FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NCAA TALLAHASSEE SUPER REGIONAL JUNE 10, 2017 GAME ONE: FLORIDA STATE / SAM HOUSTON STATE Mike Martin, Head Coach Florida State: Opening Statement: “There’s a lot of things that happened in the ballgame that make our game so unusual, so great for a lack of a better word. I don’t know the last time I’ve seen a triple play. A true triple play; five, four, three. I’d tell you one thing, we’ve got 27 guys that will not back down. They won’t look at each other like what the heck is going on. They will just battle. You’ve got leaders sitting up at this table. You’ve got a guy who had literally been lights out the last six/seven outings, had a bad day today, didn’t come in griping about anything or coming up with excuses. He went out there and battled; 119 pitches. Those are the things that we as coaches remember. I could talk about this guy (Jackson Lueck); he won’t tell you he wasn’t feeling the greatest today. This guy right here (Taylor Walls), a true leader – one of many on our team. This is what makes coaches proud. Let’s just get to the bottom of it folks, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played. We’re excited but you can’t fall in love with yourself, get the inward turned eyeballs. You’ve got to be ready to go tomorrow.” On describe ninth inning with two men on and no outs: “It’s nice when you’ve got a leadoff hitter who knows how to leadoff and he’s leading off the ninth inning. Trying to get him to chase the first pitch, no. the rest is obviously history. Just very proud of these guys and the 24 that are in the clubhouse right now because it was a pure display of competing and that really excites me.” On going against a heavy offensive, base running team: “They did a good job; you have to tip your hat to them. They did a good job at putting pressure on us, couple of things that kind of took us by surprise. There again, we aren’t going to sit there analyze it and go back over it. We we’re prepared, we just didn’t get it done.” On the triple play: “To be honest, I could look you dead in the eye and tell you that not a single person said anything. Don’t think there won’t be some jabbing going on from some of the players because that’s what baseball players are all about. When it happened, nobody said a word.” On what do you have to say to your team now: “I walked in and one of the guys was saying to the team, remember we were in this position last year. I don’t need to say anything, that was said and that’s just the way these competitors are. Like I said, there’s a lot of baseball left, we just have to be ready to go tomorrow.” Jackson Lueck Leftfielder On if he saw himself bunting: “I thought maybe – just go out there and see the pitch. It went first pitch changeup so I could see it. I saw it was off and was a ball. Next pitch was a fastball and I got it off. Next pitch came back with a changeup again and I was able to track it and got a good turn on it.” On how do you try to stay consistent: “I just try to keep it simple; try to keep the same routine. Try to get my pitch and try to get a swing on it.” On last post‐season vs. this post‐season now having experience: “Definitely playing at home. It’s better than Gainesville, that’s for sure. When you played in the playoff last year you definitely get the experience and know what’s it’s like but you’re still playing the same game so you have to keep it simple.” Taylor Walls Shortstop On decision to bunt: “I saw the guy on the mound and I didn’t feel like I got it past him that he’d be able to beat me to the bag and the first baseman and second baseman we’re in the grass. The first pitch was a ball and the next pitch I knew they were probably going to come back with a good pitch, probably over the plate. Just get something that you can lay down that’s all.” On dugout mood early in the game: “When things like that happen, you just have to throw them away. We did a lot of uncharacteristic stuff but nobody really got out of themselves. It was always, give me the ball and let’s just get back to what we do. I felt like (Tyler) Holton did a great job keeping himself composed and keeping us in the game. Us as hitters we knew there’s no deficit we can’t come back from. With that happening in the first inning we knew we had 27 outs left to grind at it and to get back ahead. (Tyler) Holton did a great job at keeping us in the game.” Tyler Holton Pitcher On pitching to a team that will go for any pitch at any count: “They definitely did a great job at keeping us and me off balance. They are really aggressive on the base paths as well. They just do stuff that’s not traditional I guess you could say. They might get a shorter lead and try to start running before they steal. They did a good job at playing their game and I had trouble playing my game early on. I was kind of doing what they wanted me to do. I knew that we had the offense that we had and they were able to show up. They kept me in the game and it obviously game me confidence to go back out, settle down and pitch my game that I’m used