WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.399 It's stick Gabriel taking a little bit of time off, 2 00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:05.040 so we thought we would replay some of the best 3 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:08.240 interviews from over the last several months. Please enjoy the 4 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:12.519 best of the Big Blue Insider And man, I don't 5 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:16.600 know what it is. Kentucky gets to host a regional 6 00:00:17.079 --> 00:00:20.239 and gets one of the toughest draws in the regional 7 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.120 and has to be the visiting team twice in his 8 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:26.120 own home ballpark. I can see that once, but twice? 9 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:29.640 Come on, Well, now here comes Oregon State. Really good 10 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:33.280 program which has won three World Series titles within the 11 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:37.759 last well since six was it six seven and twenty eighteen, 12 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:41.159 it's been to the World Series nine times. So the 13 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:45.479 Beavers come across country and they will play at six 14 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:51.359 o'clock Saturday, nine o'clock Sunday. It's best out of three. 15 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:54.159 Then if they need the third game, of course, they'll 16 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:56.640 play it on Monday. But the Sunday game is at 17 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:01.560 nine pm and both games are on ESPN. You so 18 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:03.960 you got a smaller audience for the number two seed 19 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:07.719 now and a nine o'clock start. Well, if they're trying 20 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:12.359 to accommodate people on the West coast, that is a 21 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:16.959 TV programmer's way of thinking, because of course that's six 22 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:20.359 o'clock out there, but it's a slap in the face 23 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:23.879 to the host team. The other thing is, and I 24 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:25.400 get this from me, and we'll talk to our West 25 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.120 Coast Bureau Chief, Gary Moore about this tomorrow, who lived 26 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.920 in LA for more than twenty years. One of my 27 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:34.319 closest friends lives out there, and they have both told 28 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:40.599 me that West Coast people don't worry about East Coast 29 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.840 times for sporting events nearly as much as we think 30 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:47.480 they do. In fact, this Gary has told us when 31 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:51.079 it comes say to the NFL, they like it because 32 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:53.319 let's say your team will be it a West Coast 33 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:55.760 team or a team you follow has got a one 34 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.640 o'clock start in the NFL, it's ten am out there. 35 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:00.040 You watch the game, then you go on with the 36 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.719 rest of your day. If you're an Oregon State fan, 37 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:05.840 if the game were a three in the afternoon, which 38 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:09.680 would be six o'clock here, win or lose, you got 39 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:11.800 half your day left or a great part of it. 40 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:16.960 So it's just man, it's very frustrating, but at least 41 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:20.120 your home you're playing in a super regional for the 42 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:25.080 first time in program history. By the way, there was 43 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.759 something that came up and I just made mention of 44 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.240 it last night on the show, but I wanted to 45 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:34.000 spend a little more time with it because this team, 46 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:38.639 this Kentucky team with the dugout antics and the personalities, 47 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:43.560 is so interesting and fun to follow. And as many 48 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:45.599 of you know, I've gotten to travel with the team 49 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:48.039 a little bit through the years, filling in on the radio, 50 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:51.120 first for Neil Price, now for Darren Hedrick. And this 51 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:54.479 year this is new. This year I noticed that, I 52 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:56.560 think when I was on the bus with a team 53 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.599 down in Round Rock, Texas. But I believe they've been 54 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:02.479 doing it all year, and they've done a lot of 55 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:04.759 stuff in the dugout. This is not a dugout thing. 56 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.800 This is when they're all kind of bunched together. They 57 00:03:07.879 --> 00:03:09.759 might do it at other times, but they definitely do 58 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.120 it on the bus. And the bus is like a 59 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:16.800 rolling locker room. You know, they're laughing, they're joking, they're 60 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:19.759 cutting up. They're using some language you might not want 61 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.599 your kids to hear. And Nick has said, and Nick 62 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:25.000 is not that kind of guy when it comes to language, 63 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:26.680 but he has said he kind of turns a death 64 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:29.360 bear to it because it's their locker room. It's not horrible, 65 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.319 it's just, you know, nineteen twenty twenty one year old 66 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:36.719 guys get together and say things sometimes. But one of 67 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:41.759 the things they do is they mimic what Dak Prescott 