Steve Sabins press conference summary: post TCU
West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins addressed the media following the 6-4 win over TCU and WVSports.com provides a summary of what was said.
–Sabins said a great team win and a great way to end the regular season. Set a record for conference wins and the fan base was electric and stayed to the end. To find a gritty, unorthodox way to win a game is what this place is all about. Sabins couldn’t be more excited for the kids to clip off 21 conference wins. West Virginia won the league outright last year with 19 wins and came back and had a better year.
–Sabins said his team hasn’t been good offensively and TCU’s pitchers have been so good so sometimes it’s about trying to find a way. They don’t give you a ton of cracks. That team is going to be nasty for years to come. Tyrus Hall had a big home run, Sean Smith had a big hit. Brock Wills hadn’t been in the game this weekend and came up big. West Virginia didn’t take on field BP today to try to switch it up. Matthew Graveline hadn’t caught Chansen Cole all year. Reese Bassinger was special and came in and had that long save. To do that in a downpour is unique because there are so many crutches that can come up and you can unravel in those situations but he was throwing as good as he ever has.
–Sabins said you could feel the momentum shift a little bit when they were able to put some pressure on the TCU pitcher in the eighth. Mother nature probably didn’t hurt either. The first wild pitch he didn’t worry about going home but the one with Wills he was sweating it.
–Tyrus Hall was up first and second with no outs and it was a no brainer to bunt him. Hall just put down the best bunt you could possibly have to avoid getting the lead out at third base because TCU ran the wheel play. For every defensive play, there is an offensive answer and you have to be aggressive. It could have been a different game had he pulled back and swung when they did that.
–Sabins said every year you try to get better and do things a little bit better and attribute the things to what’s happening but he isn’t sure that’s always fair. You get a little more comfortable and some of those moments it always falls back on the culture and the kids with how motivated they are to win and want to show up. The boys are running with it for the most part.
–Reese Bassinger was really aggressive in that moment to make the play of the 3-4-1. It ended up being a huge play and it’s one of those things are going well for the Mountaineers when it happens.
–Sabins said this series was one of the best defensive efforts for both teams of the season and he also felt that Cincinnati was good. This was a big league game in the sense that you had to earn it. Brock Wills hit broke it.
–Sabins finds it really hard to believe one of the top three conferences in the country and a team that set a program record with 21 wins and finished top two and has a top pitcher in the country isn’t hosting. The Mountaineers swept the team that won the league on the road. If West Virginia doesn’t have a hosting resume then what is?
–Sabins said that being built up to win series helps them be successful. How do you use the third and fourth starter, what’s their role? There’s a lot of things they have to figure out to get the best pitchers in the best situations. It will be a little interesting on the post-season side with the pitching. West Virginia will fly out Wednesday and play Thursday.
–Sabins likes the single elimination in the league tournament especially if you’re heading to a regional because it allows you to get back and get ready.
–Brodie Kresser has molded himself and adjusted to what the team has needed. He was a solid junior college player but came here and played at a higher level. He’s earned his way into the lineup and is one of the most workman kids that Sabins has ever had. Really fit in with this culture and these people and you know what you’re going to get every day.
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