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Game #3 Post-Game Notes
June 3, 2006
EVANSVILLE
Evansville is making its third NCAA Regional appearance and first under head coach Dave Schrage. With today’s win, Evansville stands 41-21 overall and 8-5 at neutral sites. UE has won 15 of its last 17 games.Evansville’s 41 wins are the most since 2000 (41). The Purple Aces have eclipsed the 40-win mark five times in school history.Junior shortstop Robbie Minor’s walk-off grand slam with two outs in the ninth to end the game marked the first home run of his collegiate career. His five RBI are also a career high.Junior RHP Matt Brinkmann now stands 6-5 on the season. He has recorded all six of his victories in relief. As a starter, he is 0-5 on the mound.Evansville Single-Season Record Watch:
| Kasey Wahl | ||
| Has: 86 Hits | Record is: 90 | Needs: 4 |
| 18 Doubles | 25 | 7 |
| Pat Tumilty | ||
| Has: 12 Homeruns | Record is: 20 | Needs: 8 |
LEHIGH
Patriot League champion Lehigh is making its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance.With today’s loss, Lehigh stands 28-27 overall and 14-10 on the road.Today is the first time that Lehigh and Evansville have met on the baseball diamond.Coach Sean Leary is in his 11th season at Lehigh. The 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year stands 225-262-4 with the Mountain Hawks, becoming just the second coach in school history to earn more than 200 career wins.Junior catcher Matt McBride improved upon his school record RBIs in a season. He now has 61 RBI to date.Sophomore RHP Joe Matteo made his 13th start of the season today.
Game #3 Post-Game Quotes
Evansville Head Coach Dave Schrage
On walk-off grand slam:
In the NCAA Regionals, being my first time in it, this was pretty dramatic. I’ve won games before during the regular season on walk-off home runs. I just want to congratulate Coach Leary and their fine season at Lehigh. That’s a terrible way for their season to end. They’re a class program; they played their hearts out all the way to last bat.
On come-from-behind win:
When our backs are to the wall, we seem to play our best. We could not have been more to the wall than in this game. And to come up the way we did there.
On tomorrow’s opponent (either South Carolina or Virginia):
We’d have to win a doubleheader. We’d have to play both (teams) if we want to stay in the tournament.
Our team feeds off emotion. We got very lucky with Watts’ hit. It worked out for us today.
Robbie Minor, shortstop
On game-winning homerun/grand slam:
It was the first homerun of my college career. I wish I would have hit one a couple of years earlier, but the first one came at the right time, so I’ll take it.
What went through your mind when you hit the ball:
I don’t know; it was all a blur. I was just trying to put the bat on the ball and hit it hard. Once I hit it, I knew I hit it pretty good.
What was the trip around the bases like:
It was unbelievable. It’s something I’ll remember the rest of my life. It’s great having great teammates and coaches.
Jim Viscomi, centerfielder
Have you ever seen a game as dramatic as this one:
Not in dramatic fashion like at regionals or the conference tournament, but, a couple of times during the regular season we’ve been on the other end of this. It’s the worst feeling in the world.
On rally in the ninth:
We just kept our heads up and knew if we kept the ball in play good things would happen. We were hitting the ball hard pretty much all day. Once we started hitting line drives, things started falling. When one guy hit big, the next guy hit big. We built confidence, and that’s all it takes.
Kern Watts, leftfielder
Was this the biggest rally of the season:
Yes, by far the most dramatic rally. We always feed off of each other’s energy. The first couple of hits were key. We just kept the ball rolling that way. The emotions were just flowing. In my head when I got up there, I was just thinking I wanted to give the seniors another day to play.
Lehigh Head Coach Sean Leary
On today’s game:
I couldn’t be prouder of my guys. This is a first for Lehigh baseballthe first team to win a Patriot League title, the first Lehigh team to play in a Regional. Sure, we wanted to be the first team to win a regional game, but it just didn’t happen. We were so close, but that’s not going to change the fact that we were here. If this is the worst thing that happens to Lehigh baseball, then I’m feeling pretty good.
We went toe-to-toe against the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference and Evansville just beat us today. I have to be honest…I was a fan for the last couple of minutes. It was a great game of baseball and Evansville had just the final hit. I think we earned some respect today in the way we played and went after it.
On the decisions to bring the pitchers in late in the game:
It wasn’t a difficult decision at alleither of them. We were going to go with the guys that got us here, and [Leland] Weisband and [Geoff] Campbell have been great for us all season. They are a big part of why we are playing in the Regional, and I had no qualms about giving them the ball.
The courage that they showed to pitch to Evansville the way they did was outstanding. They were going to challenge Evansville, and that takes guts to play like that. It was just one guy challenging another, and I was content to just sit and watch and be a fan. No question I was rooting for Campbell to get him out, and I couldn’t have been any prouder of the character he showed to throw that strike. It was one man against another, and to be able to play like that says a lot about him.
On Matt McBride:
He’s the best guy I’ve coached at Lehigh. I think Tuesday is going to be a special day for him, and he has earned it. It was great to watch one of the players they say is one of the top five catchers in the nation play this weekend, and I think he showed off what he can do. He is remarkably humblesuch a great kids. Hopefully Tuesday will work out for him, and I couldn’t be any prouder of what he has done. Sure, I’d love to have him back, but if this opportunity presents itself, I will be very happy for him.
Joe Ercolone, Center Fielder
Our guys, Weisband and Campbell, gave it 100% and they showed a lot of guts to get out there and pitch the way they did. I give Campbell a ton of credit for what he did, to go out there and pitch to him.
Joe Matteo, starting pitcher
We had such a great season, and this is just one game. I think we played a good game, and we are going to keep our heads up. Sure, it was definitely a shock and a tough way to end the season, but I think we played very well. We did a good job of representing Lehigh, the Patriot League, and the region overall. We will definitely learn from this weekend, but it’s by no means the end of anything at all.