Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 >> Yes, go ahead.
00:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:08 Sebastian, I'll start with you.
00:10 First welcome to Louisville, but how's that transition been for you,
00:13 making that move down here, getting used to the new confines,
00:16 your new teammates, things like that?
00:17 >> Yeah, it's been pretty easy for me, I'd say.
00:22 I got here a little early in the summer phase.
00:25 And I mean, within a couple days, I felt pretty acclimated.
00:30 And I give credit to these guys, the older guys.
00:32 I feel like they took me in and
00:35 treated me as if I've been here for three years already.
00:38 So it was really easy, and I've had a lot of fun here so far.
00:42 >> Evan, what's the whole off season been like?
00:46 You were talking with Isaac about just the difference between last year and
00:51 the year before last, and that kind of thing.
00:53 What's it been like in the off season for you guys,
00:55 and kind of the drive to kind of recover from last year?
01:00 >> Yeah, we had a lot of guys this summer, when the freshmen came in and
01:04 all the new guys came in, that we were told to, we lifted with them,
01:11 which was the first time we've done that in all my years here.
01:15 But just kind of, like he said, getting them acclimated,
01:19 getting guys feeling like they're part of the team.
01:20 And really teaching them what it's like to get after it and
01:26 not have the years that we've had in the past.
01:29 And get back to the routine and
01:32 the structure that we need that is gonna give us success.
01:36 >> Go ahead, Rick.
01:37 >> Yeah, since Coach Mack's been here, this program's had a ton of success.
01:42 Usually start the season ranked, and you guys aren't in any of the preseason polls.
01:46 Is that a motivator?
01:48 Is it irrelevant?
01:49 How aware are you that the preseason respect isn't there?
01:53 >> I think it's definitely a motivator.
01:57 But Coach Mack, we have a saying, just don't look at the clowns,
02:00 not calling them clowns or anything.
02:02 But just the outside is gonna say what they're gonna say if we start the year
02:07 off hot and we enter a ranking.
02:09 And regardless of what the outside is saying about us,
02:13 we know what we're capable of.
02:15 We know what we need to do in order to get back to that success that we've had
02:19 in the past.
02:20 So it probably is a motivator for some guys, but
02:23 it's not something that we focus on.
02:25 >> Sebastian, Dylan said that during his recruiting process,
02:31 something that he wanted out of his fifth year in college was
02:34 the ability to compete for a national championship.
02:36 Was that something that kind of played into your recruitment process when
02:40 deciding on Louisville?
02:42 >> Yeah, I think the history that this program has competing for
02:45 national championships, it was definitely very attractive.
02:49 I feel like this program plays meaningful baseball year round.
02:53 And every series we play, the ACC is such a good conference.
02:58 And I feel like every single ACC weekend,
03:01 you kind of get that atmosphere a little bit.
03:03 So not only that, but the chance to go to Omaha as well was very attractive.
03:11 To me, and I wanna help these guys compete for
03:17 a national championship, and I feel like I can do that.
03:20 So I would say that definitely played a part in my recruiting process.
03:27 >> Sebastian, you had so much success in your career at Wayne State.
03:32 As you prepare for this season, is there anything different?
03:36 I mean, you faced a lot of this, some of the teams that you're going to probably
03:40 face or could face here.
03:41 Is there a whole lot of difference in what you were doing there than what you
03:45 do here?
03:45 >> I wouldn't say a whole lot of difference.
03:49 I think some of the stuff between the, or outside the lines has kinda changed.
03:56 But I mean, Wright State does a good job of
04:00 playing those ranked teams at the beginning of the year.
04:04 And so I feel very prepared going into the season to face ACC opponents.
04:10 Start off the year at Indiana State,
04:12 faced those guys before, pitched against Kentucky last year.
04:14 So I feel very prepared to do my part for this team against those teams.
04:21 So, and I mean, going into the ACC tournament as well,
04:25 I mean, I feel very prepared to help this team out.
04:28 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:33 >> You mentioned Indiana State for both of you.
04:35 You got your opening weekend coming up.
04:37 Thoughts on what's it like once the season starts to actually get here?
04:41 And then thoughts on the opening weekend.
04:42 You got a couple teams, some teams that you're gonna face with some postseason
04:45 aspirations of their own.
