Everything JMU head coach Marlin Ikenberry said after eliminating South Carolina from the Raleigh Regional
After sending the Gamecocks home in the Raleigh Regional, James Madison head coach Marlin Ikenberry addressed the media. Here’s everything he had to say.
On Donovan Burke pitching at 6P.M. versus NC State
“Oh he’s going to ask for sure but he will not throw at 6 o’clock tonight.”
On what its like having a fifth year arm like Burke
“He’s one of the ones that leaves it all on the field is the best way to put it. He leaves it on the field and you know he’s prepared to do that. He’s at the back end of his career and he showed today what makes him so special. It’s his ability to compete in the moment, make pitches in the moment. You know there was a discussion of making a change in the seventh and I told coach Ferrick to go talk to him, you know my gut was to leave him in. Coach Ferrick walked off the mound and said we’ll leave him in and then when we got through the eighth I was like ‘I’m not taking the ball out of his hands he’s earned this right.’ And rightfully so with the way he’s been from the start of his career until now, he really competes at a high level and he likes to win and it’s a true fact that I tell him ‘Hey I’ll talk to you on six days a week but the one day you pitch I’m not going to talk to you.’ Let him go out there and do his thing so he had a special performance tonight.
On how long they were expecting to leave Burke in
“Oh he was going to go a long time if he was on, you know obviously we had Casey start the game to kind of buy us some outs knowing that Donny had probably 100 pitches in him, 120 pitches maybe. But with the way he competes and the way he’s built, yeah I wasn’t taking the ball out of his hands in that situation. He was really electric tonight.”
On thoughts on the pitching staff for next game
“We’re going to mix and match, you know we’ll regroup on the bus ride back to the hotel real quick and change and then me and coach Ferrick and I will talk about how we want to do this. And we will mix and match with our staff.”
On ninth inning sliding play and how crucial it was as things were getting intense
“Well we had three guys to kind of mix up the match with their lineup. You know we get guys on base, their potent offense so Mason kept energy on our side by making that play. The hit by pitch that turned into strike three, I mean Donny looked right at me and said he leaned into it so the communication on the field was excellent and our guys are just in the moment and competing at that time.”
On redemption after loss on Friday to Carolina
“Well this team responds and they did just that in the last two games. And you know I think the biggest thing is just understanding this team likes to compete and they’re tough and you know they responded in the right way.
On playing with their backs against the wall from the losers bracket
“I mean they love each other and they play for each other and you know like I said they are a tough team and they love to compete. And that’s one of the things this team does is, no matter if it’s in pick up loops or ping pong or whatever, these guys love to compete and they do it everyday.”
