bleedCrimson.net will be conducting weekly interviews with Aggie women's softball head coach Kathy Rodolph throughout the 2008 season as the Aggies take aim at the WAC title. In this week's interview Coach Rodolph talks about this past weekend's series against Fresno State, what her team can take into the next meeting with the Bulldogs and playing under pressure.
bleedCrimson.net: Talk about this past weekend's series against Fresno State.
Kathy Rodolph: All in all they were pretty good games. I was disappointed, I felt like Friday night we played well enough to win when we lost 3-2 in nine innings. Fresno is #9 in the nation and a 40 game winner and they're absolutely swinging like 40 game winners. We definitely had our hands full and for our young kids it was the first time for them to play in that atmosphere where there were over 1,000 fans. It was a good crowd and good atmosphere and so I think all in all it was a good experience for us, I was just disappointed that we came up on the losing end in all three games.
bc.net: Talk about facing them again in the first round, what did and your team gain from this past weekend that you can take into tomorrow's [Wednesday] matchup?
KR: We saw Morgan Melloh all three times so we really challenged our kids that once you've seen somebody that many times, we've got to be better at making adjustments. We were able to get our leadoff on four out of seven innings but didn't come through and score and that's gotta change to beat a team like Fresno State.
bc.net: You schedule this year has been set up for this, being able to go into the tournament and win the games you need to get to the NCAA regionals, with losing so many close games and winning quite a few close games, do you think your kids have learned to play under that pressure and are comfortable playing under that pressure?
KR: I believe they have. I think we had only one error in the three games [against Fresno State] and they put pressure on us every inning as well and we defended really well. I think the reason we did was because of the strength of schedule that we played. I feel like the big difference is that Fresno State made adjustments within their at bats and were able once they put runners in scoring positions, they were able to come through a lot. So what I'm hoping is that as we have learned throughout the season that we're going to be able to do the same thing. Honestly, a lot of it depends on whether my pitchers can make good pitches in the circle and minimize the walks. We're walking too many people and it gives too many people a second opportunity to try to score against you and we really gotta kind of shut that down.
I've really challenged my kids to bring high energy...
bc.net: The tournament is in Hawai'i this year and you got a win on this field earlier in the season. Even though it was against Hawai'i, how much does that help your team?
KR: We just came back from practice today, we practiced from 1:00 to 2:00 and our energy is high. I've really challenged my kids to bring high energy and I feel like we're doing that. I think the fact that we came here this year and played is gonna be a factor and I'm hoping that will give us a little mental edge.
... at the end of the year it's gonna take a lot from any one team [to win the conference tournament] because a lot of the teams are closely matched.
bc.net: Obviously Fresno State at #9 in the country, Nevada with a 40-14 record and possibly Hawai'i with a 36-17 record are all up for at-large bids regardless of what happens, do you think that your team having that win or go home situation works into your favor and that Fresno State may subconsciously ease up a little bit because they are pretty much guaranteed an at-large?
KR: It's gonna be interesting to see if that plays a factor at all. Reno, Fresno and Hawai'i all have outstanding teams and I feel like that anybody that's going to come through and win this tournament is going to have to be playing well. I feel like across the board the WAC has legitimately improved hands down all of the teams this year. I feel like as the conference is getting stronger, at the end of the year it's gonna take a lot from any one team [to win the conference tournament] because a lot of the teams are closely matched.
