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Arizona's Tommy Spaine, Coach Chip Hale and closer Tony Pluta after win over #UNC
Jun 7, 2025
Arizona's Tommy Spaine, Coach Chip Hale and closer Tony Pluta after win over #UNC
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0:00
a hard fought. I was just really really
0:02
proud of the group. Um these guys are
0:05
very resilient obviously after
0:07
yesterday. They were able to flush it
0:09
and came back, you know, a couple two
0:11
three times here today. And um you know,
0:14
it's I always tell them it's really fun
0:15
to watch them play. And that's when
0:17
you're when you're coaching and you've
0:19
been get this deep in the season,
0:20
sometimes that's that's kind of our job
0:22
to stay out of the way and let let them
0:24
get after it. Questions this way, man.
0:26
We'll get to it.
0:28
Tony, how would you describe those last
0:29
three innings for you? Uh, it it was
0:32
pretty tough. You know, the crowd was
0:33
really getting into it. The heat was,
0:35
you know, getting to me a little bit,
0:36
but, you know, I was just able to gr it
0:38
out a little bit and get some pitches in
0:41
the right spot and we got to win
0:44
for coach and the players. How do you
0:46
guys think you were able to find so much
0:48
success with two outs today? Yeah,
0:50
that's a that's a great point. I It was
0:52
amazing. I really was. And um sometimes
0:56
that is the most vulnerable pitchers
0:58
get. It's it's an interesting thing.
0:59
It's all the way in the major leagues.
1:01
Same thing happens. It's it's a weird
1:03
dynamic, but we would have to battle it
1:05
all the time where guys get two quick
1:06
outs especially and all of a sudden um
1:09
they think they're done and they're not.
1:10
And our guys kept fighting and and we
1:12
that was kind of our mantra today was we
1:13
were just going to play one pitch at a
1:15
time. So whether it was no outs or two
1:17
outs and two strikes, we're still just
1:18
going to play that next pitch.
1:21
Tommy, was there in those two out
1:23
situations, did you perceive that there
1:25
were better at bats happening or was it
1:26
just a matter of maybe finding some
1:28
holes today? Um, I mean, I'd say just
1:30
finding some holes. I mean, as a team,
1:32
we definitely try and get gritty no
1:34
matter the situation, but especially
1:35
with two outs. Um, I think we just stuck
1:37
with the plan uh even more and you know,
1:39
just stayed with it. Ryan and Pat and
1:42
Michael. Tommy, you make that diving
1:43
play bottom of the third and then you
1:45
come up the next inning, you hit the
1:47
home run. Um just a little bit about how
1:50
you've been doing in this postseason
1:52
kind of with the whole I don't want my
1:54
career to end type mentality. Uh yeah,
1:56
I'm uh just honestly trying not to
1:58
really think about that and uh just you
2:00
know thinking about the team uh taking a
2:01
pitch by pitch but uh yeah just trying
2:02
to stay relaxed and play for the guy
2:04
next to me. Front right Pat. Coach in
2:06
terms of kind of two out hitting you
2:08
know there in the seventh inning uh
2:10
Mason White comes up you know gets three
2:12
0 count then gets a few of those sliders
2:14
in a row there just to be able to battle
2:16
through that at bat. against a really
2:17
good slider pitcher and McDuffy get that
2:19
walk. Just how big was that? Yeah, I
2:20
think it seemed like they were doing the
2:22
old um unintentional intentional walk.
2:25
It seemed like that way and all of a
2:26
sudden you was 3-2 and he battled some
2:29
really tough pitches. Um so yeah, that
2:31
was huge. I mean that's that's just sort
2:32
of the deal is seeing as many pitch as
2:34
we can um and making them throw the ball
2:37
where we can hit it. I think a lot of
2:39
times when we're very successful, we get
2:40
the pitch we can handle. We don't swing
2:42
at their pitches. So yeah, it was it was
2:44
probably one of the biggest bats of the
2:45
game.
2:47
for anybody. What does it say about the
2:49
character of the team that you guys were
2:51
able to rally multiple times today to
2:53
keep your season alive? Tony, why don't
2:55
you take that first then Tommy? Yeah,
2:57
sure.
2:58
I I just think that it's this team just
3:01
wants to keep playing. You know, we want
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to keep going. That dream of Omaha,
3:05
we're chasing five. You know, we really
3:07
want to get there and I think that today
3:09
showed that after bouncing back from
3:10
yesterday. Yeah. um just were willing to
3:13
do anything to get there and uh you know
3:14
we believe in all the guys in the locker
3:16
room. So yeah. Coach, anything to add to
3:18
that? No, I think they've just they've
3:20
really been since the Big 12 tournament.
3:22
It's that foxhole mentality, man. Like
3:24
they're going to fight for each other
3:25
and um they know if if they don't get
3:29
something done, there's somebody behind
3:30
that's going to pick them up.
3:32
Michael and Grace. Um obviously
3:35
uncharacteristic for your pitching staff
3:37
the last two days to walk so many guys,
3:40
not really putting that first um strike
3:43
pressure on the opponent. Do you think
3:46
that that was just uh nerves, lack of
3:49
experience, humidity, all the above?
3:51
Probably all the above. But yeah, it's
3:53
it's I've thought the same thing. I
3:55
mean, it's what was it? Nine walks today
3:57
and a hit batsman, right?
