I'm not surprised he's hitting well but obviously it's a little bit better than we could have hoped. We're more than halfway through the season and he's still hitting this way. It's a tribute to him. Usually when guys get hot, pitchers will eventually find ways to get you out.
You just lose your timing, and baseball is a game of rhythm. Guys are used to playing every day or just about every day. So to have 10 days off and then try to jump back into it is tough. Their pitchers did a pretty good job too.
It's a phenomenal win for the program and in our evolution as we move to Division I.
I didn't really think he was quite ready to throw. But we wanted to get him out there in a competitive environment, and he threw strikes, which is important. You might see him throw a lot more down the road.
He's our most emotional player. Everyone in the dugout respects him and likes playing hard for him. So yeah, I think it was an emotional lift when he went on the mound.
He pitched exceptional. He matched an All-American pitcher, pitch for pitch. He made good pitches when he had to.
They're pretty solid from top to bottom. They don't really have one guy that carries them. They play the short game, hit and run and bunt. They have some tough outs.
