Coach Mitch Gaspard Press Conference Transcript
1/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 28, 2010
Opening comments:
"I think one thing from day one taking over for Coach (Jim) Wells that I certainly wanted to implement, and I think we've done a good job to this point, is just kind of changing the culture a little bit and setting our own identity as a program. We really got back to a hard-nosed mentality, a very aggressive style, both offensively and defensively, and the addition of (assistant coach) Kyle Bunn to our pitching staff, that has really started to take shape through the fall leading into the spring season.
"Right now, we are real pleased with the players and the effort we have gotten up to this point. We certainly feel like our identity is starting to take shape leading into the season. We've had a lot of work with our strength coach Rocky Colburn, especially this first month leading into the season with our weights and conditioning and getting ourselves back in physical condition.
"We've done a lot mentally with our guys. I think that was one of the things we wanted to address, particularly with the pitching staff and trying to get that confidence and little bit of arrogance about them, that when we take the field we certainly take it with a purpose and there's a lot of pride in taking that ball and giving it to the next guy that's going to follow you up. Certainly at this point, we are pleased in the bullpen and with the work we are doing right now in the weight room and our individual work. We feel like that will lead into the season and we will progress as the year goes on.
"Our motto is play hard and get dirty. That's what we are expecting each day we go out there from our coaching staff and from our players and it's going to be a trust in the plan, trust in the coaching staff and a trust in your teammates and I think we are on that page and we are moving forward to do that and certainly we have enough talent to be very competitive and a team that can be very good down the road. That's the issue right now that we are really trying to address is being a tough-minded team and to improve game-by-game and day-by-day out at practice."
On anything specific you have done to change that culture with your team:
"Well from a mentality standpoint, probably the way we've done some things. We still work and do a lot of the same things we did in the past, but I think from an effort standpoint and from a coaching style we are just on them constantly. I think one thing that will help us this year, even though we had a lot of seniors last year on the team, I feel like the leadership right now with Jake Smith, Clay Jones and Adam Morgan - although just a sophomore, he has really provided that for the pitching staff - and of course our two guys up the middle (Ross) Wilson and (Josh) Rutledge. There is a lot of experience on that field and guys that have played for three and four years and they have bought into what we really want to do and I think the style of play offensively plays into that. My philosophy is going to be more of a short game, but also a more aggressive brand of offensive baseball and that kind of lays the ground work of what we want to do. Because to be successful in that style, you got to go at it, you got to look for certain ways to take extra bases and to create offense when you're out there. I think as much as anything it's been our approach to what we want to do. We've certainly changed up some things on the field and in the weight room and off the field to create that. I think it's been a lot of energy from our coaching staff that laid the ground work for that more than anything."
On pitching rotation:
"Right now, from a pitching rotation, going into the spring Adam Morgan would certainly, as of right now, be our number one (starter). We really like Jason Townsend, a kid from Chipola Junior College, to be in that mix. We are real encouraged with Jimmy Nelson right now, he has been outstanding. We've got Jonathan Smart, who is a redshirt from last year who had an arm injury and was a junior college All American at Shelton State (Community College). I can see him in the mix and also a kid named Taylor Wolfe, who is a freshman from Columbus, Ga. Along with that, those are starting-type guys, the bullpen, I think, has an opportunity to be much improved with Tyler White, who was a kid that improved for us last year and is getting better and better. David Head (is there) and we have another freshman Matt Taylor, who can pitch in the back end of the game along with Jake Smith. We are encouraged with our pitching. We realize and they realize the last two years it's kind of been an Achilles heel for us. The offense has been outstanding and they've got to add into carrying the load this year. They understand that. They understand that in every (preseason) poll and every projection that is the question mark by our name right now. `They have a good offensive team, but how far is the pitching going to take them?' I think that's part of our motivation to them is we are only going to be as good as you guys taking the ball every night."
On your philosophy on pitching:
"We want to create roles. Right now when we look at our pitching staff we have 16 pitchers. We feel like right now at least 12 of those guys could throw some type of innings for us. We feel like 10 of them can throw significant innings for us. That's really our job now coming from the fall leading up into the first month of preseason work and then getting into the first month of the season, that's where we are trying to create and develop those roles, who is going to fit into those spots. We have in our mind right now who we are targeting as starters and who we are targeting as relievers, middle guys and closers. To answer that question we want to use the staff. We want to build a staff. It's important to us to have the young guys. We really like five freshmen that are going to pitch for us and we are going to pitch them. What roles are created, a lot will be developed as far as how those guys respond and how they pitch when they get those opportunities. That is something that is real important to us is to build a pitching staff and not rely on one or two relievers and three starters. In the long run you can't win in the end that way. We have to develop the entire pitching staff."
