Postgame Quotes from NCAA Regional

Dartmouth Head Coach Bob Whalen

Opening Statement
"I guess my first impression is how impressive everything has been here. I said to my kids immediately after we clinched the championship against Cornell that it didn't really matter to us where we were going to go, but I wanted to go to a venue where they would play one of the best teams in the country in one of the best facilities in the country at a place that is very deep in tradition. When we found that North Carolina was our draw, I knew that this place fit all three of those criteria. I've been fortunate enough to play in the College World Series and go back there a couple times as a coach, and I wanted them to have the same type of experience that I've been able to have. Just by coming here today it is clear that [Carolina] proved why they are one of the top six teams in the country, and they played like it tonight."

On Dartmouth's defense
"The kids did a great job. I don?t know what else to tell you. Every
coach is going to tell you that defense is important, and of course it
is. The thing that it does for you the most is it allows you to
minimize your pitch counts, particularly early in the game. We?re
coming down into a part of the country that is certainly a lot more
humid than what we get in terms of temperature. I knew that Rob was
going to pitch well tonight, I felt strongly about that. "

Brett Gardner, Junior, CF
On competing in the Ivy League
"The Ivy League is a pretty strenuous schedule. We play four games in a weekend, double headers Saturday and Sunday. We condition very hard in the fall and the winter. Our coach really prepares us well for an Ivy League season because four games is pretty tough, especially towards the end. If we can win the Ivy League, I think it's saying something."

Robert Young, Junior, Starting Pitcher
On Carolina's struggles against lefty pitchers
"They have six lefties in the lineup, a couple switch hitters, and a couple of switch hitters that are better left-handed hitters than they are right-handed hitters, so we knew coming in that they had historically struggled against lefties. It's just a common thing. Left-handed hitters struggle against left-handed pitchers. I was ready for it. It would have been a lot more fun sitting up here with the win, but they didn't struggle enough."

North Carolina Head Coach Mike Fox

Opening Statement
"I think Dartmouth played exceptionally well. They made some big plays when they needed to and they came in and pitched well. We got what we needed out of Matt Harvey. Matt battled tonight. We obviously wanted him to pitch deep into the game if he could, and he was able to do that. And Brian [Moran] was sensational out of the bullpen as he has been for us all year. I can't say enough about Dustin Ackley ? he had an incredible performance tonight and through his career. To have a young man break a career record here in three years is, it?s pretty amazing. I hope people know what they've been watching the last three years. He's an incredible."

On Putting Ryan Graepel in the Four Spot
"I think Ryan's been swinging the bat partly down the stretch about as well as anybody. If you look at how he's hit against left-handed pitching, he's probably been one of our best guys all year long against lefties. He's been swinging it good and we wanted it right in there. We didn't really want to put Levi [Michael] in that four hole in his first Regional, even though I just moved him down one. It's not that big a deal. It's just something about that four spot. I just took a chance."

Matt Harvey, So., RHP
On The Tar Heels' Four Double Plays
"I knew going into the game we were kind of struggling double play-wise, and all I was trying to do was, when I had a runner on, was roll him ? have him roll it over and get a double play and hit it right to him. I was able to do that a couple of times tonight. That also helps you keep your pitch count down when you're rolling a double play and getting them out of the inning."

Dustin Ackley, Jr., 1B
On Breaking the UNC Career Hits Record (329)
"I mean it's really special. I mean, to be up in the record books with Chad Flack, who is pretty much Carolina baseball, is really special. I mean, his record, probably many people didn't think it would ever be broken. But to just be able to say that I broke his record a guy that's done so much for this program. It's pretty special to me."