanting to be able to finish this off?
KYLE NOBACH: I wouldn't say everybody is sitting here thinking about last year. You can't worry about the past. You always gotta keep move forward. It's a different team. Case says it all the time. This team is never going to be together, it's never going to be the same team as next year. It's a new team. It's a new season. And obviously the goal is the same, but we've had good camaraderie on this team and people love each other, so I think that helps us.

Q. Trevor, obviously you've been the guy a lot for this team. But with the protection you have in the lineup with Adley Rutschman behind you, and obviously where you are on that order, you don't have to be the guy. How much confidence does that give you at the plate just knowing who is behind you and has that helped you this year and throughout this College World Series?
TREVOR LARNACH: Yeah, definitely. Seems like whenever I don't get the job done, Rutsch is right there behind me. It gives me a lot of confidence in him, trust, everything. And I love the guy and he gets me going and he picks me up. He's a huge help to not only myself but the team.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions for Coach.

Q. Pat, just the last three games, 37 runs, from your perspective as a hitting guy, what have you seen from this lineup that's so locked in right now?
COACH CASEY: Well, obviously when you're swinging the bat well, you have a lot of confidence going up and down the lineup. I think Kyle said something that's important: You kind of surrender averages and you just go play the game. And I think it helps, I really do.

I think we've got a team approach to swinging, and I'm sure a lot of guys do that as well. But I think they have a lot of trust in one another. And obviously I've been through spells during the year when we haven't swang the bat well. They'll be swinging it well at the right time. Certainly it's something I'm excited about.

Q. How nice was it to get that early lead and to be able to manage with that kind of an advantage?
COACH CASEY: Well, you know, it was good. And you know it's, like I said, and it's no knock on the starting pitching, we just really haven't got a good start.

So we're kind of concerned about -- obviously you're pinned against the wall when you get to the loser's bracket. And never would have dreamed that Eisy would have given us that much length, never would have dreamed that Fehm couldn't get us through to five. But it's been kind of a scrap deal with the mound and some guys have come in and done really well.

I think Chamberlain has pitched well. Obviously the other night Mully pitched well. We're up against it pretty good with pitching right now. So the lead really helped, really gave us some momentum.

Q. Speaking of scraping it together, who would you target to start tomorrow and what would the plan be pitching?
COACH CASEY: We talked about that this morning in our meeting. And we said let's not talk about it. Seriously, let's -- if we win, we'll talk about it. But Christian Chamberlain has started before.

Gambrell started before. We've had a couple of guys like that that have started before. Obviously we're kind of up against it a little bit here. So we might have to piece it together just to get through it.

Q. Is there anything in particular you can point to with these starting pitchers not being able to go deep and struggling? Is there any reason for it?
COACH CASEY: No, the head coach, that's all I can think of. (Laughter).

I don't know. I don't know. We gave Luke the ball 17 times or 18 times and he's 16-1. Fehm has won, I don't know, 26 games at Oregon State in three years.

I don't know. They just haven't been able to get the ball where they want. And Fehm only threw 50-some pitches the other day.

I really can't pinpoint it. I don't know if they're trying to do too much. But they're certainly very capable of giving us those starts. And I guess the only silver lining in the thing is none of them have thrown very many pitches. So they're fairly well rested.

Q. Gary said he's going to pitch Ethan Small, left-hander. Did you see him the other night and what are your thoughts about him?
COACH CASEY: I think he's really good. I've seen him throw. I saw him throw against Vandy and saw him throw the other night. Seen him on tape. He's obviously one of the premier guys.

I think he's (indiscernible), 3.10, something like that. And the guy is good. I think it was Washington, I believe -- am I right? -- that he started against and they're going against DeMers and DeMers is tough. And to pitch in that situation against a club that I think is pretty good offensively in Washington, he did a heck of a job.

Q. The play that Kyle talked about, doing things, taking up the slack without Steven out there. Any chance at all that he can play tomorrow, or is he still unlikely?
COACH CASEY: I hope he can play tomorrow. He was much better today than he was the other day. He's making progress. I just don't want to put him in a situation where he can't get to a ball and he feels bad.

And it's just a tough situation. So everybody -- the first inning, the ball goes off Jack's knee. And he said, Coach, the ball hit my knee. I said, I know; where's your glove? I get it. You haven't played centerfield, but let's get the glove in the front of the knee and maybe -- Jack's actually a good outfielder. He really is.

He hasn't played centerfield at all this year. He's played it a couple times in the fall and played it last year a couple times. But to send a guy out there and ask him to do that is difficult.

But it's our best option right now to do that. And he's capable of doing it.

Q. Excuse my ignorance on this, but have you done well against left-handers this year?
COACH CASEY: You really want me to tell you that? I'm teasing you. I think that we're about the same. I think we hit right-handers and left-handers. I think everybody's got splits now.

It's the most amazing thing in the world. When I first started coaching, who would know hitting against left-hander, right-handed. Now all of a sudden it's posted on you. I think it's pretty close. Kendall probably knows off the top of his head. But I think it's close. We might have a higher batting average against left-handed pitching. I don't know that for sure but I think it's very close.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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