TCU Head Coach Kirk Sarloos spoke about Ben Hampton's performance, how vital it is having Ben Abedlt in the bullpen, and the third base position that seems to be locked down by Brody Green
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:04 >> All right, Kurt, similar kind of situation tonight that we saw over the
00:08 weekends, slumps in the middle of the game, defensive lapses.
00:12 >> Yeah. >> Just talk me through how you're
00:14 feeling about things before games.
00:15 >> Well, I mean, I think there's a lot of things that we can reflect back on,
00:20 both positively and negatively.
00:21 That's why we play these games, in terms of figuring out,
00:27 it's always gonna teach you something.
00:30 And so our job is to make sure that we make note of it, and
00:32 we'll spend some time in here before practice tomorrow just going over
00:35 some of the things that we need to tighten up.
00:37 But I thought Ben Hampton did a really good job, got us into the fifth.
00:42 Would have liked to have been able to keep him out there to hopefully get him a win.
00:46 But the game dictated that we went to Luke, I thought he did a really good job.
00:50 And then I thought Chase actually threw the ball extremely well.
00:53 So that middle stretch, just the middle bullpen,
00:57 middle innings of the bullpen, I thought was a step in the right direction.
01:01 That's a really good hitting team, that's a really good team,
01:04 mid-major team that I don't know if people know or knew.
01:08 But they were one win away from in Stanford a couple years ago to play
01:13 in the World Series.
01:15 So it's just like DBU, Texas State and DBU,
01:19 those programs are high level caliber teams.
01:24 And obviously Steve, he played here and him coming back here.
01:29 But I thought for the most part, they sat down I think 12 guys in a row
01:34 out of their bullpen, which gave them kind of a chance to come claw back in the game.
01:38 And they did a good job of it and
01:41 made it a game really close in the ninth inning with a one run game.
01:45 But we're pretty excited when Ben Abel has the ball in those types of situations.
01:49 >> Coach, speaking of Ben Abel, you went to him for the last four outs of the game.
01:53 How crucial is that for the team to have him in the back end of the bullpen?
01:56 >> Well, I mean, it's really crucial.
01:59 And he only threw one time on the weekend, it's last weekend.
02:03 So we thought for sure we were gonna be able to do probably like we did, one plus.
02:08 Either get one or two outs in the eighth inning and then pitch the ninth.
02:10 But I mean, really, in the ninth inning it came down to them not being able to give
02:16 a sacrifice, bunt down, and then the pitch that Ben has worked up really diligently
02:20 with Coach Long on and the change up and getting the guy out on his front foot and
02:24 getting a 6-4-3, totally changed the dynamic of the ninth inning because of that.
02:30 >> You've had a couple different starters in third base so far.
02:33 What have you, how do you feel about bringing them to third base and
02:36 how hard is it to replace somebody like [INAUDIBLE]
02:38 >> Yeah, I mean, it's, in my time here,
02:42 you go from Matt Carpenter to Jansen Witte to Braden Taylor.
02:47 There's 15 years worth of really good third base play.
02:52 And you also have Connor Shepard played there for
02:56 a little bit too, sandwiched before Braden.
03:00 So you have a lot of high level defensive third baseman in the last 10,
03:04 15 years playing over there.
03:06 So I don't think that they're trying to replace him.
03:09 I think Brody, again, had some really, really good at-bats,
03:13 the double to right center and then extended the inning with two outs and
03:17 in his last at-bat.
03:19 So I think the main thing is getting his confidence level where he's won the job.
03:27 He's come out and played like we thought he could play and
03:31 he got his opportunity and now is running with it.
03:34 And so we feel really good about Brody at third and
03:37 he's only gonna get better as he gets more reps.
03:39 >> Chase Brunson, a couple missed balls in the outfield tonight, but
03:44 that's, you just take the good with the bad as a freshman.
03:46 >> Yeah, I mean, it's uncharacteristic, I think, in his early career.
03:53 He's been pretty steady out there.
03:54 I thought, I mean, through an unbelievable-
03:57 >> Yeah.
03:57 >> Yeah.
03:58 >> Couple of field throws.
04:00 >> I thought it skipped on Carson a little bit.
04:01 I think it surprised him maybe, but I thought that was as good about outfield
04:05 throws we've seen in a really long time here.
04:07 And sometimes you get the good with the bad and
04:10 nobody wants to make more plays than Chase.
04:12 And so, kind of a bad deal, but again, it's a great learning opportunity.
04:17 Especially now that was a different win compared to the win that was on
04:21 the weekend.
04:21 And so now all of a sudden, it kind of went back the other way on him and
04:27 he missed it.
04:28 And then I think the one in center field, I don't fault him for being aggressive.
04:33 I think soon as he, I'll have to go watch the film, but
04:35 soon as he kind of hesitated right off the bat.
04:38 Might have been a time when he had a two run lead to maybe shut it down and
04:41 just play it where he stays on first base.
04:43 And that's all things that as he matures as a player,
04:47 he's gonna get better at in terms of those decision making.
04:49 >> And in left field, Sammy Myers- >> Yeah.
04:51 >> First start, how did you feel about him tonight?
04:53 >> Well, all he did his first at bat was hit a rocket over the shortstop's head.
04:56 And I thought he made two really good plays, playing left field for
05:00 the first time.
05:00 And it's fun to see those new guys get opportunities and be ready to do it.
05:05 That's the main thing.
05:06 And we knew that Sammy, he's a good baseball player.
05:09 And we knew Sammy was gonna give us good at bats and play good defense.
05:12 And he's run the bases at an extremely high level.
05:15 He came in in the eighth inning on Sunday and made a couple good reads on fly balls.
05:21 And ran the bases really well.
05:22 And then a ball in the dirt read to get to third base after he hit the single.
05:26 And so I thought he was really good.
05:29 So it's fun when you see two young outfielders get opportunities and
05:34 really start off the season the way they want to.
05:37 >> On some of those miscues, how important is it for the pitcher and
05:40 the rest of your fielders to kind of pick up the athlete or pick up like Brunson?
05:44 >> Yeah. >> And kind of not let it snowball into
05:45 a big inning?
05:46 >> For sure, that can easily be done when something like that happens.
05:50 But I thought Louie handled himself extremely well.
05:52 Thinking, okay, I got out of the inning fly ball, and then it drops.
05:55 And then for him to have the mound presence and
05:57 poise to be able to get the very next guy out, I think was really critical.
06:01 And that's his experience from what he learned last year.
06:04 And so that's when you have a good team, is good teams pick each other up.
06:08 And I thought Louie handled it really well.
06:10 >> You've got UCLA coming up this weekend.
06:14 Do you anticipate starting rotation or- >> Yeah, we'll see.
06:17 But yeah, we're excited.
06:20 I think the weather's gonna be phenomenal.
06:21 And I thought going into the season,
06:25 they were gonna be a top seven team nationally in the preseason rankings.
06:29 That's how highly I think of them and Coach Savage and what they do over there.
06:33 They're young, but it's the best, I think,
06:36 one of the top two recruit classes in the country in terms of who made it on campus.
06:40 And so they'll start a couple, I think three or four freshmen.
06:44 But they're really, really talented.
06:45 And they always pitch really well.
06:48 So we'll have our hands full for sure.
06:49 And we gotta play our best baseball to beat them.
06:53 >> Thank you.