to. Defense, we played great – I was the one going and making all the errors. (Dylan) Busby made a great play on a slow roller and threw it to (Drew) Mendoza, when they tried to score two and he was ready and prepared for it and Cal (Raleigh) was there to tag him out at the base. We definitely played well enough to win and I’m proud of the way we fought and we’re able to overcome.” On Jackson Lueck’s hit: “Just a testament to the team that we are. Obviously, I didn’t have my best stuff. He had our number in the first inning and look kind of like it could be a long day I guess you could say. We knew that we believed in each other and to have that grind throughout the game. We got one run, one run, one run – we knew we could have a break out inning. To see him get that fourth hit of the day, I don’t know who you’d want to pitch to in our lineup right now to be honest and that’s a good feeling for us.” ‐‐#NCAABaseball‐‐ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NCAA TALLAHASSEE SUPER REGIONAL JUNE 10, 2017 GAME ONE: FLORIDA STATE / SAM HOUSTON STATE Matt Deggs, Head Coach Sam Houston: Opening Statement: “I’m real proud of our guys. This is a great atmosphere against a really, really, really good team; they’re a great team. Very well coached, obviously. Legendary coach and the assistants do a great job. I thought it was just a heavy weight battle. We jumped out and I thought we executed our game plan. Holton is as advertised – he’s very, very hard to find. I don’t care how much you say, ‘stay behind the ball, stay behind the ball,’ he’s extremely hard to find and his change‐up, he has a lot of depth and a lot of movement to it. I thought we came out and executed our game plan. We were able to grab a lead and we just weren’t able to get off the field with two outs. That’s just the bottom line. Anytime you have a great program on the ropes like that, you have to finish. And both of these teams, you’re gonna have to finish them to get them. They’re not gonna give you anything, they’re not gonna give up, they’re not gonna surrender. And that goes for us too. You’re gonna have to finish somebody to get to Omaha. And we had that opportunity today and let it slip. Our guys will be hungry. Tomorrow will be our fifth elimination game so this is nothing new to us. We’ll be ready to rock n’ roll bright and early.” On confidence going into tomorrow knowing you’re down a game: “We’re fine. I’ve been in their situation plenty of times too. Its jubilation, it’s joy; but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win twice to go to Omaha and we still have two cracks at this deal. As long as there is life in us, I promise you we’re in the fight. I can guarantee it.” On having a fan base of 350 people attending: “It’s awesome. Sam Houston State is an incredible university with unbelievable passion and support. Like I said the other day, this is family, man. This is family for us. And when family gets behind us, we can feel the love, we can feel the support and it’s driving us. I thought we played a heck of a ball game. Our defense today was tremendous. Came up with a couple of big knocks – found ways to get on base. Like I said, we just weren’t able to get off the field and that happens.” On seventh inning that got 2 out, 1 score hits – anything seen about Mills & Robinson? “No. I mean, tip your cap to (Taylor) Walls who was, without a doubt, one of the best shortstops we’ve played this year. He started that whole thing with the drag bunt. And that’s fine; we’ve got a three run lead at the time, that’s fine. But we can’t compound it with walking the next hitter. And that’s kinda how that whole thing started. We weren’t able to get off the field. That’s fine; they tied it up, it’s our job to have Dakota’s (Mills) back right there and come back in and score. Like I said, throws a heavyweight battle – both teams going at it. It was a great game, I’m sure it was super entertaining. Great atmosphere, this place is awesome. I think our kids loved playing here today. And we’ll be looking forward to playing tomorrow.” Bryce Johnson Centerfielder On any changes that FSU made that contributed to only one more run for Sam Houston after third inning: “Maybe we were just trying to do too much at the end there. Maybe we were getting out of our game plan just a little bit. But no, you gotta tip your caps to them. When they came in, they filled up the strike zone and we just didn’t get the big hit. That is what I would say.” On message from hitters during comeback: “We tried to stay with the same game plan. I thought we stuck with it and you just gotta tip your caps to them again. They got those big hits and then put up a three spot. Like Coach Jake said, we gotta come back and have Dakota’s back right there. And tomorrow we’ll make sure we come back and do that.” Hunter Hearn On mindset about tomorrow’s game: “We have nothing to lose. Our deal is, we don’t want to come out and have regrets and I don’t have any regrets in how that was played. I know they played hard; they just had more hits than we did.” ‐‐#NCAABaseball‐‐