Fresno State Athletics
Pre-Regional Press Conference Quotes
5/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
UCLA head coach Sue Enquist
"Needless to say we're excited. This is the time of year that everyone works so hard for and our team feels really confident. Fresno State has always been a great host and the community is very supportive. This is an excellent field of teams and I think everyone is just ready to get things going."
"I think our strength is in our balance. We have a handful of kids who are only freshmen, but got seasoned pretty quickly as a result of our schedule."
Georgia head coach Lu-Harris-Champer
"Our team is thrilled to be here. We've had a great season up to this point and are just looking to close out the year on a positive note. This regional features a lot of great players and coaches, so I think we'll be in for a great tournament."
Michigan State head coach Jacquie Joseph
"I would like to start by congratulating all of the schools that have made it here. It's been a couple of years since we've been in the mix, so on that note it feels good to be back. I would say that we are also a pretty balanced team; there isn't one player that really stands out for us."
Fresno State head coach Margie Wright
"We would like to welcome everyone to Fresno State. It is an honor to host and we are very proud of our field, our fans and our institution. We wish the best of luck to everyone this weekend."
"Making it here (NCAA Tournament) was definitely one of our goals this year. We've had some ups and downs over the course of the season, but this is the time of year when nothing else matters."
Fresno State catcher Pam West
"Our team is really excited and we can't wait to get the tournament started. We know our pitching is going to be there so we'll just try to build on that."
"We feel like we've been through every possible situation this year. I think our slow start actually made our team stronger."
Long Beach State head coach Pete Manarino
"Fresno State puts on a great tournament. The fans are tremendous and the community really backs the team. That being said, we're excited to be a part of this regional and ready to play. This is a great opportunity for our program."
"Our team is down to just 11 players- six of which had season-ending injuries- so our options are somewhat limited. However, we've handled adversity all season long and played through it."
"Just like Fresno State, we have solid pitching and timely hitting. Our game against them will probably come down to which team executes better."
North Carolina head coach Donna Papa
"It feels good to finally be here, it took us 26 hours but we're here. Our team is excited to play in this regional and at Bulldog Diamond. We start four freshmen and mix that in with some upperclassmen who provide our leadership."
Long Island head coach Roy Kortman
"This is our second trip to Fresno this year after having played here earlier in a tournament. That was a great experience and I'm sure this weekend will be just the same. Once again, congratulations to everyone for making it here. This is an honor for us and we look at this as a great opportunity to play against tough competition."
Colgate head coach Vickie Sax
"We are a young team with only two seniors and were picked to finish third in our conference this year. After winning our conference tournament, we are really playing well heading into this weekend. This is our second appearance in the last five years and the team is looking forward to matching up against some of the best teams in the nation."
