“I need a drink!”
John Bishop shouted at the top of his lungs what so many Creighton fans were thinking as the sun set last Friday night.
With a wild pitch by Missouri State’s Dan Kickham, the Bluejays brought in the winning run that placed CU in the title game of the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament. Bishop’s call of that final play is heavy with the delirious pleasure a person can gain from watching a group of baseball players compete all week with the highest of stakes — exactly what Creighton did while battling back from the brink of elimination.
The Jays’ win against Wichita State in the tournament’s championship game, previewed here by Bishop and broadcasting partner David Gustafson, locked up Creighton’s invite to the NCAA Tournament. The Jays open play today in the Corvallis Regional, hosted by Oregon State.
We caught up with Bishop to talk about Creighton’s crazy run through the Valley tournament, what this team’s done all season, and what could happen this June.
White & Blue Review: First thing’s first: the “I need a drink!” exclamation at the end of your broadcast last Friday evening quickly circulated the blogosphere and Twitter, complete with people hash-tagging their posts celebrating Creighton’s unlikely win. Considering the rain and having to come back from that first loss against MSU, just how long of a week was it for you as a broadcaster, and for Ed Servais and his team?
John Bishop: It was a very long week for the Jays. They played 48 innings in less than 60 hours. That’s a lot of baseball and not just any baseball, but pressure-packed tournament baseball. It was apparent from the middle innings Friday that the guys were running on fumes. You’ve got a core of guys who have played every game this season and they looked worn. Their at-bats weren’t as competitive. But the thing that sticks out to me was how they maintained their poise and mental toughness. That’s the first thing that usually goes when you are exhausted. But at the end of the day there were no errors, no misplays in the field and the guys who came out of the pen were fantastic.
As far as the announcers, David and I each do morning radio shows in addition to calling the games so, yes, we were tired but you can talk your way through 48 innings a lot easier than play championship baseball. I guess the “I need a drink” came from that fatigue — that and I think I know my audience!
WBR: Talk about just how magical Saturday night’s atmosphere was at TD Ameritrade Park?
JB: It was postseason-caliber, no question. You had 6,900 in tune with every pitch. And these weren’t people just taking advantage of discounts or wanting to experience the legroom of the new park. These people were here to see the Bluejays win a title. Ed Servais said after the game that the pitchers were throwing harder than they had thrown all season. It was the crowd’s energy and it had to be the biggest “home field” advantage Creighton has experienced since the 1991 College World Series. I covered Nebraska’s three CWS teams. I won’t say it was louder than Haymarket Park during those regionals, but it was pretty darn close and it was every bit as special.
WBR: Servais talked Friday and Saturday about the guys being exhausted. Being around the team, who were the guys who kept everyone loose and ready to go?
JB: It all starts with the seniors. Trever Adams, Jimmy Swift, Jack VanLeur, Jonas Dufek, Greg Hellhake. Once in awhile I can look down into the dugout to see what’s going on, but you cannot hear what is being said or who is saying it. But if I had to guess, I would think Jack VanLeur would be in the middle of it.
But really, this team feeds off of one another unlike many teams I’ve seen. That’s why it was so inspiring to see what Hellhake did on Thursday or Clay Cuno all tournament long or Gabriel Thibodeaux on Thursday night. But it was Erik Mattingly’s two-inning performance Friday that was really inspiring. That may have been the kicker and it was certainly the reason I got a little more jazzed than usual on the air.
WBR: Who are the leaders on this squad? Who can Ed count on to help him get his points and plans across?
JB: Again, the seniors. When Ed is trying to get the feel for his team, he always goes to his seniors. Trever leads through his talent and his determination to improve his game. Jonas is that guy on the pitching staff. Jimmy, Jack, and Greg are fifth-year seniors. Ed has talked about his seniors since day one of fall ball and that hasn’t changed through the season.
WBR: Adams is in the top 30 nationally in the following categories: average, hits, home runs, slugging percentage, and total bases. Just how good has he been in the middle of the lineup? Where does he compare to other CU standouts you’ve seen since you began broadcasting Bluejays games?
JB: There is no replacing Trever in this lineup. He is the one threat teams have to account for each and every game. He’s not only the best statistical hitter, but he is the Jays best two-strike hitter and best bad ball hitter and believe me, he’s not getting many “good” hittable pitches these last few weeks. As far as historical comparisons, I’ve only been around the program since 2006 and he is clearly the best I’ve seen. Look at his numbers in just two seasons. He’s going to be top 10 — if not top 5 — in career average and slugging and he’s one homer away from top 10 in that category at Creighton, too. He’s a special player.
WBR: Everyone’s talked all season about Ed’s two aces, Dufek and Ty Blach. If you’re explaining those two guys to folks who haven’t seen them pitch, what would you say? How would you describe their stuff?
JB: They both have great stuff. Jonas has a larger pitching repertoire with a great change and a sinker that teams really struggle with. People don’t give Jonas enough credit for the improvement in his game from the last two seasons to this one. He’s shaved his ERA in half and he’s increased his strikeouts by nearly 50%. I don’t care what they say about the new bats, they haven’t made them any smaller and Jonas is missing plenty of them. Over the long haul, Ty may end up as a better overall pitcher than Jonas. As a sophomore, he’s still maturing but his stuff is electric at times. He’s now developed a slider, which kept Wichita State off balance Saturday. If he’s got command of that this weekend, the Jays chances go up considerably.
WBR: You’ve seen this team up close and personal all season long. Just how dangerous can Creighton be if they get some timely hitting?
JB: That’s the key: timely hits. That, and quick starts. This is a great play-from-ahead team, but not so much play-from-behind. We’ve only got a couple of wins this year when trailing by two or more runs after five innings. That’s why Jonas and Ty have been so important this season. I hope the infusion of new opposition and their lack of familiarity gives Trever a chance to see better pitches.
I’d also like to see Alex Staehely find his hitting stroke again. He has been key to Trever’s success by protecting him in the five-hole, though it wouldn’t surprise me if Ed puts Alex in the leadoff spot and bats Scott Thornburg fifth. I’d love to see Cuno get another chance in left. His presence in the lineup was a spark last Thursday and Friday.
This team is a CWS sleeper. People will overlook the name and overlook The Valley. We need to take advantage of that. Ed Servais teams are very dangerous when they are overlooked.
WBR: Finish this sentence: Creighton leaves Corvallis with a regional championship and a trip to a super regional if …
JB: … this team remembers what got them here — pitching, defense, and executing small ball. And they continue to believe as one. They will face adversity again and they need to draw from last week’s experience. (Sorry, I was never good at finishing a sentence with one sentence!)