May 14, 2008

SAN DIEGO -

SDSU Softball
Press Conference Quotes
Aztec Athletics Center

Head Coach Kathy Van Wyk

On this weekend's competition at the NCAA Fresno Regional:
"One thing is for certain, when you make it this far none of the competition is easy. This is a tough draw. We've played both Cal and Fresno State, so that's to our advantage. Another advantage is that Cal hasn't seen Christina (Ross) yet; we pitched Brooke Petty in a game against them earlier in the year. But I feel that we are certainly in a position to win this whole region and move on. Fresno State is obviously a very good team, a very strong team. They had a lot of ups and downs toward the end of the year, but we've won our last six games. So I feel very good about where we are at right now."

On the state of Aztec softball:
"The administration has put us in a position to win. They've given us the budget, they've given us the coaching staff and they've given us the ability to go out and recruit the players that we need. We're in a great spot here in Southern California to get great softball players."

On starting pitcher Christina Ross:
"Christina is a very interesting young lady because sometimes people don't know what makes her tick. But I tell you what makes her tick is competition. She has really led this team the whole year. We knew after last fall that we'd be a little thin pitching-wise coming into the season. We knew at that point that Christina was going to get the ball and pitch a lot of innings. She knew that, too, and prepared herself well physically and mentally. In some respects, that's the role that she relishes. She wants the ball. It doesn't matter how tired she is; it doesn't matter how many innings she's pitched up to that point. That's the mark of a leader. That is something that the other players respect and they want to go out and do the same thing for her."

On whether or not SDSU has become the giant killers of the Mountain West Conference:
"I'm not so sure. BYU has always been very strong in our conference. They've always been at the top. It really came down to the last weekend. We had to win out. Had we not won our last six games, we would not have received the automatic bid (to the NCAA tournament) because we would have been tied with BYU and by virtue of head-to-head competition, they would have taken it. But I think we've become giant killers outside of conference. I've said all year long that it isn't a surprise to me. We beat Northwestern, Arizona, Cal and some of these other big-time schools, and we've done it consistently all year long."

On making the regionals:
"We've been there and done that. We made it to the finals a couple of times and lost. We are not going to be satisfied with that this time around. We are going out and setting our sights on Oklahoma City."

On whether this year's NCAA bid eases the sting of a disappointing 2007 season:
"It does. We like to think that last year was the fluke, so to come back strong like this helps prove that. We people don't understand, either, is that we lost three big bats in our lineup, and we've survived that. The offense did well enough to pull out the wins. Having lost (infielder) Monica Alnes to a back injury was huge for us. We hope that bringing them back next year is only going to help us be that much stronger."

On winning her third MWC coach of the year award:
"It's just saying our team performed well. While it's most appreciated and always an honor to get that recognition from your peers, it's combination of things. I like to think that it's (an award for) coaching staff of the year. It can't happen without having the right players in place and some great performances, either. It's a nice thing to have. But in the end, there are a whole lot of things that contribute to all the accolades."

Starting pitcher Christina Ross

On her transfer from Kansas to San Diego State:
"When I first came here, I knew Celena Velasquez was a great pitcher and had done great things. I just wanted to come and contribute. After she graduated, I knew there was room to move up, so it was a great opportunity."

On playing in this weekend's regional:
"I'm very excited. This is a great opportunity for our team. As coach said, I like the competition. We set goals a long time ago in the fall, and we're getting a step closer each and every week. We want to go out and win this weekend. We've played both (Cal and Fresno State) this year, but this is softball. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day. But I'm excited and I think we're prepared and ready."