On replacing Kent Matthes in the outfield:
"First of all, (Taylor) Dugas will move to center field. Right now, if there are question marks that would be the two question marks for me is left field and right field, not because of the players there, but due to the injuries there. Right now, we have two redshirt freshmen Brandt Hendricks and Kent Myer, who were redshirted last year and this fall one had a broken foot (Hendricks) and one had a broken leg (Myer) so they didn't really get any time. They really have not had more than eight or nine innings in an intrasquad game at Alabama. They are both about 85 percent right now. They will actually do limited work this weekend in our intrasquad games and should be full-go in two more weeks; they are certainly candidates. Andrew Miller, a kid from St. Paul's High School in Mobile, is a kid we are excited about. I think there are some other kids - Cal Tinsley is a guy I can see bouncing around and playing a lot of positions and can certainly be a possibility out there. David Kindred is another kid that was at Shelton State and Ole Miss and is a good left-handed bat. So, there are a lot of candidates right now and those jobs have yet to be won out there.
"The one thing going back to last year with Kent, obviously what a fabulous year he had with 28 home runs. With our style of offense, I feel like our first five hitters, which are the same five hitters minus Matthes from last year, are as good as anyone in the country. They are terrific offensively, and I think more so with the style that we are going to play because they are athletic guys that can run, they can handle the bat well, but also drive the ball out of the park and hit doubles. We feel like we have more bullets now in the chamber that we had with the style we want to play. For that to work the players have to buy into it and we have to sell it. Right now, everyone's one board and they are starting to understand what we want to do offensively and it's a lot of fun to watch when it's all going on, especially when you have athletic players that can do that. We feel like we have that mix to be as good on offense. It may not be an offense that's going to hit 100 home runs, in fact, I don't think it will be, but I think we are still capable of hitting 75 to 80 home runs but stealing more bags. But more than the stolen bases is just creating more offense and more ability to score runs. Instead of waiting on a three-run inning, we knock off a run an inning and then we can get you at the end to put you away with a four-run inning."
On the catching position:
"Well behind the plate, we are real excited about Chris Smelley. It has taken Chris, obviously a spring, a summer of going out and even halfway through the fall there were question marks of where he's going to be at, particularly defensively. Offensively, we felt like he would get back to where he needed to be. I would say in the last month, he is the one player who has made the biggest jump for us at both of those spots, swinging the bat and behind the plate, so he is going to factor in. Cody Trotter, who caught a lot for us last year prior to his injury, is a really good catch-and-throw guy that played well when he played last year. Brock Bennett is a system guy who has been in the program a long time, but he is kind of our closer behind the plate. He can really catch. He is our best thrower. He is really intelligent back there. He gives us some options. Brett Booth is young player who can play a lot of spots. He catches and plays third (base). We feel like he has a bright future back there also."
On assignments of coaching staff and who will coach the bases:
"We are actually changing that up a little bit. I'll be in the dugout. Dax (Norris) is going to be in there with me. He feels like from a hitting standpoint he can do a little better work in there. (Volunteer coach) Bobby Barbier is going to coach third (base). Bobby played for me (at Northwestern State) and he knows my running game and my offensive system about as well as I do. He was an Academic All-American and a terrific young coach. He will coach third. I will control the offense out of the dugout, all the offensive plays from there. (Fifth-year student assistant coach) Alex Kubal will coach first base. He played for us last year. I like the fact that we have two young guys out there that were both running-game type guys. Bobby's going to look for something different than Dax would out there. Bobby is actually our running game coordinator. He works with our guys every day on the bases, so he's going to look for the things we need to do out there. I think he's going to be a terrific third base coach and will do a great job for us."
On non-conference schedule and how much was inherited and what was your input:
"The schedule has been set. We are about two years out when we set the schedule. The schedule that is in place now has been in place long before I was hired. We schedule about two years in advance and there are a few changes that can be made here and there, but those are pretty well set."
On emphasis placed on stepping up non-conference schedule:
"There was, but a lot of that too has to fall right. Minnesota is really good this year. I believe they are a top-25 team. Some of the Big 10 teams you don't know what kind of team they are going to have from year to year. Then there is the Georgia game in Birmingham. We've always had good series' with Georgia. We like playing them and they like playing us. We feel like both teams get better. That was something that came about last year. We had an open date and they did as well. They roll off the (SEC) schedule this year, actually the next two years, so we got with David Perno and said let's play a single game. We are playing one in Hoover this year and next year we are going to Gwinnett (Ga.) and play them at the Triple-A park. Then obviously we have the Auburn game in Montgomery, which is a non-conference game. The non-conference schedule matches up pretty well. There are certainly some top-50 teams in there. I like our schedule this year. It's a good schedule and very competitive and I think it's also going to give us an opportunity to progress as a team and do the things we need to do."
On your take on the SEC this season:
"It seems like it's the same teams every year. Certainly, LSU and coming off the national championship. (Anthony) Renaudo, their Friday night guy, is potentially the No. 1 pick in the draft. They certainly have enough back and will start the season out No. 1 or No. 2 and right there by Texas. I think that Ole Miss has an opportunity - they have another first-rounder in (Drew) Pomeranz on Friday night. I think that Florida is a team that is going to be right there. Really, throughout the conference, like in every sport, and every year all the teams have good players and have good coaches and it's going to be very competitive league, the top league in the country. I think with us that's where I like this team. I like our position players because many of these guys have been through the league and it is a league you have to understand and the grind of it. We have a lot of guys that do understand what it's about and how you have to prepare weekend to weekend and I certainly think we're a team that can be right there in the mix with everybody else."
