Softball Press Conference Transcript

Head Coach Rhonda Revelle<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

On the youth of the team coming into the season

“I think the thing about this team that I have appreciated is that I really feel like they have utilized every practice day and a lot of time on their own to go in and do extra work. They are really a hard working group. There is no doubt about it that we have some inexperience at positions, but I really feel like, if we think about this thing for the long haul, we are going to keep getting better every day. That is really our focus - to keep getting better everyday. That has been our focus since the fall and we are a better team than we were in the fall and we are going to be a better team at the end of the season than we were at the start of the season.”

 

On how her coaching has changed with no seniors on the team

“I think it changes a lot. We have been talking as a coaching staff about our ability to stay very patient, because we are going to make mistakes. We are going to make some young mistakes. We just know that right from the outset that we are going to make mistakes, but we are going to try and grow and not keep making the same mistake. I am really looking forward to the challenge as a coach, because the way that I respond is going to be critical to the way they respond.”

 

On the emergence of freshman Heidi Foland

“Heidi is a treat for our team. She is a great athlete. I know that we kind of stole her off the hardwood, but when I saw her play in a high school game, I literally caught her out of the corner of my eye and thought ?there is an athlete’. I went about calling her coach and the rest is history. Her key, especially to start out the season, is to hit with her instincts and let her athleticism take over because there is a lot of the game, and the game savvy, that she still has to learn. She needs to be patient with herself there because she has not been able to play as many games as a lot of freshmen coming in with club ball, because she has played so much basketball. Again, her athleticism is going to carry her. She was going to compete for a starting spot anyway, but because of the injury to Whitney Barrett, she has been thrust right into the limelight at shortstop.”

 

On her sense of building the team with these players

“I really feel like we have a good nucleus. We will be without (junior pitcher) Molly Hill this weekend. Molly is coming off of a scope that she had on her knee, a meniscus repair. This game is pitching and you look at her stats, she led the Big 12 in ERA last year at just over 1.00 which was absolutely remarkable. If it starts right there in the circle, this weekend our young pitchers are going to have a chance to really come out and show what they are really about and gain some valuable experience. I think that is really the key. Crystal Carwile is coming back as an All-Big 12 player. Haley Long is coming back as an All-Big 12 player. We have picked up some key recruits in Amanda Duran and Ashley Guile that can really add a spark to the middle of our lineup. I am really looking forward to scoring some more runs this year and I think we have the ability to do it.”

 

On a timetable for Molly Hill’s return

“I was just with her at the doctor yesterday. It is about getting swelling out of that knee, but we are hopeful that she will get one game in our second week out. It is a three to five week recovery and we are at week two now.”

 

On who she sees in a leadership role on the team

“Leadership is critical. Our junior class has all stepped up. We have three captains, Britt Pascale, Megan Mullin and Molly Hill. We have had a lot of our players step up. Crystal Carwile has really solidified the infield. When she can see heads start to spin, she is calming them down and calling out the defenses and stuff. It was interesting because in the preview of our newcomers, as you listen to their remarks, about every other one of them is talking about the great leadership on this team. Every coach can speak to, if you have great leadership, the coach can focus on coaching the team a little more.”

 

On the dynamics of the team with Molly Hill out for this weekend

“She is such a respectful young lady, that I think it gives her permission to say I am the No. 1 pitcher and I am going to take the ball and lead the team. I think she is also very encouraged to help our younger pitchers as they work through. For instance, Tori Tyson is a freshman and we have been having her go against hitters a lot in the last few weeks. You can tell the nerves are getting to her and that was one of the reason we were getting there. Molly said she remembered her freshman year and she said she just wanted to help her through that. She has really taking on a mentoring role, too.”

 

On how tough the start of the season will be

“Well, we have not had cleats on yet and we have not been on dirt and we have not seen a ball against a blue sky, but one of our team’s philosophies this year is to dominate adversities. We are really trying to stay in that process knowing that there is going to be some adversity. It is a disadvantage that we have not been outside yet? Absolutely. We are going out to practice at Megan Mullin’s high school (Seton Catholic) once we get (to Arizona) on Thursday and we feel like one day outside is better than none. I think that is the key ? to really stay focused on the process and not get too far ahead of ourselves. I think with a young team especially, the more we can keep them right here right now, the more they will grow and the faster we will get to where we want to be.”

 

On her being used to setting short-term goals with such a young team

“Maybe not as much as we are this year, because it is the youngest team I have ever coached, but I will tell you what, it has really been refreshing. It has really been energizing for me as a coach. I am taking notes and learning a few lessons along the way, because maybe it is the way to go. A lot of times we get too far out ahead of ourselves. The goal for this year is to win this pitch, one at a time. Like I told our young pitchers this weekend, I am going to call one pitch at a time and you make sure that you just pitch one pitch at a time.”

 

On the youth testing her patience

“I try to put myself in a situation where I am tested every day and that I respond. In fact, yesterday I said to the team, ?how do you know when I am upset or angry?’, because I am trying to figure out what they are seeing so I can make sure that I temper that. I am really trying to do my homework and trying to put myself in a situation each day that I am responding correctly. Not getting frustrated with freshmen the way I might get frustrated with a junior. I think that is really important to their learning curve, because they are good kids and they want to please. It is not a matter of they are not putting in the work or they do not want to be successful. That is another important thing that I need to make sure I am keeping track of.”

 

On the team’s answers to how they know when she is upset or angry

“They had about 17 things. My eyebrows to my jaw to whatever else. I am watching all of that.”

