Todd Interdonato speaks after Birdball season ends
Here’s what BC manager Todd Interdonato had to say on Sunday afternoon after the Eagles were eliminated from the Athens Regional, losing 8-3 to Liberty.
BC finished 37-23 on the season.
Opening statement
“I want to start by thanking the University of Georgia for how they hosted this weekend, you guys were incredible. Specifically Megan Holmes, the way she hosted us, the way she communicated. When you bring a team to an event like this, it’s nice to be treated first class, which she did. That’s my first thank you to Georgia, but specifically to her. Next one is to Bradley (LeCroy – head coach Liberty) and his team and UGA and Liberty playing the regional final here, that tracks for me. Those are the two teams that played the best baseball this weekend and those two teams deserve to go at it.”
On finishing the season 2-9
“I asses what went wrong in the last couple weeks. I think you can feel the emotions, right? The 2-9 finish doesn’t take away from what we did. At the same time, how well we played through March and April, specifically, doesn’t make us feel better about the way we finish,” said manager Todd Interdonato. “I try to look at those two things equally. You can try to compartmentalize them. I feel like every single year I’ve done this I have the same thought at the end of the year, which is ‘okay we need to get better.’ Whether it’s a 21, 37 or 42-win season, conference championships, whatever it is. That’s the way my brain works. As soon as the year ends, we have to get better for us. In my entire career, that always starts with developing the players in your program.
“My main thought right now is how do we get our current players better? How do we develop those guys? How do we get more out of those guys?”
On the direction of the program
“So, I think our success starts with the belief and the the love for the institution. I think that’s where we are very different than a lot of other places. And there’s a lot of great institutions out there, but our guys love going to BC. Our guys love everything about it. And I think that’s really where it starts. Then, that bleeds its way into the locker room where they have a love for each other. And then that bleeds onto the field. But, for me, how we progress and what we do, I think it just starts by those guys in 2024 after Mike (Gambino) leaving and the transition, all those guys staying. But, again, I can tie that back to the love for the institution. And I think that’s where it all starts. So, for me, I just feel incredibly fortunate to be at a place like that where those kids love going to school this much because I know that’s how I feel about being an employee here.
“So, to me, we just continue to build on that, but without the love for the institution, without the incredible power that BC is, none of this is possible.”
On Brady Miller’s day and overall heading into next year
“We had seen over the last handful of starts – and I would have to think about it deeper – but we’ve seen his ability to bounce back. That inning (third), three misplays, two free passes, that’s what happens. That’s what happens. I don’t think we caught really bad luck. I don’t think we were cursed. I think we played really bad baseball for that frame. But, we really believe in his abiity to bounce back. He goes back out, gives up a solo home run, but I thought his execution was really good outside of four plate appearances maybe, five plate appearances? So, when you’re playing really good, complementary, team baseball, he has the ability to not execute for four or five if you play -3 on defense and you’re pitcher executes, then you can play through it. But, those two things happened at the same time.”