68 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.800 does for the Dallas Cowboys. Just before the ball is snapped, 69 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:50.199 he'll call his audibles, he'll set protection, but just to 70 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:54.719 make sure the team knows everything's good, we're ready to 71 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:58.599 get going, he'll yell here we go, and he kind 72 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:02.840 of chants it. It sounds like this, here we go, here. 73 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:08.919 We go, Here we go, Here we go, Here we go, 74 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:11.759 here we go, Here we go. 75 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:16.839 That's a bunch of them I strung together. But Nick 76 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:21.560 Benione made direct reference to this after the game. On 77 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.759 after the championship game the other night, in the postgame 78 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:29.319 press conference, when people Aaron Gershan asked Mason more, the 79 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:32.879 pitcher who had been so sick, when did you know 80 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:35.959 you could pitch? When did you know you'd be physically 81 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:39.560 up to it? And because he had been out skipped 82 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:41.920 the game, went back to the room and had an 83 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:45.800 IVY and was just trying to recover. Nick jumped in 84 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:50.160 with a story about a text message you got from Mason. 85 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:51.680 That night at. 86 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:53.920 Seven thirty six, my phone goes off. It's a text 87 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:54.720 message for Mason. 88 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:58.360 This is what he said, here we go. 89 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.160 So if you didn't get that right away, that's what 90 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.040 that was all about, was how that's one of their 91 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:07.800 deals on the bus and probably elsewhere is every now 92 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:10.079 and then. I don't know why I didn't want to ask, 93 00:05:10.279 --> 00:05:13.199 but at times somebody will just yell here we go. 94 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.040 And evidently that was the battle cry for Mason Moore 95 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:20.439 when he texted his coach to let him go. No, 96 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.399 he'd be ready to go, and certainly he was putting 97 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:26.319 up nothing but goose egg. It's going to be tough 98 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:28.959 to do that against Oregon State. We'll talk more about 99 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:32.600 the Beavers as the weekend gets closer. We'll try to 100 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.639 talk to some folks from out there in Oregon as well, 101 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:39.519 and a reminder small world. Before he became the athletics 102 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:43.319 director at the University of Kentucky, Mitch Barnhardt for four 103 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:47.759 years was the ad at Oregon State. So I'm sure 104 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.399 there'll be some chatter about that throughout the week as well. 105 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:52.959 We're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. 106 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:58.160 More to come here on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. 107 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.959 Welcome back to the best of the Big Blue Insider. 108 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:06.720 That is the word of the day in the Big 109 00:06:06.759 --> 00:06:09.879 Boe Nation because their baseball team is heading for the 110 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:14.079 College World Series for the first time in program history. 111 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:16.279 Welcome to the Big Boon Sider, Dick Gabriel, with you 112 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:19.920 still a little bleary eyed after last night's nine o'clock 113 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:24.120 start and then a postgame press conference that ended. I 114 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:27.360 think we walked out of there at about about two 115 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.000 point fifteen am, you know, and by the time you 116 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:33.079 get home and get unpacked and try to get some sleep, 117 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.120 it's three o'clock in the morning, at least for me. 118 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.839 But we're up and around and we're thinking about the 119 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:42.279 College World Series now. For the first time, the Kentucky 120 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:46.240 Wildcats win a Super Regional and beat a really good 121 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:51.199 Oregon State team by holding the Beavers to two runs 122 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:53.399 that they got last night without benefit of a hit, 123 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.759 and three hits over the two games, which is a 124 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:01.319 record for the Super Regional format, which now is in 125 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:05.439 his twenty fifth year. The previous record one of the 126 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:09.480 Vandy Great Vandy pitching staffs held an opponent to five 127 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:13.120 hits over two games. So the Kentucky pitching staff, which 128 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.040 had been I don't want to say much maligned, but 129 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:20.399 somewhat maligned down the stretch, came through in a huge 130 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:23.600 way in both the Regional and the Super Regional. So 131 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:28.839 now the Wildcats will go to Omaha. And they shut 132 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:32.639 it down last night on a call third strike delivered 133 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:35.879 by relief pitcher Johnny Hummel, who picked up the save. 134 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:39.360 And here is how Darren hedrickcalled it on the UK 135 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:40.839 Sports Network. 