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Holy Cross postgame press conference w/ Jimmy King, Ed Kahovec and Brendan Jones after loss to #UNC
May 30, 2025
Holy Cross postgame press conference w/ Jimmy King, Ed Kahovec and Brendan Jones after loss to #UNC
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0:00
our guys competed today. Um, you know,
0:02
we didn't play our best baseball game
0:04
and we didn't play a team like North
0:06
Carolina, you know, one of, if not the
0:07
best team in America. It takes your best
0:09
baseball game to beat them. Um, we
0:11
weren't super opportunistic offensively.
0:13
You know, we had runners on base hitting
0:14
some double plays. Um, you know, so
0:17
disappointed we weren't more
0:18
opportunistic, but I thought our process
0:20
was great on the mound. I thought our
0:21
pitchers did fabulous, especially Danny
0:23
Mack, uh, you know, giving us a strong
0:25
outing. Followed by Derek Vo was a
0:27
freshman coming in and, you know, really
0:29
holding them at bay. So, like I said,
0:31
the process was great. Outcome wasn't
0:32
what we wanted, but extremely proud of
0:34
the way these guys competed tonight.
0:36
Questions particularly for the players.
0:37
First, go ahead. U, what was it that
0:42
Jake Nav was doing so well, so
0:45
effectively to keep you guys off the
0:47
scoreboard for both of you guys? Uh, I
0:49
would say, you know, we knew going into
0:50
this he was going to be a high VO guy.
0:52
Um, and obviously his command was he's
0:54
going to be in the zone the whole game.
0:56
Um, he was pretty much ahead in the
0:57
counts at all times. So, we were just
0:59
trying to get our best swings off. Um, I
1:01
thought we had a lot of good at bats,
1:03
but uh, hard hit balls, just didn't fall
1:05
the way we wanted them, but I was proud
1:06
of the way we battled up there today.
1:08
Um, yeah, I think his fast ball just has
1:10
a bunch of life. It's kind of
1:11
unpredictable pitch. um starts in the
1:14
zone and often finishes above or has
1:16
unpredictable cuts. So tough that
1:19
Brennan and Jimmy, can you guys just
1:21
kind of take me through some of those
1:22
long at bats? You push Jake to some
1:24
nine, 10, even 11 pitches. Not something
1:27
he typically does and it kept you all in
1:29
the game. Uh yeah, I was just trying to
1:31
say like going into this game, um we
1:34
were trying to like compress the zone
1:35
the best we can. We knew like like Jimmy
1:37
said, his fast ball has a lot of life.
1:38
Sometimes it rides. So just trying to
1:40
like narrow in and maybe shrink the zone
1:42
a little bit. If it starts that you're
1:43
at the numbers, it's probably not going
1:45
to be there. And the end of the day just
1:46
trying to make it as hard as he as you
1:48
can. It was hot out there today. You
1:49
know, he sweating trying to make him
1:51
throw as many pitches as he can. And
1:53
when we did that, I thought we had
1:54
success, but just couldn't ultimately
1:56
get that big hit in the back. Uh
1:58
Bernard, specifically for you, top six
2:01
bases just there. Uh medium be fly ball.
2:04
Just kind of tell me what what you saw
2:05
there. Uh yeah, so the ball I at first I
2:09
saw the ball hit and I was like probably
2:10
going to tag here and then I kind of saw
2:12
it balloon a little bit and then I saw
2:14
how how far the center field was running
2:15
in. He had all the momentum and in in my
2:18
head I was like if I try and push this
2:20
and I get thrown out, all the momentum's
2:22
gone. Um whereas if I maybe like fake
2:25
it, he could throw have an throw and
2:27
then I score or worst case scenario, we
2:29
have Giani Royer coming up who's one of
2:31
our best hitters and I have utmost
2:33
confidence he's going to get the job
2:34
done. So that was kind of my thought
2:36
process.
2:39
Questions,
2:43
how from the two of you, how are you
2:45
guys going to take this experience from
2:47
this game into whoever you play next?
2:49
Um, yeah, I think it gives us a lot of
2:51
confidence. We knew coming in that UNCC
2:53
is obviously one of the best teams in
2:54
the nation. Uh, we know with Danny out
2:57
there, we have a shot to beat anybody.
2:58
He's a hell of a pitcher. Um, like coach
3:00
said, we had a couple shots today, but
3:02
we didn't get the job done. We'll come
3:04
back tomorrow and same fight. Questions
3:06
for coach.
3:12
Yeah, Ed, same thing about that bases
3:15
loaded situation when Jimmy decided not
3:17
to go. Did you feel like that was a make
3:20
or break situation? You needed to get
3:22
something on the board. Uh, it would
3:24
have been really nice. You know, with
3:25
this team, you know, they've shown so
3:26
much resilience that not make or break,
3:29
you know, would like to push a couple
3:31
across there. um you know but at the
3:33
same time if not we still have three
3:34
innings to go. So uh it felt like it
3:36
could have been you know a big
3:37
opportunity for us. Um you know Jonesy
3:39
made the right call not going on that to
3:41
be quite candid. I told him to go uh and
3:43
he didn't and he would have been cooked.
