2021 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 23, 2021

David Esquer

Stanford Cardinal

Postgame Press Conference

Vanderbilt - 6, Stanford - 5

COACH ESQUER: One of those classic College World Series games. Unfortunately, it didn't fall our way. I've been a part of a few of them. And some of them have gone my way. And so you just know that's what happens here at Omaha sometimes. You get in those late innings and sometimes you have those magical endings for one team or another.

And, hey, zero regrets on our side. And you had a chance to speak with Brock Jones. And that's just indicative of why you wake up every morning excited to go to work, getting a chance to work with players like him who care so much about his team and his teammates.

And my heart hurts for our guys who are just hurting right now because they just want to continue to play with each other, just a little while longer. And I know we talk about just wanting to practice one more time, just to be together.

And to see them not get that chance, it hurts me. Just to watch my coaches who put so much time and effort into it. There's some tears out there, just because they care so much. And that's the beauty of it, that they really did have a brotherhood and a bond amongst each other that they'll never forget. And this will be, this will provide some memories for them that they'll take with them the rest of their lives and it will set a standard for how they go about their jobs and just this whole, the whole experience of college baseball and baseball at Stanford.

And we're dealing with making men better in the future, just better employees, better husbands and fathers and brothers. And I just love this group. And I'm going to miss not having this team together just one more time. And when we do get back here and maybe get further, it will be on the shoulders of this team that really set a standard for us and broke some barriers in our program and amongst each other.

Guys like Brock Jones who came to Stanford, not just to make it a stepping stone to professional baseball, but to get here to Omaha and play for a national championship and watch them just do it so courageously and put their heart on the line, it's a coach's dream; you dream to have players that care that much and want to play selflessly.

Q. Take us through the factors that led up to us seeing Brendan Beck closing it out, and what did you see on that final pitch?

COACH ESQUER: We knew we had Brendan for a short span. We knew that was probably a high leverage spot. And that would probably eliminate him for the rest of the weekend, but again it's kind of, you know, no tomorrow. And we were actually thinking of maybe only using him into the eighth, but the eighth inning was such short pitch count that we thought we had one more.

And hey, just one strike, one out away and we weren't able to get that. And hats off to Vanderbilt for staying with it and creating that inning out of nothing against an unbelievable pitcher. So when you're able to do that against a pitcher like Brendan Beck, you've earned that win.

And so I congratulate them. But I feel for Brendan.

Q. You alluded to it a little earlier in your statement. What does just getting to this stage again mean for Stanford baseball and what you guys want to accomplish moving forward?

COACH ESQUER: Well, hey, it's something that you shoot for. And it's something that we know that our program has experience doing. And I'm driven every day by the experience I had as a player here at Stanford, going to Omaha a couple times and winning a national title, and then watching my brothers go ahead and do it again the year after. And just understanding what it does for just for you as a person and how it changes your perspective on everything that you do as far as what you're shooting for, once you get a chance to play professional baseball or go to work or go to graduate school. You just -- all of a sudden what you expect out of yourself expands. And I love seeing that in our program, as guys just expect excellence out of themselves and expect to be competitive, tough competitors and fearless and maybe out of the norm of what you consider maybe a Stanford kid, but just that toughness. I love watching them just grow. And it's a great experience. I mean, for me I'm so blessed to be able to work with these student-athletes at Stanford and kids who care about baseball and each other, and they're great at something else too. It's a blessing for sure.

Q. Brock in the center of everything offensively for you today, just as he's been all season long. What have you seen from him development-wise -- you and I talked about this before -- but development-wise from him, when he stepped on campus to what he is now, which is, frankly, one of the best hitters in the country.

COACH ESQUER: When you can see a guy who is able to perform at this stage, hits in the middle of the order -- they're pitching him tough. They understand who he is. Just watching him to be able to perform and grow, where he was a year ago when he was just starting to concentrate on baseball and at this level, and it wasn't easy -- and to watch him just put in the time and effort and just be selfless and humble and work really hard. And he just drags people with him. People follow him.

They know that if a player like Brock Jones is working that hard, there is no excuse for anyone in our program not to follow his lead. And we're so blessed to have players like him. But he's not the only one. It's a culture and it's a group of guys that will -- they've done everything that we've asked, and my coaches can push them as hard as they need to push them for greatness and they accept it and embrace it. Probably -- you miss the games, but I think I'll miss practice with this group as much as anything with how hard they practice and how much they enjoy just being around each other.

Q. I notice Brendan, obviously just a tough way, especially with how good he was tonight leading up to that ninth inning, couple of folks ran out there to greet him off the mound and kind of pick him up a little bit. What was the message to him just given how abrupt that ending was and how just crushing that situation is for that kid?

COACH ESQUER: You understand the kid is hurting, but really Coach Eager and I went out there and just really, hey, Brendan, we love you, and we wouldn't be here without you. And we understand the pain that you're going through. But we have no regrets losing that way with you on the mound.

It doesn't make him feel a whole bunch better, but I felt for us to be able to express our love for him and our appreciation for him going back out there. He wanted to pitch and expressed to us that he was going to be available. And if it gave us a chance to play one more day, he wanted to do it.

We had many opportunities in the game today to kind of put that dagger run on the board and we just weren't able to do it. We had two or three opportunities to kind of put a couple nails in the coffin. And we just couldn't extend. Kind of created that ninth inning with only a one-run lead.

Boy, you don't want to see anybody, especially Brendan Beck, someone you care for -- baseball can bring you to your knees sometimes -- but the learning that can come from it and the experience and he will grow from this and we'll always appreciate what a great pitcher he is in our program.