136 00:07:40.839 --> 00:07:44.759 Hummel's pitch colt strike three. 137 00:07:44.360 --> 00:07:47.800 Ball game over. The wait is finally over. 138 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:52.079 Roll out the big blue carpet and Omaha, the University 139 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:55.279 of Kentucky Wildcats are headed. 140 00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:57.600 To the College World Series. 141 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.800 Kentucky defeats Oregon State three to two. They flood the 142 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:05.519 field from that third base stugout and dog pile to 143 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:07.079 the right side of the mound. 144 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:10.000 And it's worth noting there was no dog pile after 145 00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:12.759 the regional. There was last year and Nick menze own 146 00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:17.879 back in twenty seventeen when before really before the season began, 147 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:20.199 one of his goals was to see his team in 148 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.959 a dog pile. He said, I love dog piles because 149 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:27.240 it means They've just accomplished something, something great. So there 150 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:29.759 was a dog pile. Then in seventeen when they won 151 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:32.440 the regional, there was one. Last year when they won 152 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:35.279 the regional. There was not one this year because they 153 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:37.120 knew they wanted so much more and they knew they 154 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:40.840 were going to host a super regional. And it was 155 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:45.600 on this day in twenty seventeen today, seven years ago, 156 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:49.799 that Kentucky opened Super Regional play at Louisville and got 157 00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:52.279 spanked a couple times by the Cardinals. Really good U 158 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:54.919 OFL team, But I covered the game and I sat 159 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:58.159 there thinking, you know, you've got to get a super 160 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:00.399 Regional of your own. I mean, it's just so hard 161 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:03.200 to win on the road in a super Seventy percent 162 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:06.679 of a time the host team wins in the super Regional, 163 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:09.000 which is as it should be, I think. I mean, 164 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:11.799 the home team ought to have an advantage. They've earned it, 165 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:16.519 so obviously did Kentucky, and they did not have much 166 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.759 of a shot last year when they were sent to 167 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:23.200 the Baton Rouge Superregional to play top ranked LSU, which 168 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:26.799 went on to win the national championship. So they earn 169 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:29.559 the right to host this year and they make it 170 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:32.919 payoff with a win over really good as I said, 171 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:36.720 Oregon State team and the winning run last night. Of 172 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.799 course ten nothing the night before, but the winning run 173 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:43.399 last night scored on a bizarre play. Some people say, 174 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.080 have never seen it before. I've seen it, but I've 175 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:49.120 seen it like at the little league level. And this 176 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.720 is not to demean Oregon State. It was just a 177 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:56.799 bizarre play. A strike three, swinging strike by Grant Smith 178 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.840 frankly on a bad pitch. It was a great pitch, 179 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:02.279 but bad for Grant down and end and the catcher 180 00:10:02.279 --> 00:10:04.799 couldn't handle it and then bounced away from him. But 181 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:08.320 it bounced at such an angle that the catcher had 182 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:12.559 to go so far to get the ball. He couldn't 183 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:17.320 make it back to the plate. Nolan McCarthy on second base. Meanwhile, 184 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:21.919 round third runs through Nick Minsi and yelling stop. Didn't 185 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:24.960 have his hands up, but he yelled stop. But McCarthy 186 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:29.120 could see that the catcher was still busy chasing down 187 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:32.840 the ball, and he saw that the pitcher failed to 188 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.720 cover the plate. If you're a pitcher, and this happened 189 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:37.440 to me many times because I threw a lot of 190 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:40.159 bad pitches, if there's a guy on third and the 191 00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:42.679 ball you saw a bad pitch, he gets away from 192 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:46.720 the catcher. You race to the plate, hoping that you 193 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:50.240 can keep the guy from scoring. Well, runner was on second, 194 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:55.120 so the pitcher obviously didn't give it a second thought 195 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.879 at first that he needed to cover the plate and 196 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:01.960 that's all McCarthy needed. In fact, the catcher beat the 197 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:06.679 pitcher to the play. He was closest to McCarthy when 198 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:10.200 Nolan slid in, but Nolan took flight. It wasn't as 199 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:14.399 much a slide as it was a dive. Here's the 200 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:17.000 way Darren called it at Keith Madison, the Hall of 201 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:19.320 Fame coach alongside. 