Day 3 box scores & post game comments

Game 6 Minnesota 12 Purdue 3

Purdue coach Doug Schreiber

On Tom Buske's pitching:

“We really have to tip our hat to Buske. That's his second complete (game) on us on this year. It was a great performance as far as we had them on the ropes again in the first three innings. Again, we had a chance to probably have a little knock-down punch and didn't get it and then from there, we couldn't shut their offense down and he (Buske) came back strong and shut us down.”

On the tournament experience:

“Hopefully we can build off this experience. In your worst year, you hope that you finish sixth and get into the tournament. And, then, in one of your better years, you have a chance to compete for a championship. Again, we like to think of this as, not rock bottom, but it's not our goal to be the No. 6 seed and just making it to the tournament. We want keep building and keep trying to compete and win this thing.”

On Derek McCallum’s home run:
“We talked it about it before the game that if there was one guy that we didn't want to beat us – if we didn't have to have beat us – that was McCallum … but, again, tip your hat to him. He is a great hitter. He came up again in the clutch for them and Minnesota's a good team.”


Game 7 Minnesota 13 Illinois 4

Minnesota coach John Anderson:

On the win over Illinois:

“To advance in this tournament, No. 1, you need good starting pitching, and we had that today. No. 2, I was concerned about our team and how we lost our last game of the regular season and some of the travel we’ve been on and so on and so forth. I thought we lacked a little energy Wednesday and I talked to the team after the game about trying to find some of that energy and bring that to the ball park today and obviously we did that.”

On the team’s overall performance:

“I thought we played with great energy today, and in all phases of the game I thought we executed on offense, defense and pitching. I thought we looked like the Minnesota team I’ve see all season.”

Illinois coach Dan Hartleb


On chances of qualifying for NCAA Championship:

“The last few games we’ve been struggling, so if we can play hard I think we are a team that can play well at a regional and I think we can be a team that can go in and represent well. On the other hand, you have to finish strong and we did not do that, so we will have to wait and see. If the right teams win their conferences – those teams that are already in – then we might have an outside chance.”

Game 8 Indiana 13 Ohio State 3

Indiana coach Tracy Smith

On the win over Ohio State:

“As I said yesterday, it is so important to stay in the winner’s bracket. We knew Ohio State, with the crowd, was going to be a tough contest. But the pivotal play was the bases load, nobody out that we were able to get out of (in the fifth inning) and then we were able to score some runs.”

On his team’s chances to win the tournament:

“We are taking nothing for granted. I am glad our guys are confident and on a big roll, but it can all change in a hurry.”

On the performance of starter Blake Monar:

“One thing Blake did was he battled and he competed. That was not his best performance, but he battled and competed and he gave us a chance to win. We got what we needed out of him today.”

On the status of Eric Arnett:
“We will probably not start him, and a lot depends on the situation of the game. He has a bright future in this game and we want to be smart about it. But, rest assured, if the right situation presents itself you will see Arnett tomorrow.”

Ohio State coach Bob Todd

On his team’s performance:

“The game of baseball never ceases to amaze. I am not sure there is much I can positively say about our ballclub. I was not happy with the way we swung the bats, I was not happy with our defense, and there is not much to say about the way we pitched. But that is not to take anything away from Indiana, because they are one of the hottest teams in this tournament right now.”

On the team’s attitude heading into Saturday:

“We talked about it afterward and we have the mindset that we will do as well as we can to try and win this tournament. I am packing a lunch and plans to be here all day. Eric Best will start for us and we will do everything we can to play tomorrow night.”