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[SIZE=12pt]BaylorBears.com: Fort Worth Regional Press Conference[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Steve Smith and three seniors discuss heading to Fort Worth[/SIZE]
Video Interviews
WACO, Texas - Baylor head coach Steve Smith was joined by seniors Gregg Glime, Willie Kempf and Raynor Campbell in a Monday afternoon press conference following the Bears' selection as the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Fort Worth Regional.
Here are their thoughts on being placed in the Forth Worth Regional, where they will open against Arizona at 2 p.m. CDT on Friday:
Head Coach Steve Smith
Opening Statement:
"I think first off we are excited to be in. I am really, really proud of our guys for their perseverance. We have not really gone through an extended down time this year. We have had a couple of stretches where we lost three or four, but these guys have persevered really well. I think for a young bunch of position players, they have hung in there and kind of gone through their down time and trying to pull themselves back out again. I'm really, really proud of our seniors, not just for the kinds of years they have had, because basically all of them have had really good years performance-wise, but just for their character, their leadership and the kind of people they are."
On being sent to the TCU regional:
"I think Fort Worth is a tremendous place for us to be sent. For our players and their families and Baylor fans, I really can't imagine it being much better than that. There is some familiarity with at least TCU, which honestly, I think once you get to postseason that is not that big an issue. I am pretty sure we won't see the same kind of arms if we should play them, and I don't think they would see the same from us either. I don't know if that is a factor one way or the other. It is a very tough, competitive regional. I think the heat is as big a factor as anybody you will play. I think it will be a challenge for us from that regard."
On what he told the team after the NCAA selection:
"That I was extremely proud of them, that I could not remember a loss quite as painful as that one was yesterday, and that I was quite sure that none of us wanted to taste that again. When you combine how well they are playing with just how painful that loss was, I think there is probably no team in America going into postseason play more motivated than this one. I think we have the strongest momentum of anybody."
Senior Second Baseman Raynor Campbell
On the team's selection:
"It is nice to go into that show knowing that you are going to get a chance to play. I know last year it was kind of a stressful situation. It is nice to get a two seed and go to a place that we are familiar with and that our families are going to be able to watch us play."
On it being his last chance at a regional:
"We are definitely motivated, especially for our last chance to go out and prove something. I know this senior class is going to leave it all out on the field. We are excited to go out on bang."
Senior Catcher Gregg Glime
On playing TCU:
"I would say it is more to our advantage to have already played them this year and to have played up there. Like coach Smith said, we are going to face arms we haven't seen and they are going to face arms that they haven't seen from us, so it is pretty much two different teams from when we played earlier in the year, and it is postseason play, but we have played the park and we will use it to as much of an advantage as we can."
On the importance of momentum this time of the year:
"I think momentum is what takes a lot of teams to championship. I saw it with us in Oklahoma City. We went in hot and we stayed hot through the tournament, that got us into a championship game and that continues on now. I think you don't have to be the most talented team in college baseball to win the World Series. It is playing right at the right time and being a good team, and that is what we are right now. Hopefully we keep that going."
Senior Right-Handed Pitcher Willie Kempf
On if the team is the most motivated team in the country:
"There is no doubt a loss like that can do one of two things. It can tear you down or it can bring you together as a team. I think it is definitely going to bring us together. We still have something to prove. We were hoping to get that conference championship this last weekend; it didn't happen for us, but we've got a chance to do something even bigger now, and we are playing our best baseball now. It is fun to be a part of it. Every time we take the field we feel like we are going to be successful, and we have been for the last couple of weeks."
On the benefit of playing close to Waco:
"It is fun from a player's perspective to go somewhere new. It was fun to go to LSU last year and see the SEC atmosphere, but at the same time it is going to be great because we are going to have a lot more Baylor fans be able to come up to TCU and cheer us on and support us."
[SIZE=12pt]Steve Smith and three seniors discuss heading to Fort Worth[/SIZE]
Video Interviews
WACO, Texas - Baylor head coach Steve Smith was joined by seniors Gregg Glime, Willie Kempf and Raynor Campbell in a Monday afternoon press conference following the Bears' selection as the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Fort Worth Regional.
Here are their thoughts on being placed in the Forth Worth Regional, where they will open against Arizona at 2 p.m. CDT on Friday:
Head Coach Steve Smith
Opening Statement:
"I think first off we are excited to be in. I am really, really proud of our guys for their perseverance. We have not really gone through an extended down time this year. We have had a couple of stretches where we lost three or four, but these guys have persevered really well. I think for a young bunch of position players, they have hung in there and kind of gone through their down time and trying to pull themselves back out again. I'm really, really proud of our seniors, not just for the kinds of years they have had, because basically all of them have had really good years performance-wise, but just for their character, their leadership and the kind of people they are."
On being sent to the TCU regional:
"I think Fort Worth is a tremendous place for us to be sent. For our players and their families and Baylor fans, I really can't imagine it being much better than that. There is some familiarity with at least TCU, which honestly, I think once you get to postseason that is not that big an issue. I am pretty sure we won't see the same kind of arms if we should play them, and I don't think they would see the same from us either. I don't know if that is a factor one way or the other. It is a very tough, competitive regional. I think the heat is as big a factor as anybody you will play. I think it will be a challenge for us from that regard."
On what he told the team after the NCAA selection:
"That I was extremely proud of them, that I could not remember a loss quite as painful as that one was yesterday, and that I was quite sure that none of us wanted to taste that again. When you combine how well they are playing with just how painful that loss was, I think there is probably no team in America going into postseason play more motivated than this one. I think we have the strongest momentum of anybody."
Senior Second Baseman Raynor Campbell
On the team's selection:
"It is nice to go into that show knowing that you are going to get a chance to play. I know last year it was kind of a stressful situation. It is nice to get a two seed and go to a place that we are familiar with and that our families are going to be able to watch us play."
On it being his last chance at a regional:
"We are definitely motivated, especially for our last chance to go out and prove something. I know this senior class is going to leave it all out on the field. We are excited to go out on bang."
Senior Catcher Gregg Glime
On playing TCU:
"I would say it is more to our advantage to have already played them this year and to have played up there. Like coach Smith said, we are going to face arms we haven't seen and they are going to face arms that they haven't seen from us, so it is pretty much two different teams from when we played earlier in the year, and it is postseason play, but we have played the park and we will use it to as much of an advantage as we can."
On the importance of momentum this time of the year:
"I think momentum is what takes a lot of teams to championship. I saw it with us in Oklahoma City. We went in hot and we stayed hot through the tournament, that got us into a championship game and that continues on now. I think you don't have to be the most talented team in college baseball to win the World Series. It is playing right at the right time and being a good team, and that is what we are right now. Hopefully we keep that going."
Senior Right-Handed Pitcher Willie Kempf
On if the team is the most motivated team in the country:
"There is no doubt a loss like that can do one of two things. It can tear you down or it can bring you together as a team. I think it is definitely going to bring us together. We still have something to prove. We were hoping to get that conference championship this last weekend; it didn't happen for us, but we've got a chance to do something even bigger now, and we are playing our best baseball now. It is fun to be a part of it. Every time we take the field we feel like we are going to be successful, and we have been for the last couple of weeks."
On the benefit of playing close to Waco:
"It is fun from a player's perspective to go somewhere new. It was fun to go to LSU last year and see the SEC atmosphere, but at the same time it is going to be great because we are going to have a lot more Baylor fans be able to come up to TCU and cheer us on and support us."
