June 6, 2010
Postgame quotes: Game 5 of NCAA Baseball Austin Regional
Rice 9, Louisiana 1
Sunday, June 6 | UFCU Disch-Falk Field
RICE
Pitching Coach David Pierce
Opening statement: It was a great win. We had to have great pitching from our starter today and Mike (Ojala) did that. For him to give us a complete game today is exactly what we needed for dealing with what is in front of us. We had timely hitting, the one big inning and played a fairly fast game, so all of the above was good.
On Ojala's first complete game: He has been with us for four years and he has managed through some injury. He has done everything we could possibly ask from him and he was outstanding today, as we knew he would be. What we needed he gave us. He wanted the ball yesterday, but he needed to understand the format and the reason why he didn't yesterday was of what we needed to do today. It was a little emotional, but at the same time we are in the heat of the battle so we are just trying to move forward.
P Mike Ojala
On pitching a complete game: It was awesome, it was a dream come true. It started getting a little emotional in the end with the crowd getting into it. When Coach Graham came out there I had to lobby some to stay out there, but it was awesome.
On overcoming adversity: This is a great way to come back. One of my goals was to throw a complete game and to finally reach it was awesome, especially in this situation.
On Rice's seven-run fourth inning: Our offense is the best in the country and so is our defense. Once they break that zero open it is over and it just keeps going and going. It was a great momentum pusher.
LOUISIANA
Head Coach Tony Robichaux
Opening statement: We got away from our pitching system. (LHP Taylor) Hubbell got us off to a good start. Their guy (Rice RHP Mike Ojala) did an exceptional job today going wire-to-wire, especially keeping us out of their bullpen for tonight's game. We gave up four runs off two hits. That is what really did us in. Those were two big hits they got--the double, which cleared the bases, and then the next base hit. After that, we got the game under control, but the damage had already been done. You cannot let a good team build that kind of lead. You have to give Rice a lot of credit.
On determining who would get the start today: He has a good cutter or cut-fastball, and they were having a hard time squaring up movement with Osborne. We really wanted Joey to stay back and possibly be the starter for the next game. We thought we would go with (Thad) Griffen at first, and then Ryland (Parker), and probably (Dayton) Marze, too, because he had only throw one inning, and then have Joey start for us tomorrow. But once we couldn't get out of that inning, we went ahead and went with Joey. Hindsight is always 20-20. Who knows, maybe if we go with Joey, we get out of there a little quicker. Their kid did a good job. We had him down two-strike count, and we just could not finish him, so you have to give him credit.
1B Justin Robichaux
On Rice RHP Mike Ojala's effectiveness: He had a stiff enough fastball to where you kind of had to sit on it, and his curve ball was one of the best I have seen this year. He would miss with it in the dirt, and you have to see it up, so when you go to that fastball, the curve ball would come out of nowhere and get you off balance. That was what was so successful for him. He kept us off balance. When you took the curveball, it was for strikes, and when you swung at it, it was for balls.
LHP Taylor Hubbell
On the fourth inning: A couple ground balls here and a couple ground balls there, and we are out of the inning, but you set out each inning just trying to get your three outs as fast as possible to get your team off the field, and I let things get away from me a little bit. I put them in situations where their coach could get things going. You just try to give your team a chance to win, and when you get out of control like that, you just try to get it under control as fast as possible. One thing led to another, and it just kind of got away.
