James Madison head baseball coach Marlin Ikenberry spoke to the media following South Carolina’s 8-7 win to open the Raleigh Regional on Friday. Here’s what he had to say.
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Opening statement
“That’s a tough one. I thought we outplayed them all game long. We talk about getting 27 outs. And we got 26.
“Joe’s (pitcher Joe Vogatsky) been a beast force all year. These guys have played their hearts out all year. It just didn’t go out way today.”
On pitching to Cole Messina in the ninth inning
“I mean, I think the biggest thing is that we had our guy going. And it was a situation that I felt like — it’s kind of a ‘Catch-22,’ right? You don’t want to walk the tying run. But at the same time, our pitching coach made a mound visit, and Joe just mislocated a pitch. Tip your cap to them for hitting the ball. And then, I think that’s just baseball. It’s our best against their best, and they got it.”
On if Parker Noland’s struggles factored into the decision to pitch to Messina
“Yeah, we knew it. I mean, I think the biggest thing was, like I said — I think the biggest thing was the mislocated pitch. It was a breaking ball. And, like I said, Joe has been outstanding for us all year. He’s the reason we’re here right now. And I just think he mislocated a pitch that, I think if that ball had been a little bit away, could have been a pop up or something else. But that’s just baseball, and that’s part of it.
“And I was proud of how our guys competed. I was really proud of how we maintained the lead up (to the ninth inning). I was proud of how our pitching staff kept them off bay at times. And they’re a really good club, and they know that. So, my biggest thing was just trying to — you’re one strike away and you got their best guy on deck and a hit by pitch, and the next pitch is a home run. It happened fast. But Joe’s been the man for us all year, and it just didn’t come out our way.”
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On the decision to bring pitcher Donovan Burke into the game
“I thought it was a chance to give a different look. Todd Mozoki and Jackson Logar are very similar in look, and Donny is a totally different look. We’re just trying to keep them off balance, and Donny did a great job for us.”
On reconfiguring the pitching staff for tomorrow’s game
“It’ll be something we’ll regroup and talk about tonight. You know, these guys have been bouncing back pretty quickly. So, I think the biggest thing for us is just to kind of sit down and talk about our strategy. But, also, it’ll kind of depend on who we play, as well. So that won’t be a decision that’ll be made until later tonight.”
On sticking to a “small ball” approach
“We’re full throttle, all the time, so it’s not going to change. It’s just the way we play offense. A couple situations where they threw our guys out were hit and runs that we swung through. But, at the same time, that’s the way we play. If you’ve watched us all year, that’s kind of just how we go. And it’s not going to change.”
On bouncing back from Friday’s loss
“These guys have been doing it all year, so they’re primed for it. They understand it. I told them, ‘Once we leave the dugout, you got to erase it and move on.’ And that’s the goal right now — when we go back to the hotel, just erase it and move on and prepare for tomorrow.”
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