Miami head baseball coach J.D. Arteaga joined DMoney on the Coach J.D. Arteaga Show powered by Sallah, Astarita & Cox to break down the Canes' recent series and look ahead to the regular season finale at Florida State. A transcript of that interview is below.
DMoney: We are here with Coach Arteaga, live from Tallahassee. Series starts today — Thursday, first game against the Florida State Seminoles. Coach, how are we feeling?
J.D. Arteaga: Feeling good, man. Feeling good waking up here in the state capital.
DMoney: It's a huge rivalry. It feels different this year because Florida State's had a heck of a team the last couple years. Before that they were down and you guys were much better. This feels like the most even you guys have been going into a series with a whole lot on the line. Given the seeding implications and where both programs are — this is a real big one.
J.D. Arteaga: Right now we're sitting fifth in the league. At the end of this weekend we could be anywhere from third to ninth. That tells you a little bit about how tight the league is. They've had a great season. We'd have to sweep to jump them this weekend. If we sweep Florida State and Georgia Tech sweeps Boston College, we could end up third. There's a ton of different scenarios where we can finish fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or even ninth. A lot can still happen this weekend.
DMoney: Coach, as a former pitcher, the last two series have had an up-and-down nature to them — a great one this weekend with you guys coming out on top over Louisville. Watching some of these scores, what's it been like from your perspective?
J.D. Arteaga: Usually when the weather warms up the ball starts flying a little bit, and that's kind of been the case the last couple weeks. A couple of those games it's really been about throwing strikes — some free passes. You would have told me Saturday that we were taking Ciscar out in the third inning with two outs, I thought it was going to be a long day. But our bullpen really stepped up, and it goes along with what our season's been with those guys. They've had their downs, but they've had their ups too. I just wish they could be consistent — it would make my job a lot easier as far as decision-making, who's in the game and when they come in. They're all capable of doing it. You've got to get some consistency, and hopefully they get hot here at the end.
DMoney: You guys have won so many series in a row, then it gets broken barely, then you come back and start winning again. I'm having a lot of trouble with RPI and all these rankings. I want to ask you about Alex Sosa. He was hitting as a catcher, and since he's moved off catcher he is crushing. What have you seen from him at the plate, especially now since he's been dealing with that injury and moving off catcher?
J.D. Arteaga: He's kind of calmed down at the plate. His biggest struggles, his low point, was at NC State — naturally going back to a place where he spent his first two years and committed to pretty early in his high school career — just trying to do a little bit too much. He relaxed. It was nice that it was his last home weekend in Miami, his dad was sending me all these different pictures — Mother's Day pictures when he was 10, 11, 12 years old. So it was good for him to finish on such a high note and have a great weekend. We'll still call it the Mother's Day Saturday game. I'm happy for him and happy for us.
DMoney: Want to talk about Gabo Milano. These are guys we talk about a lot because they give us reason to. What he's done in a very difficult situation — replacing the star of the team as a true freshman in the thick of the season. How have you seen him continue to respond and keep that consistency?
J.D. Arteaga: He's not trying to be Daniel Cuvet, that's for sure. He's replacing the star of the team, a guy that was supposed to carry us — and he's coming in and really just not backing down from anybody. Getting after it, hasn't been overmatched. He's had some angry at-bats, put some good swings on pitches. We felt like he had the game-winner Friday night in extra innings — opposite field, deep fly ball to left field against Louisville. Think he hits that ball an hour earlier and it's halfway up the scoreboard, but at that time of night it was a thick wind and a humid night and the ball didn't carry. He's done a great job. He's got his work cut out for him this weekend with some good left-handers coming out of their bullpen. But if history's any indication, I think he's going to be just fine.
DMoney: A guy like Dylan Dubovik heading into this huge series and then the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament — how do you make sure you get that power and that talent on the field while balancing all the options you have at this part of the schedule?
J.D. Arteaga: The tough part is to put him in the lineup, someone's got to come out. We know that Sosa can play first base if needed, and if he's at first base that opens up a DH spot. Dubovik has been taking fly balls in center field. Max is swinging a hot bat now — thank God he's back to where he was — and we're hoping Dylan picks it up a little bit. Baseball is a roller coaster, and as a team and as a player you have your ups and downs. He's just got to help as many guys as possible on the upswing this time of year. You could see him at DH, you could see him in center field. Tonight and tomorrow night with Florida State starting two left-handers, we've got to figure out a way to get him into the lineup.
