Latest / The Auburn Undercover Podcast / Butch Thompson talks Auburn being No 4 National seed

Transcript

Butch Thompson talks Auburn being No 4 National seed · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

• 0:00
  to your team when you called it an
• 0:01
  amazing journey. Can you elaborate on
• 0:03
  that maybe with this what it's been like
• 0:04
  this season?
• 0:05
  >> Yeah, I just we started I don't know one
• 0:08
  of our weeks talking about the people
• 0:11
  think about the end and I think that's
• 0:13
  where we get in trouble. I think about
• 0:14
  that as a head coach the end. You want
• 0:16
  to win something down the road and
• 0:19
  sometimes in life when we play that game
• 0:21
  we miss the journey. We miss the present
• 0:24
  moment. I know you guys that have
• 0:26
  covered us, I've talked about the
• 0:27
  present a lot and I just want us to be
• 0:29
  present for the journey because I think
• 0:31
  sitting here at this selection show for
• 0:32
  these guys someday this will be
• 0:35
  something that they'll cherish and can
• 0:37
  we dig some of that out in the moment,
• 0:39
  the games that we've played and the the
• 0:41
  journey we've been on here to this
• 0:43
  point. We've got to enjoy this as we're
• 0:45
  going through it. And I don't think
• 0:47
  that's just for college baseball
• 0:49
  players. I think that for for anybody
• 0:51
  that'll listen that we need to find a
• 0:53
  way to enjoy our journey. So we stumbled
• 0:54
  on that and u trying to live that out
• 0:57
  the best we can and uh but it's exciting
• 1:00
  day we'll always remember for sure.
• 1:02
  >> Reaction to being a number four seed two
• 1:04
  years early.
• 1:05
  >> Yeah just awesome. I I just think about
• 1:08
  how good these teams are that we've
• 1:10
  played and I do think about our our
• 1:12
  road. I still think about how to get
• 1:14
  them ready again for for a regional. 15
• 1:16
  of our last 21 games have been on the
• 1:18
  road. Um everybody's fault and every
• 1:20
  coach in the country as they should. If
• 1:22
  you got a team fighting for you, you
• 1:24
  give the best account you can for your
• 1:26
  team. And I see coaches doing that all
• 1:29
  over. Um, feel the same way about us.
• 1:31
  So, um, I've never been part of that in
• 1:34
  my career, back-to-back years like that.
• 1:37
  Four of the last five is pretty neat to
• 1:40
  be able to host a regional. I mean, this
• 1:42
  awesome program that I get to get the
• 1:45
  lead had been to four regionals in
• 1:47
  history prior to this run of four out of
• 1:49
  five. So, and I think us in North
• 1:51
  Carolina, two schools have hosted four
• 1:53
  the last 5 years. So, I I'm just
• 1:56
  thankful. But again, who do I spread
• 1:59
  that to? Our our administration, the
• 2:01
  build out, how we continue to build a
• 2:03
  program, our fans, nobody more than our
• 2:05
  players and and our coaches. It's been a
• 2:08
  pretty good level of consistency.
• 2:10
  Um, but at the same time, um, there's
• 2:14
  some more doors that we could knock
• 2:15
  down. We were very invested in the SEC
• 2:18
  tournament that we couldn't pull out by
• 2:19
  one run. We give up three runs in three
• 2:21
  games and have to come home.
• 2:24
  We're hopefully still there's some
• 2:25
  hunger. There's some appreciation,
• 2:27
  thankfulness.
• 2:29
  Understand that this is pretty neat in
• 2:31
  our program's history doing some things
• 2:33
  at a at a high level. been a lot of
• 2:36
  people have stepped up to the plate to
• 2:38
  create that uh but then still an urgency
• 2:41
  and a fight and a desire to keep trying
• 2:44
  to find more, get something done, check
• 2:47
  another box and do something the program
• 2:48
  hadn't done before. It's an opportunity
• 2:51
  and um and we're looking forward to it.
