May 24, 2007
Coaches and athletes from Texas A&M and Florida met with members of the media on Thursday afternoon at the NCAA College Station Super Regional pre-tournament press conference.
A&M Head Coach Jo Evans was joined by junior pitcher Amanda Scarborough and senior outfielder Sharonda McDonald.
Head Coach Tim Walton represented the University of Florida.
Audio files are available through the links to the right (mp3 format).
A&M HEAD COACH JO EVANS: ?We?â„¢re really excited for this weekend. Our kids have had a great season and we?â„¢re two games away from getting to the College World Series. That?â„¢s been our goal all year. We know Florida?â„¢s got a great ball club and we?â„¢re going to have to play well to beat them. We expect a great crowd and our team is on a roll.?
(On last Saturday's games?...) "I think we were reminded of something that we know about our team and it's that we're great competitors and that we really want to win and that we have a tremendous desire to play in the College World Series. It's tough in a conference season; I didn't feel like we let down but we didn't play with that enthusiasm and confidence that you saw the other day. So that was great for us to get that gut check and then have that reminder that this is what our team is all about."
(On Florida assets?...) "Florida has played a lot of really tough teams this year just as we have. Their pitcher, Nelson, does a very nice job and has a low ERA. She doesn't throw a ton of strikeouts but gets outs. She has great accuracy and a nice changeup. They have speed so they steal quite a few bases. Our team is similar in the sense that we have great pitching, great speed on the bases, and we have great experience. So our teams match up well."
A&M SENIOR SHARONDA MCDONALD: (On attitude going into this regional opposed to two years ago?...) "It just feels different this year. We're just so excited about it. Amanda was a freshman and I was sophomore. We were just talking about how you just don't understand how big it is to be so close to the College World Series, to be able to host, and all the opportunities that we've had."
(On her performance last weekend?...) "I felt great at the plate. I felt like my timing was perfect and that's a great thing for this time of the year. I felt good."
A&M JUNIOR AMANDA SCARBOROUGH: (On attitude going into this regional opposed to two years ago?...) "I think this year we've just really grasped the idea that we're two wins away from going to our ultimate goal from the beginning of the season. We've just been talking about how that experience is really going to help us. We've learned so much over the past season about our team. We're just so excited to go out and play this weekend."
FLORIDA HEAD COACH TIM WALTON: (On difference with this year's team...) "Pitching and defense. We have been able to take care of the ball a lot better this year than we have in the past. Our fielding percentage is way above .970. When you can do that and keep your ERA under 2, it gives you an opportunity to be in every ball game. Mentality wise I feel like our kids have really bought into the new system."
(On Texas A&M and the SEC...) "They compare to a lot of teams in the SEC. We were fortunate enough to see A&M live when we were out in Arizona for that tournament. They were co-champions in the tournament, we went 4-1. They beat Arizona with a walk-off homerun; we beat Arizona with a walk-off homerun. When you look at their team speed they are like an Alabama. They can kill you with the long ball, they can steal a couple bases, play solid defense, a power pitching team. Alabama is the fairest comparison over all."
(On championships at Florida...) "I think you benefit from them in the way of life. Kids start to see other kids winning championships and start to feel a connection there. When you look at our programs at Florida, every sport is treated with high class. We are given immense resources, every facility, just like at A&M, is very well taken care of."
(On atmosphere at A&M...) "As a former baseball player and softball coach in the Big 12 and Big 8, I know exactly what the people of College Station and the people of Texas like about the Aggies. It doesn't matter what the record is like, they are going to support their team with blood, sweat and tears. I told them (Florida team) from day one that we can prepare for A&M. We can watch them on video, but the one thing I can't prepare you for is the crowd. On the flipside of that, that says a lot about where are sport has come. We have a lot of respect for what Texas A&M has done. They have laid the foundation for college softball, in my opinion. They are the grassroots of college softball."