04:46 >> I think the competition down there in South Florida,
04:51 this will be pretty much the same teams that we played two years ago when we went
04:55 down there and didn't have the success we wanted in that opening weekend.
04:59 But they're all playoff caliber teams and
05:04 personally I kinda want my revenge against UConn cuz I didn't have
05:07 a great outing against them last time.
05:09 But going down there and playing good competition to start the year,
05:14 starting the year off, setting the tone for what that first half of the year is and
05:19 keeping that into the second half of the year starts with that good competition.
05:22 >> Yeah, I think I'm the same way.
05:25 Faced Indiana State last year in the regional.
05:29 They unfortunately beat us, so kinda the same, looking for revenge.
05:34 But it's a great start to the year.
05:36 Those are all very good teams down there.
05:38 So, but we're ready.
05:41 I think all of our guys are ready.
05:42 We're all hungry.
05:43 We're all ready to go, especially after the year these guys had last year.
05:46 I know we're ready to get started and ready to go kick some butt down there.
05:50 >> Evan, what's the depth on the pitching staff like?
05:54 Very good baby work last year in tons.
05:57 There were some struggles and some strikes.
05:59 I know Coach Mack said that's a big thing.
06:01 What's the depth like right now?
06:04 >> I think we got, even on position player side,
06:08 just we've got a lot of depth this year with older guys that came back for
06:12 their senior year, some of us are fifth year.
06:14 But a lot of depth just all around, but just pitching specific,
06:19 we got a lot of young guys that are gonna help us out this year.
06:22 We got a lot of those sophomores that turned juniors that
06:27 maybe haven't had the success that they've wanted up to this point, but
06:31 are poised for some big year.
06:33 And I think that this might be as much depth as we've had in my time here.
06:40 Obviously, my freshman year with Reed and Bobby and
06:42 having those guys and the depth that we had behind them.
06:47 But just up and down the pitching staff,
06:49 we got guys that are gonna help out this year.
06:50 >> Evan, can you talk just a little bit about the way you've been used
06:57 throughout your career, Dan's put you in some,
07:00 even he's admitted some pretty tough spots throughout your career.
07:03 Just kinda knowing that you're a guy he can rely on and
07:05 can kinda go to no matter what.
07:07 And how that's kinda prepared you for this season and
07:10 the possibility to even be a weekend starter this year.
07:13 And how that's kind of shaped yourself being ready now.
07:17 >> Yeah, as a freshman, I kinda got the usual freshman treatment of
07:23 kinda getting eased into things, get a couple clean innings under your belt.
07:27 And then thrown into the fire, you get put in a jam and
07:31 see what you can do with it.
07:32 So that really helped just my overall journey as a pitcher.
07:37 But I think just being a reliever for four years and
07:43 never really knowing what situation I'd be in, what outing I would have.
07:49 Being able to bounce back from having a tough outing and
07:52 you might be pitching the next day.
07:55 So just being flexible with that, I've enjoyed throughout my career.
08:00 But in terms of roles and being a starter this year possibly,
08:04 I've always said it, pitching is pitching.
08:07 Whether you're getting the first 15 outs of the game,
08:09 the last three outs of the game, or you're getting one out somewhere in the middle.
08:12 The level of effort that you give and
08:14 the preparation that you have for it stays the same.
08:16 So pitching is pitching, whatever role anyone is in on this team.
08:22 I think that as older guys with the pitching staff, we've kind of driven that
08:27 home that regardless of your role, embrace your role and just go out there and get outs.
08:33 >> Anybody else?
08:37 >> For both of you, specifically the couple guys,
08:42 can you just kind of talk about what Carraba brings to the staff and
08:46 then the development of, Dan has talked a lot about Patrick Evans and
08:50 what he's done in the offseason.
08:53 How different is he or how much is he gonna help?
08:54 >> Speaking for Carraba, I mean, he's obviously a really, really good pitcher.
09:03 And he's got really, really good stuff as well.
09:04 So whatever his role is come the season, I think he's gonna help out.
09:10 He has experience being a starter, obviously, when he was at Lewis.
09:13 And he's got some experience here just in the fall and
09:18 our past couple scrimmages coming out of the pen.
09:19 So I think he's ready and he's definitely got the mentality to be a starter or
09:25 a closer just knowing him.
09:26 So he's got electric stuff and he's got real swing in this stuff as well.