• 2:54
  >> Were you guys able to choose the noon
• 2:55
  start? Is that kind of an advantage to
• 2:57
  have time between
• 2:58
  >> That's more TV. I think we're still
• 3:00
  trying to work all that out. I would say
• 3:01
  that'd be up in air and it wouldn't be
• 3:03
  great reporting to put anything out
• 3:06
  right now. Uh there's back to bids,
• 3:08
  there's back to TV, there's back to a
• 3:11
  few things. So, I would say there's
• 3:13
  confusion on that front a little bit
• 3:15
  from from our standpoint. Somebody else
• 3:17
  might not be confused, but there's a
• 3:19
  little bit of confusion there and a
• 3:21
  little dust needs to settle and see what
• 3:23
  those times are. I know what was posted.
• 3:26
  I I have more idea about the bids and
• 3:28
  stuff that were presented. So,
• 3:32
  if you'll leave me alone, I'll probably
• 3:33
  go work on that.
• 3:34
  >> So, so TVA would be the word.
• 3:36
  >> That's TVA right now.
• 3:38
  >> Yeah.
• 3:38
  >> Any thoughts on on the teams that that
• 3:40
  coming here? I know obviously you know a
• 3:42
  lot about LA event, but anybody any
• 3:44
  thoughts on the other teams?
• 3:45
  >> I remember last time a coach was
• 3:46
  retiring at coming here in the 23
• 3:48
  regional. Uh Scott Barry, um and they
• 3:52
  were here last year,
• 3:54
  >> so I think they're pretty familiar with
• 3:55
  the surroundings. Uh Scott Foxhall was a
• 3:58
  World Series pitching coach on that deal
• 4:00
  and I think the World of Elliot Avant,
• 4:02
  good friend and storyried career. So, um
• 4:07
  yeah, they'll be good. They run they
• 4:09
  fill out the uniform. Great. ACC, I
• 4:12
  mean, you know, could go on and on. Um
• 4:14
  UCF heard their name all year. Coach
• 4:16
  done a great job really getting that
• 4:19
  program pumped and and doing some really
• 4:21
  good things. Now I'm in the Big 12, so
• 4:23
  that's power four, power four. Um yeah,
• 4:27
  our our and it it requires us to to
• 4:30
  absolutely play at the same standard and
• 4:32
  effort and yeah, we've had good
• 4:35
  preparation for that. But I also saw a
• 4:38
  stat where we've played 44%
• 4:41
  of our games against regional hosts. So
• 4:45
  we've been, you know, teams in a
• 4:47
  regional or whatever. But uh there's
• 4:50
  going to be three real good teams.
• 4:51
  Milwaukee you always think about right
• 4:53
  state. So if somebody took them down,
• 4:56
  they're deserving. So everybody's either
• 4:58
  hot, power four, done it before, been
• 5:01
  there before, and u we got we got to
• 5:04
  play some good baseball. We have to Can
• 5:06
  we keep pitching that's been consistent?
• 5:09
  Can we score runs when we need to? Um
• 5:11
  can we keep playing good defense? I
• 5:14
  think all that's absolutely possible for
• 5:16
  us, but you'll have to now. There's no
• 5:18
  moving on to the next weekend. you you
• 5:20
  have to be the winner of this to
• 5:22
  advance.
• 5:23
  >> But the fact that this this core for
• 5:24
  this team has has been through, you
• 5:26
  know, being the four seed before and and
• 5:28
  being in this spot just how how much
• 5:30
  value in there is there in that the fact
• 5:32
  that they've they've kind of been
• 5:32
  through this.
• 5:33
  >> I I I just believe you keep putting
• 5:35
  yourself in position when you get
• 5:37
  experience from that, but doesn't
• 5:38
  doesn't guarantee you anything.