202 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:22.240 Two two game in the seventh the two and he 203 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:24.639 struck him out, but the ball got away from Weber. 204 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:28.080 McCarthy to third. There's nobody at covering the play. It's 205 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:32.320 a foot rice height times across safe. Nobody covered home 206 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.879 for Oregon State and McCarthy scores from second as graft 207 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.480 Smith arrives at first. What's a three to two Kentucky lead. 208 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:44.360 What a heads up play by McCarthy. The pitcher was 209 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:48.679 lackadaisical about covering home and McCarthy never slowed down. He 210 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.720 was barely around third base, made a beautiful slide well 211 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:53.240 ahead of. 212 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:56.080 The throw, and after the game in an early morning 213 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:58.440 news conference, here's the way Nolan described it. 214 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:00.720 And I saw it squeaked by and I was running 215 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:03.039 a third and immediately I saw their picture wasn't covering. 216 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.519 I think I ran through a stop sign. But it 217 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.559 ended up working out, so, uh yeah, no one's covered home, 218 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:12.159 so might as well take what they're gonna give you. 219 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:13.399 Were you worried that you dive? 220 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:14.559 No. 221 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:18.200 I told Robert before the game that I was gonna 222 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:20.799 I was gonna Pete Rose dive today. Yeah, and that 223 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:21.559 ended up happening. 224 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:22.440 I mean, he's crazy. 225 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:28.360 There's Robert Hogan at the end there where uh Nolan 226 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:29.879 had said to him I'm going to do a Pete 227 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:32.519 Rose dive. And I really liked that or Pete Rose 228 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:37.200 slide because it's obviously an homage to Pete Rose, and 229 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:41.240 it's a reference to a famous photo of Pete Rose 230 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:44.720 diving slash sliding into third base, and I'm sure you've 231 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:50.519 seen it, but it sort of personifies and exemplifies Pete 232 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:53.679 Rose hustle. Somebody got a great photo of him from 233 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:57.080 really ground level of Rose sliding in that head first 234 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.720 slide into third base, and Pete was one of the 235 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:03.120 first guys. He didn't invent it, but to make it popular. 236 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:06.279 Sliding head first. I thought it was crazy because you 237 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:09.360 could break bones in your fingers and hands. But Rose 238 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:12.120 did it, and that famous photo he's about a foot 239 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:16.080 off the ground, and it seemed like McCarthy was as well. 240 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:19.679 And then somebody asked Devin Burkes how he saw the play, 241 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:24.440 and Hogan chimes in again because he was watching. He 242 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:25.399 was still in the bullpen. 243 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:26.559 I had it. 244 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:28.320 I see that happen. 245 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:33.279 I mean, like he's always being crazy as sent as 246 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:35.320 the ball went by and the picture was I don't 247 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:36.879 I don't know what he's doing. He was like looking 248 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:39.080 around or something. I was like, I hopped over the 249 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:41.360 fence and I was like knowing, like you're going, and 250 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:43.559 he like, I was already on it. He was already 251 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:46.320 like at home slotting. I was like, let's go. 252 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:49.639 Yeah, we were, we were in the bullpen, and I 253 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:51.879 was like I was I was watching when we were 254 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:53.440 all like, oh my gosh, no one's doing it. The 255 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.679 pictures on cover and go and and all of a 256 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:57.679 sudden I see him die. I'm like, oh my gosh, 257 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:01.360 he just did the Peter ros die like that was awesome. 258 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:03.240 I'm like, I remember that. You know. 259 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:06.159 It just shows how gritty we are and how we're 260 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:08.679 willing to do everything it takes to win. I mean, 261 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:10.600 I mean, he's also he's crazy. 262 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:14.200 So and again that was Robert Hogan at the end 263 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.639 and what a performance he had out of the bullpen, 264 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:21.600 along with Cam O'Brien, Johnny Hummel, Ryan hagen Ow. The 265 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:25.879 bullpen absolutely came through this weekend and really during the 266 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:29.039 regional So that's why the Wildcats one of several reasons 267 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:31.559 the Wildcats are going to Omaha. A big reason last 268 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:35.759 night is you all the fans BBN showed up and 269 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:38.120 you had to wonder. At nine o'clock start, you knew 270 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:42.279 there'd be a great crowd. I didn't anticipate a bigger 271 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:46.120 crowd compared to the night before. Obviously a lot of 272 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:50.399 people came back and clearly with even more people, some 273 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:53.440 new faces there last night who wanted a witness history 274 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:55.519 and nobody left. I mean, you knew it was going 275 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:58.799 to be a late night. Got chili too. Nobody left 276 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.559 for the most part, they wanted to see the celebration. 