2021 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 21, 2021

Sam Highfill

NC State Wolfpack

Postgame Press Conference

NC State - 1, Vanderbilt - 0

Q. Seeing a guy like Jack Leiter on the other side and hearing all the talk about him coming into this and what he was doing, how much did that fire you up and motivate you to want to go out there and go pitch for pitch with him, which you obviously did?

SAM HIGHFILL: It did have a factor. I knew I was going to have to be good tonight. That kid's really good and you'll see his name called in the first, if not first five, 10 picks, he might be the first pitcher taken this year. I knew I was going to have to go out and be good. And Tatum hit the home run and I guess that was all we needed.

Q. I know it's sometimes hard to talk about yourself, but just how proud are you of the way you've developed as the season's gone along? You seem to be getting better and better every week.

SAM HIGHFILL: I feel good right now. And last couple of starts I have felt good. Stages keep getting bigger and bigger. And to be able to pitch in this park tonight was an unreal feeling. I'm glad we came away with the win.

Q. You obviously have an extensive NC State background. So, what you're doing in this journey is special, but to be doing it for the school that you have loved and adored and as part of your family, could you just speak to that, please?

SAM HIGHFILL: It's everything I dreamed of as a kid. I remember going to NC State baseball games when I was 6, 8, 10 years old, and wishing I was able to be out there with them. I watched them come to the College World Series in 2013. And it's been a lot of fun.

Q. You were able to keep the lead-off man off the base all but two of your innings tonight. How big a factor was that in your success?

SAM HIGHFILL: That's huge. That's what we try to do. It's a big thing. You get the lead-off guy, you're in a good position for the rest of the inning. It's certainly not over after you get the lead-off guy out. It helps a lot to not be pitching all inning from the stretch.

Q. I guess from a stuff standpoint you had the fastball, that Frisbee slider working for you. What did you think about your stuff tonight just overall?

SAM HIGHFILL: I thought it was good, but I wouldn't say it was the best I've had all year. Change-up was good sometimes, but I left it up a lot tonight. Able to get away with some of those. And breaking ball was hit or miss today. But, yeah, from down side-arm, stuff felt good tonight. Fastball felt good.

Q. Talk about the chemistry tonight between you and your catcher and shutting down Vanderbilt offense tonight?

SAM HIGHFILL: Luca is awesome. He had another great game tonight back there. Coach Chrysler calling pitches. And Luca playing defense, I don't want anybody back there, anybody else back there for me right now.

Q. When Tatum hit the home run, could you tell me how it made you feel? Did you think it was one of those games where one run would win it?

SAM HIGHFILL: I wasn't sure, but that home run was huge in the fifth inning, I guess it was. I knew I had done well so far, but I knew the game was far from over. I didn't know if one run was going to be enough or not. But that was a big home run.

Q. Can you just talk about the confidence that this team has right now going forward?

SAM HIGHFILL: We have a lot of it. We've beaten, in the last five or six weeks, we beat the ACC pitcher of the year; the SEC pitcher of the year, Kevin Kopps; we beat Jack Leiter tonight; we beat Brendan Beck on, whatever, two days ago. And we've got a lot of confidence. We've slayed a lot of giants and trying to carry it forward.

Q. Vandy has a lineup that hasn't been shutout in a couple of years. What was the key to shutting those guys down in your eyes tonight?

SAM HIGHFILL: I touched on it a little bit earlier, get the lead off guy out every inning, especially their lead-off hitter. He can run and keeping him off base -- I don't know if he got on tonight -- but keeping him off base was big. And just go from there.