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Jacksonville State head baseball coach Jim Case, senior Steven Leach and junior Todd Cunningham met with members of the media during Thursday's practice day at Auburn's Plainsman Park in preparation for the NCAA Baseball Regionals.



Quoting Jacksonville State Head Coach Jim Case
Opening statement...
“I just want to say how excited we are at Jacksonville State to be here. For us this has been a long time coming. It has been three years since we have been in a Regional Tournament. These guys worked really hard. It has been a year of ups and downs and in a lot of ways we feel that it has gone a long way toward preparing us for this type of event. We are very, very excited. Last week was a great week for us in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. We were excited to win it, and we are very excited to be in Auburn for this Regional.”

On how Friday's game against Auburn is different from when the teams
played during the season...
“I think that the atmosphere itself will be very different. One of the really neat things that kids in the SEC experience is Friday night. That's a really exciting time in that league, and it's almost a
 type feel than anything else. Saturday is way different and Sunday is totally different in the SEC from a Friday night. Tomorrow night, the feel will be very much like the feel in the SEC. The advantage goes to them in that behalf because they've been in it 10 times this year, but we haven't really experienced that type of atmosphere. How quickly we are able to adapt to that and play the way that we play, I think, will determine to a large extent how we are able to play.”

On what he notices about the Auburn baseball team...
“One of the things that we saw was a very good offensive club. Certainly, they are athletic, but if you look at them as a team, the thing that stood out is the way that they swing the bats. One through nine, it's hard to get to a place where you feel comfortable. Everybody in the lineup swings the bat. They have some guys who can run, but they have a lot of guys who can hit the ball a long way, and that's one of the things that they've been able to do. From a pitching and a defensive standpoint, the thing that you try to do is keep the ball in the park and hope that they hit the ball on the ground and that you play defense. If you can do that and you can pitch well, then I think that you have an opportunity to win. But one of the big keys is keeping the ball in the ballpark against them.”

On Friday's starting pitcher Austin Lucas...
“Austin Lucas has had a really good year for us. It was a little bit of a slow start because he wasn't with us when the season started. He was sick, and he missed 12 days or so where he wasn't at the field at all. He kind of fell behind. When we started our season, he was actually in his spring training. We were two weeks into our season, and he's basically two weeks into January. He was just coming back and starting to throw. He had to come back and work himself into the rotation. He was on a very strict pitch count for a while, but we started to lessen that and increase his pitch count. What he has done for us is given us an opportunity to win. He has held us in ball games and given us every opportunity, and that's important with our club because we are a fairly offensive club, and we have some things that we can do. We feel like we run pretty good. We have some guys who can hit with power. So, if our pitching can hold them down, for the most part, we've been able to break through at some point during most ball games. Austin has given us that opportunity most times that he has been out there.”

On his team playing Auburn with a chip on their shoulder because of the in-state game...
“I don't know about that. I hope not because I don't think baseball is really a game that you play like that. If you're playing football and you wanted to get really excited and try to really go after somebody, maybe it works in that sport. I'm not sure it works in baseball. One of things I like about our club is we are excited. This is not an every day occurance for us. But at the same time, our practices have been exactly the same the last few days as they were four weeks ago. We're a pretty old club, and I don't think we'll be intimidated, partly because of that and partly because we're a pretty good club going along with it. So, I hope that there's not a chip on the shoulder and I hope it's not a 'let's show them' type of attitude because I think in a lot of ways in baseball that works against you. I think if you just have the confidence, and you play the game the way that you can and you do the things you can do. You hope at the end
when you add up the score that you're out front. I hope that's the way we approach that.”

On being excited about playing closer to home and having a bigger fan base...
“We have so many people that support us and do a great job of showing up, especially when they can drive and have an opportunity to see us play. For a lot of people and a lot of reasons, we're glad to be here. This is a wonderful trip for us. Most anybody that lives in Calhoun County, especially, can drive down here for the day if they wanted to or come down and spend the weekend, and we're very excited about that. It's a good thing for our team. I think it's a great ballpark, it's always been one of my favorite ballparks. Especially, if you look at the SEC, I don't think there's a better place than this field right here. For our people to have a chance to come down here and to see it and to see us play, I think will be exciting. It's been awhile, I think it's been 16 or 17 years since these two teams have played, and I can't tell you how happy I am and so appreciative of Coach Pawlowski and his staff that we're back on the schedule again. This is something that means a lot to us, it's something that he doesn't have to do, but this is good for Jacksonville State to play here.”

On not playing Auburn for so long and then playing them twice within a few weeks...
“I don't know that's an advantage in any kind of way for either one of us, but it is funny how it works out. I hope that he and his staff know how appreciative we are to be back on the schedule and be playing. To have them coming into our place next year will be a big thing, a big crowd and it'll be an exciting time in Jacksonville in February of next year.”

On being confident coming into tournament play...
“I'm confident with how we play and at the same time I understand that the other three teams that are here are very, very good. I do understand also that some of these teams have had the advantage of being in this environment before. Southern Miss played in a College World Series last year, and there's something to be gained from that. So many times, teams that go to the College World Series in particular play a lot better and they get to go back while those kids are still there and they play a lot better. Southern Miss has that going for them. Clemson, there is tradition there. As confident as I am, I also understand how good the other teams are and our players do. But at the same time, I don't think we are going to be intimidated by that. I think it's a great opportunity for Jacksonville State. I think somewhere in this country this week, someone is going to do something unexpected, and we hope that's us. Our softball team went to Tennessee a year ago and won a Regional Tournament and competed in a Super Regional. It happens in these types of sports. It might not happen in the game of football, but it can certainly happen in the game of baseball, and we hope it happens for us.”



Quoting Jacksonville State First Baseman Steven Leach
Opening Statement…
“My freshman year, I had the opportunity to be in a Regional setting down in Tuscaloosa. I figured we would be back a little sooner to another Regional, but there has been a little gap there. It's definitely great to be back in the atmosphere and have the opportunity to do something special.”

On playing in Plainsman Park previously this season…
“When we left here a couple weeks ago, I had a pretty good idea that if we do well in our conference tournament and come out on top, then we would be right back here because Auburn has had a great year and I figured they would be hosting a Regional. It does help out being familiar with the field and the playing surface. The atmosphere is going to be a little different, but we kind of know a little bit more of what to expect with that.”

On your confidence knowing that you can play with Auburn…
“Of course. It was a tight ballgame, too. It was a back and forth game. I think the game was tied at three different points. Just knowing that being in a ballgame and playing against a team like Auburn who has had a lot of success this season is definitely a confidence builder knowing that we have a great chance of competing with them.”


Quoting Jacksonville State Outfielder Todd Cunningham
Opening Statement…
“He said it all right there. It is just exciting to be here. It has been a while for us, and this will be my first Regional and Steven's second so he's kind of been here before. It is just an honor and pleasure to be here, and I can't wait to see what happens.”

On playing in Plainsman Park previously this season…
“It is definitely a confidence issue. We come in and play at their park and played them a good game so as far as confidence, we feel like we are right in it. We are excited about getting to play here. The
dimensions of the field are a little different but getting a game in here earlier in the season definitely helps.”

On not being intimidated by it being an OVC vs. SEC matchup…
“Intimidation never really works well in this game. If you look at previous matchups with last year and not to sell Georgia short, but we got to matchup with them twice last year. They are an SEC school, top of the nation, and we ended up pulling it out twice and got two wins. As far as a confidence factor, we are on a roll right now. We played good our last weekend in conference and then in the tournament. Then, the way we played last year against SEC schools, we have to feel good about this matchup.”