A Stutes Observation
After working his way into
Going into this weekend’s series against
Q: After a tough series against
A: “I just forget about it, and focus on my next start. I try not to let a loss affect me too much. I look at it like any other game.”
Q: What was pitching at Safeco Field, a major league ballpark, like for you emotionally?
A: “It was an awesome experience. We all want to be a major league ballplayer, and I got a taste of what the majors are like. Safeco is one the best major league parks and it was a dream come true to pitch there.”
Q: The team gelled against UW in the final game of the series – there was good pitching and lots of run support. What adjustments were made and what does a win like that do for the team’s confidence?
A: “We had a team meeting before the game and we realized that we just needed to have fun. We needed to stop putting all of this extra pressure on us, and just start playing like we were in the beginning of the season. The coaches pointed out that we were pressing and forcing things in the first two games. We just needed to settle down and play well together.”
Q: You have WSU up next. What is the key to pitching a good game against them?
A: “I just have to continue the way that I have been pitching and stay consistent with throwing strikes.”
Q: Being in the second part of the season, what goals are still left to accomplish on both the team and personal levels?
A: “Our team goal, obviously, is to get back to the College World Series and win it again. In order to win the World Series again, we need to get back to Regionals. Win Regionals, make it to the Super Regionals, win those and then make it back to
Q: Most people say pitching is a mental game. On game days, how you do mentally and physically prepare for each start?
A: “I like to pitch the game the night before. I go through the game ahead of time. I walk through every pitch that I am going to throw to every guy on the opposite team. Physically, I like to relax until I need to go to the field. I get to the field about an hour and fifteen minutes ahead of time and then I start my physical preparation for the game.”
Q: Do you have any superstitions?”
A: “ No. I think superstitions are kind of bad. They can dictate how your mind set will be and cause you to throw off or ruin your mental game.”
Q: How many uniforms combinations do the Beavers have?
A: “We have a total of thirteen uniform combinations. We have 3 sets of Nike jerseys, 3 sets of
