Texas Tech 8, UCLA 7
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Texas Tech. We will begin with an opening statement from Coach.
GERRY GLASCO: When I coached junior high ball, I would always have my team, when something happened on the field exciting, my shortstop made a great play, one of the other players would automatically yell "Softball!" Everybody would count to three and say, "I love this game."
That's all I thought when the game ended, is, "Softball! I love this game."
Just a great sport this is. The environment here in Oklahoma City, unbelievable. The talent UCLA has, they're hard to beat, as you could see. I was so impressed the way they just kept coming at us, coming at us. You don't expect anything less from a program like that with the tradition they have, the great coaches they have, then the unbelievable talent in those uniforms.
Tip of the hat to UCLA for creating what I think is one of the best games we've seen in a long time at Oklahoma City.
The crowd was amazing. The Red Raider fans, I've got to give a big shout out. They have went from my first game at home last year, NiJa Canady was pitching, 150 people in the stands. We have the equivalent of Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker in the circle, we've got 150 people, to where we are now where thousands of people are following us to Oklahoma City and support us.
I made a mistake, my wife parked over at Remington Park. I'm going to walk with my wife. It took me an hour and a half, taking pictures. I didn't realize I couldn't walk through a crowd anymore, especially at the World Series.
Tremendous atmosphere. I want to acknowledge all that and UCLA before I start.
My team, just so proud of 'em. We come from behind tonight. I always say to get to the World Series and win a World Series and advance to the World Series, you always have to have a come-from-behind win, extra-inning win. We got a couple of those checked off again. Been doing that pretty good because coach is making some bad decisions sometimes, I don't know.
Anyway, I thought my kids were so good the way they came out. Mia 3-5, Mihyia 3-6. It was just so good up and down the lineup. Toney 2-5. In the circle, KT and NiJaree, they're just battling. We got a doubleheader tomorrow. It's really important we didn't burn 'em up tonight. Really important.
When I look at it, we went four innings and five innings. And it seemed like 32 innings. I think we can go into tomorrow. We have arms. They're learning to just have each other's back, and we're learning how to be a team.
I'm super proud of my team. Mihyia, outstanding. Lauren kept getting on base, walks, hit by pitches. It's a special team right now. I could go on forever. Just a great night for our team.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up to questions for the players.
Q. Kaitlyn, how did it feel to make plays on the mound, make plays at the plate?
KAITLYN TERRY: I mean, it was great. I just -- trusting the ball in the circle, trusting my preparation at the plate. Just knowing this team is going to have my back.
Q. When you're facing that lineup, do you have to kind of live with the runs and be fearless and pound the zone?
NIJAREE CANADY: Yeah, I think it's honestly just trying to get our offense back in the dugout as fast as possible. Obviously they have a lot of power. Trying to limit the damage as much as possible, going right at hitters, trusting our offense is going to take care of us.
Q. The way you guys are rotating in, one starts, you come in, don't know when you're coming in, how were you managing the time in between? What are you paying attention to while the other one is pitching knowing you can come back in at any time?
KAITLYN TERRY: It's kind of staying locked in, knowing at any time either of us can go back in, each other is going to have their back no matter who is in. Keeping your mind locked in, honestly.
NIJAREE CANADY: Kind of the same thing, staying in the game, especially in the dugout. Always knowing what's going on, what batter is coming up, stuff like that.
Q. NiJa, this felt like a marathon. What is it going to take tomorrow to get back to where you were last season?
NIJAREE CANADY: I think it's just playing for each other again. I feel like whether we're out there, we're fighting for each other, we're just trying to have each other's back. The same way we've been playing all year.
Q. Mia, what were you seeing from Taylor? Seemed like you were locked in right away. Does it make it easier when you know they're not going to make a pitching change?
MIA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, you never know when they're going to make a pitching change. They could have if they wanted to. We never know what they're going to do. I think going up tonight, I stuck to my plan I had before the game, picking out good pitches. It worked.
Q. NiJaree, the last two years Gerry has compared you to Michael Jordan, Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson. What does it mean to you to have a coach that sees you like that?
NIJAREE CANADY: It means everything, to have a coach that has that kind of confidence, compared to those kind of athletes, it's incredible.
Q. How does the last couple of weeks and these crazy games help you to be able to come back?
MIA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think every game from those games here on out is going to be a fight, a dogfight. Just sticking to our preparation and our practice that we've been doing since August, yeah.
KAITLYN TERRY: You hit it on the spot (smiling).
Q. Mia, offensively you and Mihyia came out first pitch swinging right away. Was that part of game plan?
MIA WILLIAMS: Yeah, just picking out good pitches. I think that's the name of the game. When you pick out good pitches, get good swings, good things happen.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, players. We'll continue with questions for Coach.
Q. Can you take me through your thought process of when to bring in NiJa and KT. Is it feel, where you are in the batting order?
