Lowe said of the team’s rebound after Saturday’s elimination: “I liked the way they played today, the way they prepared. They had a bad memory but also fought hard to win the series. I thought we were in a really good position to win the series and there were some moments where we wanted to come back but it stung us. We had opportunities to score and get some more runs and I think that’s going to give us momentum for the rest of the season.”
A brief introduction to Jenae Berry: “Yeah, Janae had some good games. She played well all weekend. So we’re confident in her ability. That’s the thing, we learned a lot about our pitching staff and what they can do with them and really what role they play. I thought Jalen overlooked that today and all weekend long on the field. Jenae, we learned a lot about what she’s going to do now. So that’s going to help us in the long run.”
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After a weekend, the most notable things about the team are: “They’re tough. We’ve got guts. We know how to play the game the right way. I think we know how to bounce back, but just they’re tough. I think in the lineup from one to nine, plus the bench. I’m really happy, like, you know, Emma (Kavanagh) comes in and executes right away, (Anissa Wilder) is at the DP position and is good at hitting, like I They made adjustments and it was tough for us when we had a lot of different situations so, I thought we did a great job defensively, and Taylor did a really good job defensively, and I saw the highlights from Djerne and I think we need to learn and grow from here (this series).”
On what it means to play Oklahoma State early in the season: “I think you look around the country, the first week of games have been great. So I think it’s great for our sport and I think we had a crowd yesterday and today. Softball is growing. People love watching it and I think it’s because of what these guys do on the field.”
On what the team will focus on next week: “I think controlling our moment when you need to see exactly where people are being scheduled to have 2,600 It’s going to change the way you go into batting practice. It’s going to change everything. “We have a team that’s committed to getting better and we should see us get better and better every week, and I think the biggest thing is, are we going to give up something and get better? “
On how to organize a family series like this: “Yeah, honestly, the hardest thing about softball is we have 56 games coming into the schedule and we don’t have a lot of midweek opponents, so we have to play a full five or six games every weekend. So weekend games especially. … Scheduling is difficult. It’s getting people out here and making sure you get all the games you need, all the games you need.”
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When Adams pitched his first weekend in Arizona: “It’s awesome. That’s what I came here to do, push myself, test my limits, and I think I did that. I’m really proud of the team. I think we’re going to be stronger and better because of this series and this whole weekend, and I’m excited to see what we have.”
The most impressive things about the team so far are: “I just feel like the offense always you can never take us out of a game, no matter what the score is. They always try to be super clutch, whether it’s a little game or a big game. Everybody knows their role, and they’re really committed. I think overall, it’s really cool for me to say that.”
On being a leader on the pitching staff: “I think it’s just an opportunity to help lead the bullpen. We’re going to have to pitch the staff. You know, we have four guys, but it’s a strong four. Come June, we’ll be ready to go. So I think just moving toward that goal, learning from the loss and moving forward. That’s what you have to do.”
On having young pitchers behind her: “They’re very mature and I feel like they’re really eager to learn. I feel like I’m the same way and I’m still always trying to learn new things. So it’s really promising, really optimistic. There’s always an opportunity for them to get better at something, so I feel like that’s the most important thing. They have open ears and they’re always willing to learn new things.”
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On playing in front of a packed crowd at Hillenbrand: “It’s awesome. I love it. I don’t think it can get any better than this. The support is great. I think we really lean into that, especially in those big moments. So yeah, it’s great.”
Stewart on the team’s comeback after Saturday’s loss: “We learned a lot after yesterday and I want to put that in the past and move on to the next steps we need to take. I feel like we’ve gotten to where we need to be and we’re definitely going to learn from this series, this weekend and the long season ahead.”
On her three-game winning streak: “I just wanted to be there on time. I know she’s really good at changing pace, so being able to sit back and fight for that change. I just thought about her for everything. But getting the pitch I wanted.”
On opening the season against Oklahoma State: “It’s awesome. Just having great competition and having the fans show up gives you a World Series-caliber game, especially against a team like Oklahoma. So it’s really special to be able to play a team like that and have them come to us.”
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On whether this series can help the team moving forward: “Yeah, I think 100 percent. We’re going to play Texas in the future, we’re going to play Stanford. We’ve got some great matchups in the Big 12. So there’s no question, 100 percent ready for us going forward.”
On Tyler Beal’s offensive start: “I’ve seen her really improve. Just really fine-tuning her swing. Obviously her defense is really good, but her offense is just seeing her work, work and work. It’s really cool to see her RBIs and production. It’s really cool to see her.”
On how the pitching staff performed during the first weekend: “I think they do a great job. I think the communication is great. Jalen and I always try to be around the other pitchers. I just think we’re really locked in, really connected, and it’s great to see the feedback and the response that we get because of being so connected.”