NCAA Region 12 Opening Day Press Conference
5/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Alabama Head Coach Patrick Murphy’s Opening Remarks:
“I’m just really interested to see how this new format works out for Division I softball. I hope it’s a good thing. I hope with the 16 sites that there is a lot more added exposure and fan interest in the game. It’s a game that needs to get more fan interest and media coverage. I’m hoping that there will be big attendance at all 16 sites.”
On getting used to being in Regionals:
“It’s never boring for sure. This is one of the most exciting times of the year when Alabama pops up on the TV screen. You know you are going to get in but it is almost like a pleasure-pain thing, where you wait and wait and then it finally pops up on the screen and it’s very exciting and makes all of the hard work worthwhile. It’s the greatest time of the year for a coach.”
Alabama Catcher Ashley Courtney, on being in this position before:
“You always want to be in the final game. Because we were there two years ago and it’s the position that we are in now, it’s a comfortable feeling for us. We are in a situation where we definitely know where we are at, especially the seven seniors. We know what it’s going to take because we have been here before so we are looking forward to it.
On the difference between this season and 2003:
“I think we have a different team chemistry. We have more of an all-around team; we can use anybody in any situation. Then of course we have seven seniors. I think we have a better fan base. A stronger fan base than we did then.”
Mississippi Valley State Head Coach Lee Smith’s Opening Remarks:
“I’m glad to be here. I know our players are excited to be here too. It was a short trip. Last year we went all the way out to UCLA and this year we only had to drive two and a half hours down the road. It was a great opportunity for all of the players and all of our parents to actually come out as a team.”
On changing expectations following last year’s regional:
“Last year going out and winning two games at UCLA, you get a little bit of hype. You have higher standards now. We are going to have opportunities now to go out and compete instead of just being there. We want to go out and try to win.”
Mississippi Valley State Outfielder Belencia Young, on the difference between last season and this season:
“It’s a different outlook for us as a team. Last year we went out and played UCLA and it was good to see that style of ball. This year we’re going to take the regional, that’s our plan.”
Arizona State Head Coach Linda Wells’s Opening Remarks:
“We’re pleased to be representing Arizona State in the NCAA championships and happy to be in Tuscaloosa. We are enjoying the opportunity to compete here in the regional championships. The team just got off the field an hour and half or so ago from our practice. We got our travel in and everything’s fine and we are excited to open the tournament tomorrow against Hofstra.”
On the timing of her retirement announcement at the end of last season:
“Thirty-five years, is why I retired. Why then, because we were approaching July 1, which is an important recruiting date for coaches. Our program was going to have one senior and I knew I was just going to take one freshman. It just felt a lot more comfortable to me recruiting that young woman knowing that there would be a new person coaching when she got here and it went smoothly. I was able to receive a commitment from her and I also think it gave the entire team the who summer to know how it was going to be and everybody got to try it on. The main reason was so that I could go through the recruiting season representing honestly how the program was going to be. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable recruiting people to ASU and them having them come in the fall and then saying mid-year that I was leaving. I was also working with the Greek team and planning my trip to Athens, Greece. It was timely.”
Arizona State Catcher Heidi Knabe, on Coach Wells’s retirement:
“We came into the season and we wanted to make sure that we wanted to send her out on a high note. We wanted to make sure that we did play hard for here. We won this last Cal game for here. We would love to win this regional for her. She has meant so much to Arizona State.”
Hofstra Head Coach Bill Edwards:
“We were hoping that no one would have noticed what we did last year so that we could sneak up on some people. Hopefully this year we are going to just play well. We don’t have control over the game but we can control how we play the game. We don’t play against Arizona State or Alabama, two incredible programs, we just play the game. That is sort of our philosophy and if we get into a situation late in the game to win it, then we hope get lucky enough to pull it off. We don’t treat any game any more important than any other game. We always just try to maintain the same composure all the time.
“The one thing that we do take from last year is experience. We were sophomores last year. This year we are juniors and seniors. You can’t coach experience. Experience has to happen, has to take place, it has to be a fabric of the game. Last year’s regional just gave us great experience.
Hofstra Pitcher Adrienne Clark, on having unfinished business from last season:
“With anything, there is always room for improvement. You are never complete satisfied until you reach all the goals you want to reach.”
Hofstra Pitcher Callie Osborne
“It’s nice to have a little regional experience under your belt coming into this year. Plus we only had two seniors last year so basically everybody is back from last year.”
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