March 30, 2008

Recap |  Final Stats

TULANE HEAD COACH Rick Jones

On game three of the Tulane/UAB series being another tough one
"It seems like it's always this way when we come here. I've made a lot of trips here over the years and can never remember having an easy weekend, even when we won the series or even swept a series. This one was no different. I thought our guys were very gutty today and they had to be. They had a lot of resolve, a lot of energy and a lot of good at-bats."

On the pitching performance of Jonathan Garrett and Preston Claiborne
"Jonathan didn't have command, but he fought through it the best he could to keep us in the game. Preston Claiborne, I thought, gave us a really good lift out of the bullpen, knowing our bullpen was a little thin."

On Drew Allain's big game in his first game back in the lineup
"Drew got back in the lineup because he earned his way back in there. He had a quality at-bat yesterday and had one last week. Today, he gave us a tremendous lift."

On Jared Dyer's play offensively
"Jared has been such a tremendous player for us this year in every phase. He had a tough night on Friday, but I really felt good about him. After that fifth strikeout on Friday, he came back in the dugout and he started looking at me and grinning. Most guys would not have been able to handle a night like that and come back to do what he did. What can't be lost is how well he caught all weekend."

On Drew Allain throwing out Ryan Keedy at the plate in the seventh
"A big momentum-turner in this ballgame defensively was the Drew Allain throw and Jared Dyer with a great block of the plate and a great tab. Both of those guys were instrumental. It wasn't an easy catch or an easy tag, but fortunately he did because it really turned the game around for us and really gave us a lift."

On taking two of three on the road to open Conference USA play
"When you go on the road in conference play, you can throw all the records out. All I would say is that all three games could have gone either way. We could have swept, or it could have gone the other way. Now we have to go home and try and get ready to take advantage of being at home."

JUNIOR CATCHER Jared Dyer

On his performance after going 0-for-8 in the first two games of the series
"Sadly it was just a stance adjustment. That just threw off my whole weekend on Friday and Saturday. I wasn't seeing the ball very well and I was freezing on the curveball. I saw the ball well, got set early and put my hands to it like I have done all year."

On tagging Ryan Keedy out at the plate in the seventh inning
"The hit threw the ball well. Preston just left the ball up a little bit and Drew just came up hosing. He put it right on the money. I tried to deke (Keedy) as best I could, and he slid right into me."

SOPHOMORE RELIEVER Preston Claiborne

On his performance on the mound
"It wasn't a good day to be a pitcher. I had to keep the ball down I had a flat mound to work with, which wasn't the best thing. My first couple of innings I did alright. Walks are what killed me when I gave up those two runs, but Drew made that big play out in right to keep (the lead) at three runs."

On Drew Allain throwing out Ryan Keedy at the plate
"That was a big play in the game. I had runners at first and second, hung a slider that he flipped out to right field. I sprinted behind the plate, I saw it coming in all the way and I knew we had him. As soon as he slid in, that completely changed the momentum of the game. It was good to see that hose from right field."

JUNIOR RIGHT FIELDER Drew Allain

On going 3-for-5 in his return to the lineup
"It felt good. I finally got an opportunity to get back in there, and hopefully I'm in there for a while now."

On throwing Ryan Keedy out at the plate in the seventh
"We shift with two strikes. We have always done that this year basically to take away a hit down the line like that. Seth Henry was talking to me and told me to make a play at the plate. My first thought was I didn't think there was going to be a play at the plate, but when I looked up I saw the runner was just now rounding third. Jared Dyer did a great job of deking the runner and blocking the plate.

"It worked out, and Preston did the rest. He really did a nice job today He got back in there and competed. It was tough to pitch today with the wind blowing out like it was, it can be tough to pitch at this park."