• 5:41
  Um,
• 5:42
  yeah. I I just think my biggest job
• 5:46
  since I don't get to throw or hit or do
• 5:48
  anything. Um, how do I keep this being a
• 5:51
  successful journey when our hearts were
• 5:53
  ripped out last year and we're about to
• 5:55
  tee it up again? Um, all I know to do is
• 5:59
  everybody keep coming with us to try to
• 6:01
  have a great experience and enjoy this
• 6:02
  journey again. This is awesome. This is
• 6:05
  amazing. Uh, but we're going to support
• 6:07
  these boys like crazy. I think my
• 6:09
  biggest job is to keep trying to build a
• 6:12
  program when it's so hard with all the
• 6:14
  different brands and stuff that are out
• 6:16
  there, but can we keep being fortunate
• 6:19
  enough to put our guys in position? I
• 6:21
  think that's how you keep trying to to
• 6:23
  walk through. I I made a statement last
• 6:25
  week where I said, you know, it's a good
• 6:28
  feeling to know that when you walk out
• 6:31
  there any given day as a coach that your
• 6:34
  team has a sincere chance to win. I
• 6:37
  believe that in my heart, but that's why
• 6:39
  we're going to play these games coming
• 6:40
  up. Nothing's guaranteed for anybody.
• 6:43
  Any of the 16 host, any of the four
• 6:45
  seeds, they got a got a shot. There's
• 6:47
  more parody now than ever, but keep
• 6:50
  putting yourselves in good position and
• 6:52
  just absolutely go out there and let it
• 6:55
  rip. I want them to play with the same
• 6:56
  standard, same effort, and we'll see
• 6:59
  what happens. But I I absolutely have
• 7:02
  loved this group for what they've done
• 7:03
  from when we started in August till now.
• 7:06
  But uh yeah, there's at least, you know,
• 7:09
  there's three teams this week and if you
• 7:11
  was to get to the next step, there'd be
• 7:13
  one more team. That's kind of where we
• 7:14
  got to last year. So they have the same
• 7:16
  intentions to to try to have success and
• 7:19
  create their own story book. So we'll
• 7:21
  have to play with the same standard and
• 7:23
  effort and maybe even a little more
• 7:24
  consistency when we get to a crossroad
• 7:26
  if we want to have any interest in
• 7:28
  trying to advance.
• 7:29
  >> Number one strength schedule which uh
• 7:32
  how much credit do you give to Greg and
• 7:33
  your staff for putting that together
• 7:35
  putting it together once again?
• 7:36
  >> Yeah, I do. I mean we've been
• 7:38
  intentional about it all the way up to,
• 7:40
  you know, being on the road. Um
• 7:45
  there's some luck involved, too.
• 7:48
  I think you you never know. know we
• 7:50
  wound up playing, you know, the top half
• 7:52
  of our our conference this year and you
• 7:55
  got a defending national champion and
• 7:57
  somebody that's been for 19 20 years in
• 7:59
  a row. Um, and it'll just it'll be
• 8:03
  different next year. But you have to say
• 8:05
  there was some intention on our part to
• 8:07
  to go back to Arlington to have a
• 8:10
  Nebraska team here in non-conference
• 8:14
  um to play the Georgia Tech home in away
• 8:16
  which is an awesome series. uh our
• 8:19
  willingness to go to teams in our state,
• 8:23
  UAB, a Jacksonville State. There's some
• 8:25
  intention there where it's maybe not
• 8:27
  love, but but there's some things and
• 8:29
  and the state of Alabama's been great
• 8:31
  this year. I know there's geographical
• 8:33
  challenges, but um there's no doubt that
• 8:36
  we're fighting these last four or five
• 8:39
  years because I just took our medicine,
• 8:42
  took the lessons, the feedback that was
• 8:45
  given from the first four when we're
• 8:48
  like, man, why we got to go to NC State?
• 8:51
  Why we got to do all those things that
• 8:53
  we've had to do before? and I took the
• 8:56
  medicine, took the advice. And so there
• 8:58
  is some some happen chance how things
• 9:00
  play out, but there's some intention to
• 9:03
  put us in this ballpark as far as
• 9:05
  scheduling and recruiting. And um you
• 9:09
  know, we're at least being compared with
• 9:10
  some different brands even in our own
• 9:13
  league than we were the first three or
• 9:14
  four years. And still don't know where
• 9:16
  we shake out there. But again, another
• 9:19
  good opportunity and I give Greg a ton
• 9:21
  of He communicates well and and has a
• 9:24
  good feel, but you can even see it in
• 9:26
  our roster. We're not doing it like
• 9:28
  everybody else with younger players and
• 9:30
  stuff. So, we've taken a couple of shots
• 9:33
  and um stepped out on the ledge a little
• 9:36
  bit for backto-back years. We've been
• 9:38
  rewarded for it. And if we're going to
• 9:40
  change the rules, let's make sure we
• 9:42
  tell the coaches and programs in July
• 9:44
  and August, not in June. So if if
• 9:48
  there's going to be tweaks and stuff
• 9:49
  like that, I I'm not an expert on this
• 9:52
  field that was just presented, but it
• 9:54
  felt like that still meant a lot to this
• 9:57
  year's committee.
• 9:59
  >> Coach, after see, you mentioned that um
• 10:02
  this team could still take a couple
• 10:04
  little steps forward. What were those
• 10:05
  what were those steps you're sort of
• 10:06
  hoping they can do this week?
• 10:08
  >> Yeah, I just I I would say, you know,
• 10:11
  can we keep pitching? These guys have
• 10:12
  pitched a lot. Um, I still think there's
• 10:15
  going to be a game where we can't just
• 10:17
  roll out two guys and call it a ball
• 10:19
  game. Um, I still think we're going to
• 10:21
  have to get to three, four, five. I
• 10:23
  think tomorrow's practice on a Tuesday
• 10:26
  for eight relievers to have to throw
• 10:28
  lives against our guys. One of those
• 10:30
  eight that have been pitching a lot.
• 10:31
  It's got to be sharp. I got to be
• 10:33
  looking for who that is tomorrow. We got
• 10:35
  to learn these teams. But somebody that
• 10:37
  hadn't pitched probably because it's
• 10:39
  hitting two out of three coming up. This
• 10:41
  is another that regional format's a
• 10:43
  little different. We're going to have to
• 10:44
  be ready potentially we drop a ball game
• 10:47
  to piece something. Um we're going from
• 10:50
  single to double uh elimination. So we
• 10:53
  got to be ready for that. And then I
• 10:55
  just think we keep putting ourselves
• 10:58
  when we're buttoned up playing really
• 10:59
  good baseball of some situational
• 11:02
  offensive stuff like most coaches in the
• 11:05
  country would like for it to be better.
• 11:06
  For us, we pitch so good, it sticks out
• 11:09
  like a sore thumb. And can we just keep
• 11:12
  finding little inches there of comfort,
• 11:16
  um, commitment. We get here, this is
• 11:18
  what we're going to do with our
• 11:19
  personnel. And, um, the last piece I
• 11:22
  would probably say is a little bit of
• 11:24
  lineup construction. We haven't been
• 11:26
  scared to keep looking at things and
• 11:30
  make some changes even late in the year
• 11:31
  if we thought it would make us better.
• 11:34
  May we have that same fortitude going
• 11:35
  into this week.
• 11:37
  Um, so as we start figuring out these
• 11:39
  teams and where our people are at, um,
• 11:43
  lining up and and what's the best lineup
• 11:45
  coming up for this weekend and not being
• 11:47
  scared to change it by what anybody else
• 11:50
  thinks situationally, off offense, and
• 11:54
  then being ready to have to throw three
• 11:56
  or four guys in a game and maybe
• 11:58
  somebody that that hasn't pitched in a
• 11:59
  while, I think are huge keys and things
• 12:01
  that I'm at the top at the top of the
• 12:04
  list for me.