 

On how last season  prepared Alex Hupp for this weekend

“I think the fall probably prepared Hupp more than last season as far as innings, actually being out there and competing. I think last year she spent a good amount of time on the field in left field and did some designated hitting. I remember when Ashley DeBuhr did not spend a lot of time in the circle Peaches James’ senior year, but all of the time she was learning and growing and talking to the older pitchers. The other thing about Alex, she is a four-time state high school champion, so she knows how to win. She was a high school All-American. She comes with a resume that has been very successful. She has a winner inside of her. I really believe once she takes the mound - she will start the <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Cal game in our first game out - that competitor in her will take over. She is a great competitor.”

 

On if the pitching rotation is set

“We have two to choose from and right now we are just going to alternate them. They know that they may have to relief each other, too, so Alex (Hupp) will go first game and Tori (Tyson) will go thesecond game on day one and then we will go from there.”

 

On Tori Tyson’s broken foot in the fall

“Every day she is getting a little more comfortable. Yesterday after she went live against our hitters, she was pretty encouraged because she said her teammates could see a different look in her eyes. She can tell she is getting a little more comfortable out there. We are going to have to factor in the adrenaline. That is going to go up and over the top those first couple innings, but it is really about her staying with a routine, taking her time to breath, reset and do all those things you do as a pitcher. She is a competitor and she has competed at the highest level in the highest club program. She comes from a coaching family. Her father is a coach. Anytime I think you live in a house with a coach, I think you have a little more poise than other players.”

 

On the team’s tough schedule

“That is exactly why we scheduled that way. We do not really schedule to try and rack up wins. We are not trying to get to a certain number. We always plan on being in postseason. Obviously we want to advance further than we have the last couple years, but I really think these early tournaments battle test you. The Big 12 Conference is going to be a great conference again, with two teams that were in the College World Series last year. We want to be prepared. We want to be prepared when opening day of conference comes around and not feel like we are a young team anymore. That is the goal.”

 

 

Junior infielder Crystal Carwile

On her role on the team

“Really, just being a leader on the team and a big voice on the infield. We have a younger team, but as I see it, on the infield I’m just ready to step up and if we need a voice, that’s what I’m going to be. I really want the younger girls to be louder and outdo me. I just really want to be a tool to get this team to where we want to be ? ultimately the World Series and Big 12 champions.”

 

On the chemistry of the young infield

“Day by day we’re getting more comfortable with each other, it just takes time. We’ve seen it in practice that as we get more comfortable and we play together more that each day everyone is getting louder and we’re all backing each other.”

 

One how the team can improve its run scoring from last season

“Just the little things and execution. Our real big thing this year is ?inch by inch.’ If we can just take care of those inches and execute the little things, that’s what the difference maker is: getting a bunt down or taking our role. If you’re an RBI person, you drive them in. If you’re an on-base person, you get on base and the RBI (person) will get you in. We’re just focused on step by step and little by little.”

 

On the challenges of having such a young team

“Every team faces adversity whether they’re young or old. I think we might face a little bit more (adversity) but if we just slow each other down (that will help). We really got to know each other  and (can tell) when each (player) is getting frustrated or upset or rushing and that’s when someone, whoever it is, just steps up and calls a timeout and just says ?Okay, we see that we’re struggling a little bit.’ We might have an error or have something go wrong, but we’re going to take the next step. We really worked on that with some team meetings this past week to see what we can do to change it and what can we do to make it better. If we see something happening that’s not our way, know that we’re better than whatever is coming at us and that we can beat it.”

 

On having to practice exclusively inside so far this season

“It’s nice to be on dirt, but even though we’re on turf every field you go to plays different. Right now we’re on turf and so it’s going to play differently, obviously, than dirt. We’ve been under lights in the Hawks (Center) so when we play a night game, I know we’re going to do great with that and we’re used to that. We get to go play out at (SetonCatholicHigh School on Thursday) and get some ground balls in there. We’re going to do just great.”

 

 

Junior pitcher Molly Hill

On how she felt before her injury and how she feels know

“I was feeling pretty positively about this season, and I was pretty excited about starting. I think I still have that same enthusiasm. My arm still knows how to throw. I’ve been visualizing a lot trying to picture myself in games, so I’m not too concerned. I’m just really excited and really anxious.”

 

On her injury

“It actually happened about a year and a half ago, but it really didn’t affect me much. About two-and-a-half weeks ago ? I’m pretty sure it was when I was pitching ? it just hurt really bad and it got really swollen so a couple of days later we looked into it and had surgery.”

 

On how missing this weekend will affect her mindset

“I think it will really make me appreciate when I do get to pitch. Good day or bad day, I think I’ll just be glad to be out there as opposed to sitting.”

On her role with helping the young pitchers this weekend

“I just want to be there and talk to them because I understand how nerve-racking it is, especially to be an underclassman and start games. I’ll answer questions ? Tori (Tyson) asks me a lot of things. It will just be fun to talk to them and kind of pitch through them.”

 

On if she was frustrated by a lack of run support last season

“Not really. It makes me really excited for this year, though, because I see a lot of the players working extra and doing a lot of extra hitting. It’s really encouraging for this season. I’m excited.”

 

On being named to the USA Softball Player of the Year watch list

“I’d like to achieve that, but I was really surprised (to be on that list). We had a speak say that if you believe everything good the media says then you’ll believe anything bad.”