Postgame Quotes - Kansas State vs. Kansas
May 22, 2011
Postgame Quotes
Kansas State 10, Kansas 6
Lawrence, Kan. – Hoglund Ballpark
Kansas head coach Ritch Price
On the end to the season:
“When we finished the fifth series of the conference season when we won the Saturday game against Texas, we were 9-9 and in fifth place (in the Big 12 Conference). I think we were the greatest story in the Big 12 Conference. We were offensively challenged when the season started and our team batting average was under .200 when we started conference play, and somehow we fought through five series and won four to be 9-9. That team had overachieved as much as any team I had ever coached. Obviously, in the last month we’ve lost nine straight conference games. We’ve hit the wall and our pitchers have hit the wall big time. They’re competing and trying to get it done, but the reality is that right now we can’t pitch well enough to stay in baseball games.”
On how graduation plays into this series:
“It’s always an interesting day at our place. The hard part for us is Senior Day. It means so much to play at this great school and the way athletes are treated and how much they love the University of Kansas once they’re done. I’ve never been to a place where there are so many tears on Sunday like there are here. I think it’s a credit to KU and it’s a credit to our athletic department. It’s an emotional day.”
On the season being over:
“It’s tough to take. If you’d have told me after we were 9-9 that we wouldn’t make the Big 12 Tournament, I wouldn’t have believed it. I didn’t think it was possible for us to lose nine straight conference games. We’ve got some devastating losses mixed in with that as well. I think it just goes back to the fact that we need to continue to develop our guys and we’ve got to get older and more experienced in order to finish games. Right now, we’re pitching one freshman after another in key roles, and that’s hard to do.”
Junior Firstbaseman Zac Elgie
On the series:
“I think the whole series between us and K State were just great college baseball games – all three games. It’s bittersweet for the seniors to be able to go out that way because they’ve put so much into the program. A lot of those guys were the guys that got us to the Regional in Chapel Hill. To get swept in our final three series is disappointing, but I’m thankful for everything they’ve done for us at KU.”
On if it gets easier to say good-bye to seniors:
“I think it’s harder because you’re here with them longer. Being able to spend so much time with them makes them like your brothers. Next year, you come back and you have a whole new group and you’re the old kid on the block. It’s different, but it’s one of those things. It just gets really emotional and it’s disappointing that we couldn’t get them a win to go out.”
On if the postponement helped the team:
“I think the big thing is that Coach Price really preached to play all 56 games. I think that’s really what we did. We went out there and played our butts off in the last game. We left it all out there trying to get those seniors a win. It didn’t work out for us, but tip your cap to a good K State team.”
