By James Hernandez 

James: Talk a little about the shot in the arm Maggie Manwarren provided the team in her return to the lineup this weekend versus CSI.

Coach Montalto: It was great to have Maggie back out there this weekend. Not only did it open up the lineup for the DP role but it also started a fire for us offensively. When your lead off gets on it helps spark a fire for the rest of the lineup. Having a lead off like Maggie is something this team really needs.

James: Mackenzie McBride had a very productive weekend with 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 runs scored and is now batting .429 on the season. What impresses you most about the progress she has made since the start of the year?

Coach Montalto: Mackenzie had grown so much over the year and her stats are proving it. She has one of the best pitch selections on the team and she uses that to her advantage. What impresses me most is how she set a goal for herself with hitting the outside pitch solidly and now it is turning into being the best pitch she hits. With her receiving Player of The Week she's going to have a bit of a target on her back from the opposing pitchers so she will need to stay selective at the plate.

James: Is there added motivation this weekend for you and the team knowing that you are playing for in-state bragging rights against rival Western Nevada?

Coach Montalto: There's always a little bit more motivation when we play our rivals from the North. What is motivating the team more right now is wanting to win the series to give us the right momentum we need going into the next round of conference play. If we can sweep this weekend against in-state rival Western Nevada then we set ourselves up pretty well for these next three weeks. .

James: Do you feel that last Friday's come from behind victory over CSI showed this young team that when they are playing well they can not only compete, but defeat any team in the SWAC?

Coach Montalto: I completely think that coming back in the 7^th inning against CSI proves to this team that they can win in this conference. When they show up and work together as well as not give up I know this team can come back from anything. We also need to eliminate our one bad inning of errors. What we have done this week in practice is create as much chaos with base runners as possible. What this does is put pressure on the defense to secure an out somewhere. By forcing them to get at least two outs before the play is over it causes them to think ahead and always look for a second out. When we are faced with that one bad inning we tend to react instead of think, and by reacting you give that runner an extra two steps. Defensively we need to think about where the ball is going to go when it is hit to us. Our team is growing and I am excited to see how well we perform this weekend against WNC.

James: What are the keys to a productive and winning weekend in Carson City?

Coach Montalto: Not giving them more than 84 outs this weekend, playing together as a team and win every inning.

James: Can you pinpoint a player or two that you feel is on the verge of a breakout series?

Coach Montalto: Emily Guthrie has started to settle in at the plate and I think she's going to have a very good series against WNC. She has been gaining more confidence at the plate, not to mention she had the winning hit against CSI. I also think that Amber Calderon is due for a big weekend. She swings the bat very hard so the more at bats she gets the more she will be making contact and driving the ball.

James: After playing two top 10 ranked teams in consecutive weeks, what does the team need to do in order to avoid a letdown versus WNCC?

Coach Montalto: We need to focus on one out at a time. When we have confidence in our defense and offense it makes it easy to secure outs when chaos happens. Like I stated earlier, but cutting that one bad inning out of the game this team will start to win ball games.

James: Starting pitchers Badayos and LeBaron only allowed 11 walks in four games this weekend versus an extremely tough hitting lineup in CSI. What has changed in their approach on the mound?

Coach Montalto: They have been doing a great job on the mound. They are becoming more confident in their pitching and where they are placing them. Their approach has changed in the thought of knowing they're in there for the long haul. They are trusting their defense, but most importantly, they are trusting themselves and that is the key to a successful pitcher.

James: Can you provide our readers with a brief scouting report of this weekend's opponent, the Western Nevada Wildcats?

Coach Montalto: The Wildcats are in their last season of competition for the school, so they are going to bring everything they have to each game. They are full of sophomores and only two freshmen so the experience is there for them and they are going to bring the intensity every inning.

Thanks Coach, and as always good luck.  

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