3:45
So uh a really good decision by Jonesy.
3:47
Uh but that's the type of uh you know
3:49
trust that we put in these guys
3:50
especially with such a upper class and
3:52
senior laden team. Um you know Jones
3:54
will be the first to tell you he's not
3:56
the most fleet of foot. So uh you know
3:58
after the fact seeing that throw it was
3:59
definitely the right decision. So, a
4:01
really good self-awareness out of him.
4:03
Ed, you guys came in with 123 stolen
4:05
bases, none tonight. Is that going to be
4:07
a point of emphasis for the next game?
4:09
Yeah, you know, we we kind of take what
4:11
the defense gives us and and you know,
4:12
Jake is so quick to the plate, you know,
4:14
for a guy his size and with his ability,
4:16
uh, you know, he does a pretty good job
4:18
of shutting down the running game. You
4:19
know, we had guys going a couple times
4:20
tonight, but, uh, it doesn't show up in
4:22
the stats because they were foul both
4:23
foul balls. Um, you know, but we we are
4:27
aggressive on the bases, but we take
4:29
what the defense gives us. Um, there are
4:30
times to be aggressive, even more
4:32
aggressive. Um, you know, but they have
4:34
a really strong battery and really we
4:36
didn't I didn't I didn't want to uh, you
4:38
know, run us out of any innings.
4:40
Hopefully get his pitch count up a
4:41
little bit. Um, but it just kind of
4:42
comes down to matchups. We like to run a
4:44
little bit more of course, but uh, when
4:46
you're, you know, 10 or 1 to the plate,
4:48
shuts down even the best base runners in
4:50
the country. Coach, coach, as you get
4:52
ready to face elimination, is there
4:54
going to be a point of emphasis to try
4:55
to get back to your game, be more
4:56
aggressive, kind of just be true to who
4:59
cross is a program? Yeah, absolutely. I
5:01
think, you know, our messaging has been
5:03
very consistent. It doesn't hasn't
5:04
mattered if it's game one of the season
5:06
in February in Auburn, a midweek up
5:07
north or the conference championship or
5:09
now in a regional. Our messaging has
5:10
been very consistent and I think that,
5:12
you know, our guys did play Holy Cross
5:14
baseball today. Uh, you know, again,
5:15
just weren't opportunistic offensively.
5:17
Um and you you know we can being
5:20
aggressive on the bases is more than
5:22
just stealing bases going first and
5:23
third and second to home and you know
5:25
tagging in certain situations. And again
5:27
those opportunities just didn't really
5:28
present themselves as often today as I
5:31
would have liked. Um but I thought that
5:32
these guys you know played the trademark
5:34
brand of Holy Cross baseball uh today uh
5:37
really well. But obviously if the
5:38
opportunity presents itself we
5:40
definitely want to be aggressive
5:41
offensively. Take one more. Grace Adam.
5:43
I mean, you guys weren't able to get the
5:45
big hit, but your guys battled at the
5:46
plate with those really long just at
5:49
bats. How did you see them perform
5:50
there? Yeah, I thought they were I
5:51
thought that overall, you know, really
5:53
good. Really good. Like I said, the
5:54
process I thought was great. The results
5:56
weren't where we needed to be. Um, you
5:58
know, it started right in the first
5:59
inning. We had the leadoff guy on and
6:00
then back to back to back punchies. Um,
6:02
you know, so I thought that uh our
6:04
process was really good and I think that
6:06
it's a different conversation here
6:07
today. If if literally one or two
6:10
pitches go a different way for us, you
6:12
know, get a hit. um it's a totally
6:13
different conversation. So, our process
6:15
was great. You know, I thought that our
6:16
approach was great in the box. Uh you
6:18
know, ultimately when you're facing, you
6:20
know, maybe one of the one of obviously
6:22
one of, if not the best pitcher in
6:23
America, the ACC uh pitcher of the year,
6:25
you know, that's a a tough nut to crack.
6:27
And there's a reason he he is the ACC
6:29
pitcher of the year is because in those
6:30
scenarios, he's able to bear down and
6:32
get the job done. And that combined with
6:34
our, you know, lack of execution at
6:36
times, you know, that's kind of the way
6:38
it went. So, I thought our pro, again, I
6:39
can't say enough about our guys and I
6:41
thought our process was great. Um, you
6:43
know, some some not great at bats and
6:45
some unlucky bounces and things like
6:47
that. Um, but I thought our process was
6:49
great and I told the guys if we play
6:51
like this tomorrow, we'll be in pretty
6:52
good pretty good spot. If we play better
6:54
than this tomorrow, we'll be in a great
6:55
spot. So, um, you know, I think that's
6:57
just going to be consistent messaging
6:58
heading into tomorrow. Be good. All
7:01
right, coach. guys. Thank you very