DMoney: One of the big themes throughout the year — first it was when are Menendez and Robert going to get healthy, and now it's how do you use them? You're figuring this out on the fly in the middle of games because that's when they're back. Where are you with using those guys and how they might fit in the bullpen?
J.D. Arteaga: Nick Robert is throwing the ball better. He came in and right off the start he's had success, so that's an easier plug — you kind of put him in when you need him. Frank is still in that spring training phase — what's working, what's not, getting a feel for his pitches and the strike zone. He came in Friday against Louisville, walked the first guy, but then got the next hitter to ground into almost a double play — would have been a great play. When you have guys coming back who haven't thrown in a meaningful game for over a year, you just don't know what you're going to get. He's still in the spring training phase, not just in terms of how we're going to use him, but how he's going to feel and how he's going to perform. Nick's coming in throwing strikes — that's an easier feeling going into a tight situation.
DMoney: I think back to last year with Rob Evans — different injury situation, but he kind of had his own road back and really helped you guys in the tournament. That wasn't necessarily expected.
J.D. Arteaga: We expected it early in the year when he first got here. We just didn't expect the injury to be as severe as it was, and the road back being as long as it was. But at the end we all saw a glimpse of what we expected all year. And now this year, it's exactly what we expected. That was a big up for us when he came in and started getting into the zone. You can say the same thing about Nick Roberts this year right now. If he comes in and continues to do what he's doing, that's another arm that we knew at some point was going to be a factor for us. No better time than now.
DMoney: With Daniel Cuvet — are there any updates, or is it still wait and see?
J.D. Arteaga: Next week they're going to start with some more activities — running and moving around. He's still walking around in the brace. He's traveled with the team. Yesterday was his birthday, so he was with us — interesting travel day with delays and everything, I've never seen so many delays on chartered flights. He's going to start getting a little more active next week — start running around, maybe start swinging a bat lightly and see how it feels. Little baby steps. Not going to see him this weekend. Probably won't see him at the conference tournament. At best would be a regional, and maybe at the Super Regional — I don't know yet. I still don't have a concrete answer, unfortunately.
DMoney: How do you manage not waiting for him to come back and be Superman and save everybody? How do you make sure he's part of the team, but not someone you're looking at to be mid-season Daniel Cuvet and save you?
J.D. Arteaga: There's no balance — it's today. All that matters today is who we have, who's available, and who can help us win today. We have our 30-minute meeting every day on injuries in general, but once that meeting is over, it's who's available today and who can help us win today. Not in a bad way — there's no thought about Daniel Cuvet or Sosa's arm while the game's going on. It's about what can we do to win and who's available to help us do that.
DMoney: With the way the offense is swinging the bat, how does that change things? How do you make sure this team can also do the little things that help you win games this time of year?
J.D. Arteaga: We have to. That's been shoved in their faces since day one back in late August. Yes, we swing the bat, but we're not going to swing our way into wins against good pitching. Situational hitting, defense, good pitching — the game hasn't changed. I don't care what your lineup looks like, you're not going to score 15 runs, nine runs. It's going to be those three to five runs that you score, and who's got five and who's got three determines who wins the game. Especially a night like tonight — Wes Mendes is a great left-handed arm and hasn't given up two home runs all year. If our game plan is to come in and hit five home runs, we're in trouble. We've got to execute, make good outs, make something good come out of every out — can't have too many strikeouts or pop-ups. It's got to be productive outs, move guys around, and when we have a chance to push a run across, we've got to push one across.
DMoney: Overall — what do you see from FSU and what do you guys need to do to win this series?
J.D. Arteaga: They've got great pitching, especially at the front end. They're dealing with their own injuries — their big first baseman is out for the year and they lost one of their big bullpen arms last week. No one's 100% at this time of year. They do a good job of producing runs — they're not going to swing the bat like they had the last couple years, but they have good team speed, they're very athletic, they run, they bunt, they put a lot of pressure on defenses. That's something we have not responded to well all season, so we've got to get better there, clean up the defense. But their starting pitching is their backbone. If we can get to those guys early, that's a huge boost for us.