GERRY GLASCO: Just depending on what the hitters did against -- when we switched the last time, the girl hit a home run earlier on KT, so we'll put in NiJa in. The best matchup, doesn't mean it's going to be that way obviously. Just playing hunches.
Then just changing momentum. I don't want to grab. If you go back and watch the Florida game, things kept happening in double, home run, double, home run. The hits were back to back to back to back. That's when I decided I got to quit delaying. I wanted to do it.
I wanted to do it more earlier. When you have All-American pitchers, they want the ball. They want the circle. You don't want to fight with your great pitcher or your great talent. You want to coach 'em.
It became apparent to me in Florida, let's change. Hard hits happen two times in a row, Coach, man up and make the change. It's kind of scary to go out there and tell KT you're taking her out. I'm going to tell you. Makes you take a deep breath.
In fact, you watch it, Tara won't go out there. I have to go out there. I don't go out there. She's a fierce competitor.
I think it become apparent, too, the message that it has to be about the team. No one person has to carry this. We got way too much talent for one person to feel like we have to carry us every second.
Q. Understanding all of that, did you look back and second-guess taking Kaitlyn out? How champing at the bit were they each?
GERRY GLASCO: I'm sure I thought of that because I thought a whole lot of stuff when it went wrong. The hardest part was doing it again. After it didn't work, go back and making the moves after that was the hardest part.
But I was actually standing right beside KT, said, You want the ball here?
She said, Let her have it. She's got it. She's got it.
She had total faith, NiJa has got it. I think that's where you have to tip your hat to the greatness of Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery. Those are not just average softball players, All-Americans, those are great, great, great softball players. When you have to compete with them, you have to know they're going to beat you a certain amount of time.
I didn't really think a whole lot about it. I thought we had to keep playing the game.
Q. You alluded to some accountability saying you maybe made a dumb choice. How did your players respond to that? What specifically was it you feel wasn't the best coaching decision?
GERRY GLASCO: At this point they don't doubt me a whole lot. I send them a text the other day, I want to cancel hitting. If you trust me to have you ready, we'll cancel hitting today.
A couple of 'em, Vic texted, I'll trust you with my life. Then it was just like over and over. They of course was tired, too, didn't want to hit. It was pretty neat having the kids tell you, Coach, whatever you say, we'll do it.
I think we've reached that point as a program where they really buy in. It takes time, especially with great players, talented players, it takes them a while for them to buy in, especially something they've never seen before.
My team, I know they have my back, I know they do.
Q. Speaking of players like Victoria, she came in, got a big hit, Desirae. What is the message for the players to stay ready when the moment gets big like that?
GERRY GLASCO: They all have to be ready because we're going to use 'em. If you look, we used almost everybody on the roster. Which is exactly what you want. The kids over here last year, they want to be a part of this. They want to win it. Our goal is not just to get here, our goal is to get all the way to the finish line and be in front when we get there.
If you talk about team chemistry, you got to find a way. Surely there's one thing each one of those athletes that have been here for two or three years can do to help my ballclub. It's up to me as the head coach to find a role for each player. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make 'em all feel like they're a part of our family, they're a part of our team, they're a part of what makes us click.
Q. What did you see specifically from KT that you think worked in the circle tonight?
GERRY GLASCO: Her ball was really moving. I mean, she got so many swing and misses. I saw 72 on the scoreboard. When you watch KT, you see like the ultimate competitor. Just greatness. The competitiveness is like a Bobby Hurley. Just greatness is what I see.
Tonight I saw her and her greatness giving everything she had to our ballclub.
Q. How much of the last 24 hours have been managing emotions, then throughout that game, how much of that is going to be a factor with tomorrow?
GERRY GLASCO: It was tough last night. People were asking me what did I say. I said nothing. I know what I got. I got a locker room, dugout, full of athletes that want to win. We have 18 hours till the game starts. I've got to let them migrate from where they're at. I don't need to get in the locker room and say, We got to get up, quit feeling sorry for yourself. I didn't need to tell them that. I needed to let them feel the emotions you felt.
When I went to bed last night, I was dying. Like, I was dying. At 2:30 in the morning, I hadn't been asleep one bit. I laid there looking at the ceiling thinking maybe I should have did or could have did.
I woke up this morning, I finally went to sleep, I did wake up. Everybody asks you, Are you okay?
I'm not okay yet. I got eight hours till game time. I got seven hours till game time.
Somebody called me two and a half hours before the game. You going to be okay? I said I've got 150 minutes. I'll be okay at the 148 minute mark.
I think we have to feel that, discipline, let it go out naturally. I had to give them time to let it evaporate and we'd be ready to go.
When the first pitch is thrown, this team is competitive, they're going to have each other's back and they're going to compete for our program and Red Raider Nation.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports