Bobcats ready for the Longhorns

Here are some excerpts from my interviews with the Texas State baseball team yesterday. The Bobcats host the Texas Longhorns tonight at the newly renovated Bobcat Field. UT is ranked second in the nation by Baseball America.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Texas State head coach Ty Harrington

On the bullpen: “There are other guys who have to help us win. We’re trying to create a staff to win championships and it takes other people to do that and we haven’t accomplished that yet. They’ve got to get better. We need to get in a situation where they are successful and if you look at the schedule, it doesn’t get any easier."

On the lack of solid play at shortstop: "My concern right now is shortstop. We don’t have a definitive shortstop. We’ve been so good there for nine years and this is the first year that it’s been a true struggle.”

On Lance Loftin's struggles (seven errors in seven games): "People think it’s great to be a two-way player, but one gives the way to the other. We tried him at short(stop) the first five games and he's also trying to pitch. We just need to get him back to what he's comfortable doing."

Texas State starting pitcher Zach Tritz

On pitching with the lead: “It really helps when you are away to have a few-run lead before you even start pitching. It changes the whole way you throw to hitters and it gives you confidence."

On the team's chances this season: "If, like you said, everything falls into place, we can have a chance at doing some big things this season. We have the starting pitching to hang with anyone in the nation and an offense that's second-to-none. Once the 'pen gets it going, we'll be fine."

On the lack of solid play at shortstop: “I think we really need to find a solid left side of our infield. That’s our biggest weakness right now. Someone needs to step up soon. Knowing how everybody’s capable of playing, this stuff shouldn’t be happening. It needs to change today, in today’s pratice. It needs to happen tomorrow, for sure.”

Texas State outfielder Bret Atwood

On tonight's game vs. UT: “Nobody’s really scared of UT. We played them in the fall and hung in there with them the whole game. We had a chance to beat them, but now we feel we can actually beat this team. Everybody still has the last game against UT on their minds that was on the team last year in their head, getting no-hit. We’re not going to let that happen again.”