June 2, 2002

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NOTRE DAME

Notre Dame Coach Paul Mainieri

On the game…
“It’s certainly great to be sitting in one of these things knowing that the last out is made. It’s just been a remarkable run with this group of kids.W e battled every day of the season, we fought through so much and to have accomplished what we accomplished today- I’m just so happy for these kids. It overwhelms me really.”

On Steve Sollmann’s hot streak…
“I finally get to talk to him. I was afraid to talk to him the whole weekend because he was so unconscious.”

On keys to Irish turnaround…
“There were a lot of things that happened this year with our season to turn it around… and there really were a lot of things. I think when Brian Stavisky was able to play consistently after those two injuries. Moving J.P. Gagne to the bullpen was a critical thing. But I tell you what, Steve Sollmann, for the first 30 games of the season, was basically playing on one leg. When he was able to get really healthy we started to see the true player that Sollmann is. It’s hard to say that he carried us because everyone contributed, but Steve Sollmann playing at the level he has for the last quarter of the season has really been a tremendous spark for us.”

On final out…
“It was a beautiful sight, I’ll tell you that. We’ll always remember that, won’t we?”

On community support…
“I just would really like to thank the people in this community for coming out and supporting the Irish the way that they did. I thought that the atmosphere in the stadium was really electric every day.”

Notre Dame 2B Steve Sollmann

On celebration after the game…
“It was great for me- hard to explain. I can’t imagine what it was like for Coach and these seniors that have gone through so much together.”

Notre Dame CF Steve Stanley

On Irish victory…
“We’ve been waiting four years for this. I can’t imagine it ending any other way than the way it did on our field. That’s my last game at Frank Eck stadium maybe… probably actually. I just can’t imagine it having gone any other way… there was a feeling of elation for all of us and gosh, we sure enjoyed it.”

On possibility of a trip to the College World Series…
“To know that we’re that close and the way this season’s gone with winning the regular season and winning the BIG EAST Championship, having won the regional. This team is a team of destiny. I have to think that this team is going to go down there and put up a great performance. I know we will, we’re just too talented in too many areas not to go down there and show them down south that Notre Dame baseball can play a little bit.”

Notre Dame P Chris Niesel

On early lead…
“It’s definately a different game when you’re able to pitch ahead. My defense played great behind me, too. I think that was a real key to the weekend.”

Notre Dame LF Brian Stavisky

On the opportunity to go to the Super Regional…
“It’s great for the seniors and it’s great for Notre Dame baseball… Now to go to probably Florida State and try to go to the World Series through there. That’s the way we want it. We want to beat the best to get to the highest level.”

OHIO STATE

Ohio State Coach Bob Todd

On the game…
“First of all, congratulations to the University of Notre Dame. I’m sure they will represent this region very, very well in the Super Regionals. We were in the Super Regionals a couple of years ago and it’s a great experience. I certainly hope they enjoy it.”
“It seemed like the first six innings, and this is exactly what’s happened all weekend, Notre Dame truly has the karma on their side and they’ve got great momentum. It just seemed like everything they did turned to gold. We tried to get some ground balls – we got it, but it just seemed to be in the holes. We could never turn the double play, we never got a break, and that’s a tribute to Notre Dame. They eventually built a lead that was too large for us to overcome.”

On his team’s scoring opportunities this afternoon…
“There were a couple of times I thought we had opportunities to score and we didn’t do it. We scored one in the fourth and one in the sixth and we had opportunities to score more. In both instances, (their starting pitcher) did exactly what he had to do. Not only did he have to get outs, but he had to get strikeouts and he was able to accomplish that. We were never able to get anything going. I thought maybe we had something in the eighth, when we ended up getting the potential tying run to the plate, but it just didn’t materialize.”

On his team’s season and the future…
“Obviously, after a game like this, you’re not very happy, but let’s face it – once the NCAA Tournament starts, there’s only one team that’s going to be happy anyway, and that’s the one that wins the national championship. Everybody else is going to end their season with a loss.”
“We brought 10 freshmen and seven sophomores to this tournament, so in retrospect, I think this team has a bright future and I’m very proud of the way they played and the way they battled and especially, the way they competed back through the loser’s bracket.”

Ohio State IF Terry Pettorini

On his team’s eighth-inning rally…
“It was the same thing we tried to do all day. We believed we could win, we competed hard . It wasn’t just the eighth inning; we believed it all the way up to the last out of the last inning. We just went out there and battled and competed as hard as we could.”

On his two-run double in the eighth…
“I hit it pretty good. I wasn’t sure whether it was going out or not. I did know I was a big run at that point, so I was on my horse trying to get to second or stretch it to third if I could.”

Ohio State OF Doug Deeds

On playing a Notre Dame team which has now won 38 of its last 43 games…
“It just seemed like every time we had a chance to get the momentum going our way, they would step up and make a play. We just couldn’t really get over the top. And, their hitters just put on all the pressure every inning. It must be fun to watch in the stands, but I tell you, it’s tough to play against.”

Ohio State IF Drew Anderson

On his team’s future…
“It looks great. We’ve got a lot of players out there that are young and have a lot to work on. That’s where the summer comes in, and the fall, and even the winter. Everyone is going to remember this feeling today. It is Notre Dame and it was a great job (by them), but we’re leaving with a pretty bad feeling in our stomachs. I think if everybody remembers this feeling, they’re going to want to work hard. We’re just going to try to step it up and do something next year.”