Post Game Quotes
June 20, 2005 | Baseball
June 20, 2005
OREGON STATE COACH Pat Casey
I really don't know what to say. It's a tough time to talk. I just don't want our guys to feel like coming here, and not winning a ballgame, will take away anything from a great season. My main concern is how the players feel. It's a tough time. All of them feel like we can play with anybody here. I thought we played really well on Saturday, and probably didn't play as well today. It's just a difficult time after a tremendous season. I want them to understand how well they played all season long.
(on Gunderson's pitching performance)
It's amazing to watch him pitch. At his size, in that situation, he gave everything he had while we were struggling to put runs on the board. Without question, he was as good as you can get today.
(on feeling snakebitten or not getting any breaks)
Part of that is accurate, part of it is opportunities to take away things that wouldn't hurt us so bad. We had a chance to open up the game. We had runners on third and didn't score them. I don't feel snakebit, I just feel today we didn't force the issue as much as we wanted to. Things didn't go our way. It just didn't happen for us. It's a tough way to end the season, when we have such a great group of guys. We accomplished so much. These young guys are going to be proud of what they accomplished. We're going to lose some people, but a lot of good people are coming back. I just have a hard time dwelling on anything negative right now.
OREGON STATE FIRST BASEMAN Andy Jenkins
(on missed opportunities)
It was the same situation as the other game. We had to execute and we didn't do a very good job today. That's how it works. The ball bounced their way today. We just didn't execute to get those runners in.
(on the game-winning hit)
It didn't sound very sweet off the bat. I thought it was a great pitch. I knew when it was in the air I had no shot at it. I thought Kunda had a shot. But it was in a perfect place. They put the ball in play and it worked to their advantage.
(on the end of the season)
There's not much to say. We're very disappointed. We felt like we could compete with all of the teams here. But this has been the greatest experience that I've ever had. This team has shown so much composure and got through tough situations. We got through the regional and super regional. We hadn't been to a regional in so many years, so that is an accomplishment in itself. We need to focus on the positives. This team will be back. We have young pitching, and a lot of guys that know what a team is all about.
OREGON STATE PITCHER Kevin Gunderson
(on the game-winning hit)
There's not much to say about it. It's tough to give up a hit and lose the game on a 50-foot single. Jenkins couldn't do anything. It was a perfectly placed ball. I got it in there. If it was wood it might have broken the bat and had a different outcome. He found probably the only spot on the field that no one could have gotten it.
(on the end of the season)
This has been a great experience for Oregon State. We were picked sixth in the conference, and we weren't in the top 50 of any polls at the start of the year. We were ranked second nationally and to come in here is a tribute to our ballclub. The coaches worked hard all season. The kids worked really hard. It's a sad day for Oregon State but there's always next year. We wish luck to all the teams that are still playing. The NCAA treated us with respect. Omaha, Nebraska, gave us first-class service, and we can't ask for anything else.
(on the end of the season)
I'd rather have had someone hit it over the scoreboard than give up a hit like that. The Beavers will be back next year, I can promise you that. We lose some good guys, but we'll bring back a strong nucleus. The Beavers will be back in Omaha in 2006.
OREGON STATE SECOND BASEMAN Ryan Gipson
(on the play where he was thrown out at the plate)
I thought off the bat I got a good read on it. It was a line drive off the bat. I was on a full sprint for home. It was such a well hit ball, I thought I wouldn't even have to slide. It was an error on my part. I should have slid to the outside, and I thought it wouldn't be that close of a play.