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DMoney: We are here with Coach Arteaga, live from Tallahassee. Series starts today — Thursday, first game against the Florida State Seminoles. Coach, how are we feeling?
J.D. Arteaga: Feeling good, man. Feeling good waking up here in the state capital.
DMoney: It's a huge rivalry. It feels different this year because Florida State's had a heck of a team the last couple years. Before that they were down and you guys were much better. This feels like the most even you guys have been going into a series with a whole lot on the line. Given the seeding implications and where both programs are — this is a real big one.
J.D. Arteaga: Right now we're sitting fifth in the league. At the end of this weekend we could be anywhere from third to ninth. That tells you a little bit about how tight the league is. They've had a great season. We'd have to sweep to jump them this weekend. If we sweep Florida State and Georgia Tech sweeps Boston College, we could end up third. There's a ton of different scenarios where we can finish fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or even ninth. A lot can still happen this weekend.
DMoney: Coach, as a former pitcher, the last two series have had an up-and-down nature to them — a great one this weekend with you guys coming out on top over Louisville. Watching some of these scores, what's it been like from your perspective?
J.D. Arteaga: Usually when the weather warms up the ball starts flying a little bit, and that's kind of been the case the last couple weeks. A couple of those games it's really been about throwing strikes — some free passes. You would have told me Saturday that we were taking Ciscar out in the third inning with two outs, I thought it was going to be a long day. But our bullpen really stepped up, and it goes along with what our season's been with those guys. They've had their downs, but they've had their ups too. I just wish they could be consistent — it would make my job a lot easier as far as decision-making, who's in the game and when they come in. They're all capable of doing it. You've got to get some consistency, and hopefully they get hot here at the end.
DMoney: You guys have won so many series in a row, then it gets broken barely, then you come back and start winning again. I'm having a lot of trouble with RPI and all these rankings. I want to ask you about Alex Sosa. He was hitting as a catcher, and since he's moved off catcher he is crushing. What have you seen from him at the plate, especially now since he's been dealing with that injury and moving off catcher?
J.D. Arteaga: He's kind of calmed down at the plate. His biggest struggles, his low point, was at NC State — naturally going back to a place where he spent his first two years and committed to pretty early in his high school career — just trying to do a little bit too much. He relaxed. It was nice that it was his last home weekend in Miami, his dad was sending me all these different pictures — Mother's Day pictures when he was 10, 11, 12 years old. So it was good for him to finish on such a high note and have a great weekend. We'll still call it the Mother's Day Saturday game. I'm happy for him and happy for us.
DMoney: Want to talk about Gabo Milano. These are guys we talk about a lot because they give us reason to. What he's done in a very difficult situation — replacing the star of the team as a true freshman in the thick of the season. How have you seen him continue to respond and keep that consistency?
J.D. Arteaga: He's not trying to be Daniel Cuvet, that's for sure. He's replacing the star of the team, a guy that was supposed to carry us — and he's coming in and really just not backing down from anybody. Getting after it, hasn't been overmatched. He's had some angry at-bats, put some good swings on pitches. We felt like he had the game-winner Friday night in extra innings — opposite field, deep fly ball to left field against Louisville. Think he hits that ball an hour earlier and it's halfway up the scoreboard, but at that time of night it was a thick wind and a humid night and the ball didn't carry. He's done a great job. He's got his work cut out for him this weekend with some good left-handers coming out of their bullpen. But if history's any indication, I think he's going to be just fine.
DMoney: A guy like Dylan Dubovik heading into this huge series and then the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament — how do you make sure you get that power and that talent on the field while balancing all the options you have at this part of the schedule?
J.D. Arteaga: The tough part is to put him in the lineup, someone's got to come out. We know that Sosa can play first base if needed, and if he's at first base that opens up a DH spot. Dubovik has been taking fly balls in center field. Max is swinging a hot bat now — thank God he's back to where he was — and we're hoping Dylan picks it up a little bit. Baseball is a roller coaster, and as a team and as a player you have your ups and downs. He's just got to help as many guys as possible on the upswing this time of year. You could see him at DH, you could see him in center field. Tonight and tomorrow night with Florida State starting two left-handers, we've got to figure out a way to get him into the lineup.
