2021 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 26, 2021

Cole Quintanilla

Texas Longhorns

Postgame Press Conference

Mississippi State - 4, Texas - 3

Q. Cole, overall thoughts on your performance?

COLE QUINTANILLA: You know, I just went out there and tried to leave it all out on the line for my brothers. Just doing everything I can to keep us in the game and everything I had, just leave it out there.

Q. Obviously the wounds are still fresh, but can you reflect about this season and getting this far and what you guys are able to accomplish this year?

COLE QUINTANILLA: I'm really proud of these guys. The season didn't start off how we wanted to, but I think we showed how tough we are. And I think the future is bright for the younger guys that are coming up, especially like Tanner, Nixon, Lucas, they are going to play a huge role for this team next year and years to come.

Q. Did you tire at all in that 9th inning or did you feel fresh going back out there?

COLE QUINTANILLA: I was more concerned about emptying the tank every inning and not how tired or how fresh I felt. Just what I had and what I was going to give, and if it was 70 percent, I was going to give 100 percent of that 70 percent.

Q. Getting to Omaha and losing by a run to the team that's probably going to win it all, talk about the experience?

COLE QUINTANILLA: I've really enjoyed it and it's good for the younger guys to experience it and know what it's like to be in Omaha and what it's like to win. It will motivate the younger guys even more to come back next year and finish unfinished business here in Omaha.

Q. What did Coach say to you guys in the locker room?

COLE QUINTANILLA: Before the game?

Q. Just after the game.

COLE QUINTANILLA: Everybody's still outside in the dugout, but basically just told us how proud he was of all of us, and, you know, how much he loves us.

Q. There was a moment there after you got out of that jam, Tristan comes up and gives you a hug. You guys talked all year about how close you grew through the experience, especially after not getting to be together last year during COVID. What was it like to go through this with those guys in the dugout, and how excited are you that you know you're going to have a lot of those guys back next year take a run at this again?

COLE QUINTANILLA: Yeah, Tristan's my boy. Ever since we got to campus, we've been through everything together, the ups and the downs. So I know it meant a lot to him and it meant a lot to me to come into that situation and get him out of it. I'm excited for what the future holds for this team with the younger guys. Going to be really good, and I think we're about to show college baseball that Texas is back and we're here to stay.

Q. Your fourth straight elimination and you guys had really, really late nights the last two nights. How draining has that been for you, and do you think that played a factor, a little bit of fatigue and exhaustion, late nights, four straight games, backs against the wall?

COLE QUINTANILLA: Yeah, obviously the late games weren't ideal, but Coach preached all season about grit and mental toughness and how important that is. And he something he said a lot was no matter the circumstances, it's just the way we like it. I think the team has really bought into that.

So even though we played late games until 1:00 am and stuff like that, even though everybody may have felt tired, I think in our minds, we're like, you know, it's just how we like it. Like, so what, let's do it. Like how awesome would it be to do this thing even though we've had late-night games and stuff like that.

Q. Great game by you. Could you describe that sixth inning when you got out of that bases-loaded jam?

COLE QUINTANILLA: I just really tried to slow the game down, and that was a big moment, coming in with no outs. I just tried to attack the hitters as much as I could. Basically just going after them and trying to let my defense work rather than trying to do it all on my own.

Q. Could you just describe the pressure that this team has been under after that Game 1 loss and having to fight your way to this point and get so close to the Championship Series?

COLE QUINTANILLA: I don't know if we really felt pressure. You know, going back to like I said, with Coach Pierce preaching just how we like it the whole year. So even though we lost the first game, I don't think anybody really doubted the next games to come. We really just focused on us and it's always been about us and what we do as a team, and so we just played it pitch after pitch, inning after inning, focused on what we can control and not the other team.