4:00
or two hit batsman. So, you know, 10
4:03
three 90s. Um, so yeah, I think that's
4:06
something we can improve on tomorrow.
4:08
That's, you know, Smith Bailey is going
4:09
to start and let's get ahead and and
4:11
attack and but, uh, again, you know, the
4:14
these are really, really good hitters.
4:16
We're facing veteran guys um, who know
4:19
how to battle with two strikes, know how
4:21
to, you know, just punch the ball back
4:23
to the middle. Tony, can you speak to
4:25
that also? Uh, yeah. Can you just repeat
4:28
last match? Just first strikes, lack of
4:30
strikes. I think coach said it
4:32
perfectly. It was probably a culmination
4:34
of all three of those things. I mean,
4:36
yeah, we're not really used to this
4:37
humidity. It was nice to get We went to
4:39
Houston then to, you know, Texas. So, we
4:41
we had a little bit of practice with it.
4:43
Um, but, you know, it was just a a
4:46
culmination of things that probably led
4:48
to those, you know, extra free passes.
4:50
Nice. Chip and Tommy, for the momentum
4:52
of the game, how important was it to
4:53
score first and then keep the offense
4:55
sustained? Yeah, I think that was huge.
4:57
We talk about trying to get on top and
4:59
and keep adding on and that's that's
5:01
what we want to do every game. But I'm
5:03
I'm just, you know, I'm amazed to be
5:05
frank with you that, you know, after we
5:07
gave up the uh three-run homer cuz Hint
5:09
was rolling. That's that's how Casey
5:11
pitches and he made one bad pitch and um
5:14
Bass bass correctly. Yeah, Bass took
5:17
advantage of it. And that's just great
5:19
hitting. This is a this is a really
5:21
really good ball club we're playing and
5:23
um to match that and come back and score
5:25
the next inning was I mean as a head
5:27
coach I'm over there at third base
5:28
almost freaking in tears man it's just
5:30
makes me really proud
5:33
in the back you mentioned Smith Bailey
5:35
on the mound tomorrow it's a big spot
5:36
for a young pitcher uh which level of
5:38
confidence that he's going to come out
5:39
and give you what you need yeah um a lot
5:42
of confidence he's he's he's not a
5:44
freshman anymore he's a sophomore now
5:45
and he's um you know he's proven his
5:48
grit in big games, you know, um, in
5:51
Eugene and in the Big 12 tournament. So,
5:54
um, yeah, I'm sure there'll be some
5:55
butterflies, there'll be some some weird
5:57
pitches early on, but, um, he's been
5:59
able to bounce back. So, yeah, I have a
6:00
lot of confidence. Michael, go ahead.
6:03
One for coach and then one for the
6:05
players. Is Brendan's hamstring still
6:08
bothering him the way he went after that
6:09
one ball in right field? Yeah, he didn't
6:11
get a good read on it. Yeah, he's he's
6:13
definitely not, you know, his on 100%
6:16
base steel, um, moving around. He's
6:18
still a little bit, you know, maybe 90%.
6:20
But yeah, he just got a bad jump on
6:21
that. I think, you know, we were all a
6:23
little bit worried. I was had uh TJ
6:25
ready because I was felt the same way
6:26
and we talked to him and and he said he
6:28
was good enough to go. So, he'll play
6:30
and um if there's any risk of injury,
6:33
I'd get him out of the game, but he says
6:34
he's fine. Sure. And for the players,
6:36
what's the mindset heading into
6:38
tomorrow?
6:41
Uh I mean, just one game at a time, one
6:43
pitch at a time. Uh but yeah, I mean
6:44
we're ready and uh you know you know
6:46
with Bailey on the mount uh we got all
6:48
the confidence. So yeah. Yeah, it's just
6:50
you know being able to bounce back today
6:52
was a big confidence piece. You know we
6:54
know that we can compete with this team
6:55
and we can win. So be ready for Last
6:58
one. Brian, considering you've only
6:59
gotten about two plus from your starters
7:02
and you've had to use your bullpen a
7:03
lot. You haven't had many instances this
7:05
year with guys going back to back
7:07
besides Hunter and Julian. Is are you
7:10
looking at an all hands- on deck kind of
7:12
situation? Yeah. Yeah. I think Tony, if
7:14
he had a pitch, he could pitch. He's
7:16
going to tell us that tomorrow. But
7:17
we'll we'll make sure. We're never going
7:18
to put anybody out there that we were
7:19
going to risk injury. Um that's just not
7:22
going to happen. Um so we'll we'll
7:25
assess everybody tomorrow, see how they
7:27
feel. I mean, he might say right now it
7:29
feels great, but we we'll see how it
7:30
feels in the morning. It's an early
7:31
game. Yeah. But but considering that
7:33
that usage, would there maybe be a
7:36
longer leash on Smith than there has
7:37
been on the No, it can't be. It's it's
7:40
it's win or go home. So, um, we'll we'll
7:43
figure out a way. We'll figure out a
7:45
way. And it if it means Krakowsky will
7:47
come back and pitch a little bit. If it
7:48
means Garzarch can pitch a little bit,
7:50
you know, he was a reliever before he
7:51
became a starter. So, um, all hands on
7:54
deck. All right, everybody. Good. All
7:56
right. Thank you guys. Congratulations.
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