277 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:04.759 They were treated to a great game. Not a lot 278 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:06.600 of offense. I mean, they loved what they saw the 279 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:11.519 night before, ten to nothing battering Oregon State, but last night. 280 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:15.879 It's the best kind of baseball really, when both teams 281 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:19.679 are in it and every pitch matters, as it did 282 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:23.360 last night, and the crowd was rewarded. And the crowd 283 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:26.679 did its part, clapping along with the walk up music 284 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:33.240 and trying to help their players, trying to influence the 285 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.559 opposing players, throw it in the turf, that kind of stuff. 286 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:41.600 So it was a great night for UK fans and 287 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:44.159 obviously for the program, which got off to a great 288 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:48.279 start this year. Fifteen to one in conference play. You've 289 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.360 heard now about the hiccup. In non conference play, Kennesaw 290 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:55.399 State came in. If you're a Kansas State player, you're 291 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:59.159 watching Kentucky celebrate going to the College World Series and 292 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:02.279 you're thinking, and we kicked their butts. We took two 293 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:06.559 out of three in Lexington and outscored him twenty to three. 294 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:08.559 I think it was or twenty one to three, something 295 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:13.120 like that. But that's where the reset began for the 296 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:17.240 Wildcats and helped them make history this year with another 297 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:24.399 SEC championship. Another I say, another second SEC championship, a 298 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:29.679 third NCA Regional title, and now our first Super Regional championship, 299 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.000 and coming up a little bit later on, we're gonna 300 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:35.120 hear from Mitch Barnhart. I grabbed him right early this 301 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:38.200 morning after that press conference just to get his thoughts 302 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:41.919 on how this program has come together, and basically I 303 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:44.759 didn't ask it in as many words, but we talked 304 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.679 about the fact that Mitch didn't fire Nick Benjie on 305 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:53.159 when a lot of us thought he either might after 306 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:56.559 that twenty two season, or you know, Nick might be 307 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:59.919 walking on eggshells, and Nick knew it as well. He 308 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.559 has talked a lot, and he went deep last night 309 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.920 on his faith and how it helped him get through 310 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:10.599 the toughest times after that year where they were one 311 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:14.640 game short twenty twenty two of getting to the postseason. 312 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:17.880 Basically he had lost two of his best pictures, Cole 313 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:20.599 Stupp and Darren Williams, who's going to be with us 314 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:24.759 on the show tomorrow night. So Mitch and I talk 315 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:28.400 about that. That's coming up in hour number two. And 316 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:31.759 on a personal note, I'm so happy for Keith Madison, 317 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:35.079 who worked alongside Darren. As I mentioned you're listening to 318 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:37.279 the best of the Big Blue Insider. More to come 319 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:42.440 here on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back 320 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:45.799 to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. After the 321 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:48.839 news conference early this morning, and I mean, like you know, 322 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.559 two o'clock in the morning, I was walking out and 323 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:57.160 who was standing there congratulating people with his family. Mitch Barnhardt, 324 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:01.240 the Kentucky athletics director who oversaw the construction of the stadium, 325 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:05.559 hired nickman Gione and did not pull the trigger when 326 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:08.960 a lot of ads might have when his baseball coach 327 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:13.440 was struggling, but he stayed with him and now they 328 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.440 are reaping the rewards, the benefits. And I had a 329 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:18.960 chance to talk to the UK athletics director about the 330 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:21.680 school's first Super Regional championship. 