09:31 So regardless of what his role is, I know he's gonna help us out.
09:35 >> Yeah, to echo that too, he's just another one of those flexible,
09:41 could be a pen guy, could be a starter.
09:44 But whatever his role is, he just, a lot of us older P's that have
09:50 gone through the past couple years of not having success,
09:54 we just wanna win games and get back to that level of success.
10:00 So regardless of his role and what he brings to this team,
10:04 he's gonna help this team win games.
10:06 And with Pat, he's put on a lot of good weight and
10:10 he's kind of worked into that, possibly being a starter.
10:14 And fringe bullpen guy and I feel like me and
10:17 him are kind of in similar situations in terms of our role where it's kind of
10:21 unknown right now.
10:22 But regardless of what happens, he's gonna be a guy that through his development
10:27 from last year to this year is gonna help this team win on the mound and in the box.
10:33 >> Can you guys talk a little bit about what it's like just as a whole pitching
10:37 staff, when you guys are together tinkering and
10:41 trying to learn some other pitches I've noticed this spring.
10:45 Some guys have added some serious spin rate and
10:49 added some pitches to their repertoire.
10:50 Can you talk a little bit about what that's like where you guys kind of as
10:55 a whole are kind of just kind of teaching some people some different things and
10:58 learning from others?
10:59 >> Yeah, I think we got some new technology kind of towards the end of the fall.
11:05 We got a really cool slow-mo camera,
11:07 which allows us to see all of our grips and stuff as it's coming out of our hands.
11:12 So that's been really helpful through the winter and at the beginning of the spring.
11:17 Me personally, I've developed a cutter as well.
11:20 So that's just something that's really helped.
11:23 And speaking for the younger guys, I think, I mean,
11:26 I know a lot of guys have come up to Webby and some guys have come up to me too.
11:29 Just asking how we hold our curveball, grip pressures on our changeup or fastball.
11:35 So it's cool to see those younger guys wanting to learn and get better as well.
11:41 So I mean, just talking with those younger guys,
11:45 just teaching them how we go about our business and
11:50 go about our pitches as well, so yeah.
11:56 >> I've also added a cutter.
11:58 Me and him have kind of been bouncing our cutter grips back and
12:01 forth to each other, seeing what works.
12:02 But yeah, this freshman class, even just from the first day of the summer with
12:09 the list we were doing, all of them have been very eager to learn and
12:15 eager to, they're not afraid to ask the questions like, hey, how should I do this?
12:19 How should I do that?
12:20 And even when it came to the spring and when we came to pitch in,
12:25 just if a guy had a tough outing, some older guy, I would do it.
12:31 I know Red would do it, Corbett would do it.
12:35 Older guys would be the first ones up to them just talking about like, hey,
12:38 I know that's not what you wanted, but what are you gonna do to learn from that
12:42 outing, how are you gonna grow from that outing, and be a better pitcher from that
12:46 outing, so just I think having a lot of the older piece that we have
12:52 has been very helpful just with developing these freshmen quicker.
12:58 Then they're not, and Max says it all the time,
13:01 they're not freshmen once that first game gets played.
13:04 It doesn't matter your class or how long you've been here, the game is the game.
13:09 And doesn't care how old you are, if you are good enough to help the team win,
13:13 you're gonna play and you're gonna help the team win.
13:14 So having those older guys get developed quicker and
13:18 be eager to learn from us older guys has been huge.
13:21 >> Yeah, I like how he brought up a little bit of the mentality side,
13:25 cuz pitching is more than just grips and what your pitches are.
13:29 I think the thing with these younger guys is they don't,
13:32 when they're in high school, they're obviously probably the guy wherever they're
13:37 at, and once they get here, I mean, everybody's a guy, everybody's a dude,
13:41 everybody knows how to pitch.
13:42 So I think the difference between maybe Ian Webby and
13:46 one of those freshmen is the mentality side isn't quite there yet.
13:49 So I think that's a big part of just kinda getting those freshmen
13:54 acclimated to the atmospheres they're gonna face.
13:57 Cuz, I mean, baseball is tough mentally, and
14:01 you gotta be able to handle all that stuff.
14:02 So teaching them that as well, I think,
14:05 just further prepares them for what they're gonna see this season.
14:09 >> All right, everybody good?
14:12 Yep.