2013 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT – GAME 3 QUOTES
No. 3 Elon vs. No. 6 Furman
Wednesday, May 23, 2013
Fluor Field, Greenville, S.C.
Furman head coach Ron Smith
What got you off to a good start?
“We got three early runs and some key two-out hits; that’s always important when you’re playing in tournament baseball. So we got the early lead and we were able to get a couple big hits, patient walks, and a nice bunt. We battled well with two strikes. When you couple that with the game that Nate Smith threw for us … His change-up was very effective. He is such a good competitor and very composed in everything he does, and it carries to our team.”
The stretch you all have had the last five games, how did it affect you guys tonight?
“We have been swinging the bat well the last 10 games. A lot of the guys are feeling pretty confident at the plate, as they should. Defense has improved a little bit and we have some more guys healthy pitching. We’re in a pretty good place right now. Tomorrow is another day and we’re going to have to be ready.”
Is there pressure playing at Fluor Field, or is it different this year?
“We love playing at the tournament. It’s fun; if you can’t have fun at Fluor Field in the Southern Conference tournament, then you should not play baseball. It’s a lot of fun. I love it because I know my players are going to be ready to play. We just got to relax and play within ourselves. I was very confident we would play well tonight. I didn’t know if we would win, that’s how baseball is, but I was very confident that we would play well.”
Chris Ohmstede
The stretch you all have had the last five games, how did it affect you guys tonight?
“The last five games we have been hitting a lot with two outs, and that’s a huge key for us. We didn’t do that a lot throughout the middle of the season, and now we’re back to it and that’s key.”
Is there pressure playing at Fluor Field, or is it different this year?
“We love playing at Flour Field. We have a good record at this field. Every time we come here, we end up playing well. We pitch well, we hit well, and when you do both those things, you have a great shot at winning.”
Will Muzika
The stretch you all have had the last five games, how did it affect you guys tonight?
“Yea, that stretch was huge and we took that momentum into the tournament. Tonight, both pitching and hitting clicked, which makes it a whole lot easier to win ballgames.”
Is there pressure playing at Fluor Field, or is it different this year?
“We would have the same mindset if we were playing at Charleston. There is a comfort level playing at your home park, especially when we have played teams like South Carolina and Clemson here, it was kind of a big stage like playing the tournament.”