331 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:28.720 Truly remarkable for a group of young men that found 332 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:31.559 every possible way to win a ball game. And we've 333 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:36.799 seen him from every different way to win this way tonight, 334 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:40.400 as Nick described in his press conference, probably pretty remarkable 335 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:44.079 and pretty accurate. To scratch out a win with four 336 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:50.519 hits on a play that was destined for failure and 337 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:55.680 it turns into success by attacking and understanding the game 338 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.839 and playing it at a high level. 339 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.519 How fitting is it that that play puts you guys, 340 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:02.480 I mean, there are a lot of players that's the 341 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:05.799 winning run. That kind of play puts you guys in 342 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.000 a world series. Yeah, no, I think it's great fitting. 343 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:09.839 I mean, and it fitting for it comes from a 344 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:12.440 guy like Nolan McCarthy who's just so gutty and gritty 345 00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:17.519 and and loves this program and so happy for him. 346 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:20.599 But you know that the guy sitting behind the plate 347 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:23.599 sort of the captain of the ship, if you will, 348 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:27.279 out there is an amazing young man and Devin Burks. 349 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:29.440 And when you think about us being up the middle, 350 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:31.000 think about up the middle. You always talk about up 351 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:37.519 middle in every sport. Devin Brooks, p d Grant, Nolan. 352 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:40.359 It doesn't get much better up the middle than those 353 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:43.640 four and just super super amazing. How you when you 354 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:47.240 build it that way, you're intentional about it, it works. 355 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:52.559 And then you trust your players to play the game 356 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:55.920 really hard and understand that the team is the team 357 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:57.920 and you've earned victory every day and you attack And 358 00:19:57.960 --> 00:20:00.160 those are things that Nick talks about it. I'm us 359 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:02.200 as administrators, we're run and we hear him talk about it, 360 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:06.079 so it doesn't change. He's what you heard tonight was 361 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:11.079 that's Nick and that's what makes him beautiful and and 362 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:13.240 he is real when he says the things that he says. 363 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:16.400 And so he has built this program with some intentionality 364 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:20.599 about about that. And super proud of him and what 365 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:25.079 he represents and his walk with the Lord. And but 366 00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:27.559 at the end of the day, he he worked so 367 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:30.440 hard at it, and it's it was a it was 368 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.000 a tough spot two or three years ago, and he 369 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:36.640 flipped the script and it's just awesome. 370 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:41.200 The crowds start pouring into this place in Earnest really 371 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:44.640 for Tennessee and the vandying in the regionals. When you 372 00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:49.240 who were instrumental in building this place and hiring him 373 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:52.400 and all, when you see all this come together, what 374 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:53.720 was going on inside of you? 375 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:57.000 Oh, I'm just so happy for Kentucky. You know, I 376 00:20:57.079 --> 00:20:58.519 say it, you know I say it all the time. 377 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:04.599 I Uh, I'm super happy for our program and our players. 378 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.599 I'm super happy for our fans, our fans. You know, 379 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:12.880 you hear when you come to Kentucky. Hey, and Nick's right, 380 00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:16.240 they say things you can't do that you're you'll never 381 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:18.920 get there. You guys don't. You're not in the conversation. 382 00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:23.480 And so I'm happy for our fans. You know, I'm 383 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:25.519 tired of hearing the graphic. We're the only sc school 384 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:28.039 never to have been check that box and get it 385 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:28.480 rid of it. 386 00:21:28.599 --> 00:21:29.440 You know, we're done. 387 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:32.759 We don't need to hear that anymore, you know, And 388 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:38.039 so I'm happy for them. You know, I'm an older 389 00:21:38.039 --> 00:21:40.920 guy in this thing. Nick referred to my age in 390 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:43.119 a nice way. 391 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:44.559 I had a lot of. 392 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:48.079 Wonderful things to celebrate in my career. One more thing 393 00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:53.119 is a really nice one more thing. This was special 394 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:56.559 because it meant so many things to such a variety 395 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:03.720 of people in a place where you know that loves 396 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:06.519 this university very very much. And uh, it was so 397 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.160 evident tonight. It's a nine o'clock star, for Pete's sake. 398 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:11.319 And it was packed, I mean packed. 399 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:12.400 Record crowd. 400 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:15.440 Yeah, other people, other people, other people are announcing record 401 00:22:15.480 --> 00:22:18.720