Transcript
With us on coaches corner on KWBG, gonna talk some DMACC softball today. Bob Ligori joining us as he bears heading back to the World Series. And first off, coach, congratulations. I really thought the region 11 tournament and the district tournament. Boy, you wanna be playing your best softball this time of year. It looks like the ladies are really doing that. Well, we're really excited for our players and for all the coaches and just the general, you know, DMACC population and community. It's just nice to go and represent our college and the national stage. And I think they'll do really well. We're excited to go. Well, tell me about the district tournament for... Actually, let's go back to region tournament coach because I thought, man, it is always tough when it comes to tournament time and you get these teams that they want. They want it as bad as you do. They want to keep their season going. And I really thought the ladies stepped up against some real nice competition. Yeah, you know, we feel that region 11 is one of the two toughest regions in the United States. And, you know, we matched up with Iowa Central, who was, you know, rated all season and had a really fine year again and won over 40 games. So it was a really good matchup. Our players played well, they played well. And, you know, fortunately, we, you know, we came out and won both of them. And then we headed up to Glendide, Montana, and really played well up there. And turn around and come back home three days and now we head to South Carolina. Well, I tell you what, I always say that district tournament, you just never know. And you're, you know, obviously you got to jump on a bus. You got to make a little bit of a trip. But look like the ladies played extremely well. Coach, you come out in game one, win eight to zero. And Junger throws a three hitter. My gosh, what a statement. What is really nice is that Junger throws a three hitter and two of them are, you know, seeing eye hits. So she probably really gave up one, one legitimate hit, you know, in her outing and, you know, strikes out and double digits again. And then we come right back and we come right back and Jackie Boss throws a no hitter. So, you know, we go out there and then both of them are five inning games and then in about two and a half hours, three hours, we're back heading back to Iowa and they haven't scored. So that's a real tribute to, you know, Jackie and Kira and Coach Richards and Coach Heller and our catchers, you know, Callie Richards and Lucy Lucas for the job they did.
Any time you go in the district and you don't give up a run, that's pretty good. Well, Bob, and something else that's pretty good, by the way, 12th consecutive birth to the World Series, 13 out of 14 seasons. I mean, I know you never take it for granted, we do these interviews every year and I know you always feel like this is always such a huge accomplishment. But man, that is just an impressive streak. You got to be real proud of what not just this group has done, but just the program is put together. Well, you know, I go all the way back to our 2012 team, you know, and nobody thought we were going to be anything and they just kept getting better and we we win the regional, you know, tournament up and forth. It was held in Fort Dodge at the time. Nobody expected that. And, you know, from being honest, it's just been a wonderful, wonderful story and that's just a tribute to all the players. I'm not the kind of person and coach that, you know, like to get my, think that I got magic fairy deaths that I sprinkle on players heads or anything. You know, it's a players game. It's a coaches game. And but especially the players and we've been really, really fortunate not only to have great players, but an administration at DMACC that has been very supportive, starting with Orv Salmon and now, of course, BJ McGinn. And, you know, they've been very supportive of our team and just the whole community of boons come behind us. We had great crowds. So, you know, it's not just one or two people that says it's a lot of people. All right. Well, now obviously destination, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and you get a chance to go to the World Series. I know you won't say it publicly. I'll say it for you because the radio guy can say that kind of stuff, Bob. Disappointed in the seat. I got to be honest with you. I really thought you guys were deserving of at least the top four, if not top five seed. Is that any motivation when she goes down to South Carolina? Well, you know, I can't comment publicly about what our, you know, what the private thoughts of a lot of people are. But, you know, the thing that I will say is this, that we played the toughest schedule in the country. We played 15 Division I teams and won 12 of the 15. We played close to 40 of our first 45 games. We're on the road. And then we also played three teams that were ranked number one in the country, too. So we went out and our players played the toughest competition. We could possibly play. We went 54 and 10. And, you know, you got to be, you know, you got to play them anyway. So who cares what time you play them? Sometimes playing people early in the tournament is better because they get nervous. And like we told our players, we're playing with house money. You know, we're like the party crashers. We're like that party where somebody, you know, all of a sudden somebody comes to the door and they say, how did they get invited, you know? And that's the way we're looking at it. I know why you got invited, but I love the analogy. Final thing, Coach, you guys have been battle tested this season. The sophomore group has been battle tested as well. Does that give you a little bit of maybe more confidence going down to South Carolina? Well, I think, you know, what it does is a lot of our players have been there before and they know what, you know, they know the stage they're going on. Our sophomore class, Ryan, has a two year record of 110 wins and 16 losses. Wow. So, you know, so that's not bad. I don't think there's very many, you know, two year windows for anybody that's going to be quite like that. So we're very, very proud of the jobs that they've done. And now it's time just to kind of eat the Thanksgiving dinner. You know, we've been spending a long time cooking it. Let's see what it tastes like. Bob, as always, thank you so much for some time. Safe travels down to South Carolina and we'll talk to you again real soon. Hey, thank you, Ryan. You've got Bob Legord again joining us. DMACC Softball here on Coach's Corner.
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