WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL B - AUSTRALIA VS CZECH REPUBLIC

March 13, 2023

Dave Nilsson

Logan Wade

Tokyo Dome

Team Australia

Pregame Press Conference

Q. The big day is coming. What's in your mind right now, David?

DAVE NILSSON: I think I'm just excited to see the what players are going to do. I think they have been waiting for this for a long time, and I expect a very good performance.

LOGAN WADE: For us as a playing group, nothing really changes. We are calm in the locker room, and I think we have been in this position before, and we are pretty confident that today is going to go well, and we just need to play our game.

Q. Obviously a huge day today; win, and you're in. Is there anything you tell the team or does everyone pretty much know what's at stake right here?

DAVE NILSSON: No, I don't meet with the team. As I said, we addressed this back in November. We touched on it maybe last week. It's just time for the players to play, and I hope they know what's at stake. I'm pretty sure they are on social media, so you know, this is why they are here. This is why they are here.

Q. This could be not only has Australia won two games for the first time but this could be the first time Australia goes to the second round. What ask this mean and what has the reaction been from your family and friends back in Australia?

DAVE NILSSON: To.

LOGAN WADE: To us it means everything. We are confident. We have been working all these years to get to this point to be in this position. We've had a good camp. Last year has been great. All the build up has been great, so I think if we just go out there and do our thing like we usually do, our family and friends will always be proud of us. That's not always good enough. We need to get out there and do our job from now.

Q. Obviously you're in the interested in the Czech story but it is interesting that today, you and the Czech Republic, two maybe not traditional baseball nations could advance over a team like Korea. You've seen the international game for a long time what. Does this say about the growth of baseball worldwide and the pride in Australian baseball?

DAVE NILSSON: Well, I think the World Baseball Classic has created an opportunity for a lot of countries, the bigger countries and the smaller countries to be on a world stage and showcase the talents and the passion of the local people. You know, so I think that's worked out really well for both countries. This is an opportunity to experience something unique but also to move the game forward in both our respective countries, and that's what we're trying to do.

We'll go out today, we'll just play a game of baseball. We all know what's on the line, but the domino effects after it could be really be significant.

Q. You and Robbie Glendinning not only have to captain the center of the infield, which is so important but in a game like this where emotions run high and pitchers sometimes have to maybe get their head back in the game or refocus, what is something that you look for and what is something that you might tell the starter on the mound during some of those big situations?

LOGAN WADE: Look, not a whole lot. Obviously if we see something big, we'll go out and say something. But we're confident in these pitchers to go out there and to know themselves, you know, just like us up the middle.

If we have to go out there, we will. You know, it's going to be obviously important in the game, in the situation, but you know, as long as they are calm and they are confident, and they are attacking the zone, then there's not really much we have to say.

But if we are out there doing our jobs, they can look at us, and we are all kind of on the same page. So that's the main thing for us.

Q. Martin Muzik played in Australia this last year. Do either of you know him personally and also, what does this mean for some of the club teams that maybe you came up with or play with when the ABL season ends?

DAVE NILSSON: Yeah, I think we have had cross over with a few of the players. They are good people. They are good-quality people.

As far as the effect on club teams, I think it shows that at every level of baseball, there are people that contribute to the top of the tree, right. So I speak to our players about making sure they thank all the people along the way, and this is a great opportunity for lower level clubs to see their people shine.

LOGAN WADE: I don't know him personally but I know he did play in Australia, but yeah, as David said, it really goes to show, the game of baseball is worldwide, and if he's playing club ball in another state, now he's here and we're here and we're all playing. It's a testament to the WBC and this great game of baseball.