DMoney: One of the big themes throughout the year — first it was when are Menendez and Robert going to get healthy, and now it's how do you use them? You're figuring this out on the fly in the middle of games because that's when they're back. Where are you with using those guys and how they might fit in the bullpen?
J.D. Arteaga: Nick Robert is throwing the ball better. He came in and right off the start he's had success, so that's an easier plug — you kind of put him in when you need him. Frank is still in that spring training phase — what's working, what's not, getting a feel for his pitches and the strike zone. He came in Friday against Louisville, walked the first guy, but then got the next hitter to ground into almost a double play — would have been a great play. When you have guys coming back who haven't thrown in a meaningful game for over a year, you just don't know what you're going to get. He's still in the spring training phase, not just in terms of how we're going to use him, but how he's going to feel and how he's going to perform. Nick's coming in throwing strikes — that's an easier feeling going into a tight situation.
DMoney: I think back to last year with Rob Evans — different injury situation, but he kind of had his own road back and really helped you guys in the tournament. That wasn't necessarily expected.
J.D. Arteaga: We expected it early in the year when he first got here. We just didn't expect the injury to be as severe as it was, and the road back being as long as it was. But at the end we all saw a glimpse of what we expected all year. And now this year, it's exactly what we expected. That was a big up for us when he came in and started getting into the zone. You can say the same thing about Nick Roberts this year right now. If he comes in and continues to do what he's doing, that's another arm that we knew at some point was going to be a factor for us. No better time than now.
DMoney: With Daniel Cuvet — are there any updates, or is it still wait and see?
J.D. Arteaga: Next week they're going to start with some more activities — running and moving around. He's still walking around in the brace. He's traveled with the team. Yesterday was his birthday, so he was with us — interesting travel day with delays and everything, I've never seen so many delays on chartered flights. He's going to start getting a little more active next week — start running around, maybe start swinging a bat lightly and see how it feels. Little baby steps. Not going to see him this weekend. Probably won't see him at the conference tournament. At best would be a regional, and maybe at the Super Regional — I don't know yet. I still don't have a concrete answer, unfortunately.
DMoney: How do you manage not waiting for him to come back and be Superman and save everybody? How do you make sure he's part of the team, but not someone you're looking at to be mid-season Daniel Cuvet and save you?
J.D. Arteaga: There's no balance — it's today. All that matters today is who we have, who's available, and who can help us win today. We have our 30-minute meeting every day on injuries in general, but once that meeting is over, it's who's available today and who can help us win today. Not in a bad way — there's no thought about Daniel Cuvet or Sosa's arm while the game's going on. It's about what can we do to win and who's available to help us do that.
DMoney: With the way the offense is swinging the bat, how does that change things? How do you make sure this team can also do the little things that help you win games this time of year?
J.D. Arteaga: We have to. That's been shoved in their faces since day one back in late August. Yes, we swing the bat, but we're not going to swing our way into wins against good pitching. Situational hitting, defense, good pitching — the game hasn't changed. I don't care what your lineup looks like, you're not going to score 15 runs, nine runs. It's going to be those three to five runs that you score, and who's got five and who's got three determines who wins the game. Especially a night like tonight — Wes Mendes is a great left-handed arm and hasn't given up two home runs all year. If our game plan is to come in and hit five home runs, we're in trouble. We've got to execute, make good outs, make something good come out of every out — can't have too many strikeouts or pop-ups. It's got to be productive outs, move guys around, and when we have a chance to push a run across, we've got to push one across.
DMoney: Overall — what do you see from FSU and what do you guys need to do to win this series?
J.D. Arteaga: They've got great pitching, especially at the front end. They're dealing with their own injuries — their big first baseman is out for the year and they lost one of their big bullpen arms last week. No one's 100% at this time of year. They do a good job of producing runs — they're not going to swing the bat like they had the last couple years, but they have good team speed, they're very athletic, they run, they bunt, they put a lot of pressure on defenses. That's something we have not responded to well all season, so we've got to get better there, clean up the defense. But their starting pitching is their backbone. If we can get to those guys early, that's a huge boost for us.
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