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Dirtbags Head Coach Mike Weathers, and Cape Cod League MVP Evan Longoria, spoke today at the Southern California College Media Day from the Pyramid at Long Beach State. Here's what they had to say:

Evan Longoria:

On whether he's feeling pressure to score more runs: "I don't really feel the pressure. Like Coach has said, they always do a good job with what's going on. I know that our guys are going to figure it out. We'll end up being where we need to be when we need to be there. So I'm not really worried."

Coach Weathers:

On the Dirtbags tough non-conference schedule: "This one happens to be a little tougher than normal. We always try to play the best. If you could plan out schedules, you know we are about 2 years ahead nowadays, we probably would have done it a little bit different because of the number of new players on our club this year. But we love playing the best. I think our guys will find out right away, they have no idea right now, but they are going to be tested right away. And they are going to find out what this Division I baseball is all about, and love it."

On the Dirtbags prospects this season: "I think the whole key is that we are going to be a work in progress. The 23 guys is a lot of new people. The experienced pitching...isn't really there. Our dominate Friday guy will be Jared Hughes..from Sunday last year. But as far as having a closer...not this year...we don't start the season with an experienced closer, or one even chosen. I'm not sure how the hitting is going to play into this. We have some experience on the field. With Evan (Longoria), Chuck Sindlinger at second, Brandon Godfrey, Sean Boatright in the outfield. We have some guys who have been part of this program, with Tito Cruz coming up big behind the plate for us this year. So guys who have seen this level. Some guys have some experience at this level. Have they had great success? Not really, other than Evan and maybe Sean Boatright. The new guys I think are going to be the key...from a hitting standpoint. How they handle this schedule, and how they handle the Rice, and the Texas, and the Baylor, Friday and Saturday and Sunday guys. If they can figure it out, I think they are talented kids. I've had a great time coaching them this year. We really get along well. I think they are trying to understand the system that we have here. It's pretty complicated. But they are getting to know it. And I think if they don't totally fail miserably early, I think they are a really talented group."

Asked about whether the Dirtbags toughest game may be the Alumni game on January 28, with the prospect of each of the following former Dirtbags pitching an inning:. Jered Weaver, Cesar Ramos, Jason Vargas, Abe Alvarez, Neil Jamison, Brian Anderson, and Chris DeMaria:

"Yeah, they are all going to play. And you know we have never lost an alumni game. It's going around the field, these guys all come out every day. We had about 11 ex-Dirtbags out there, a lot of the guys you just named, working out yesterday around these guys. We were just talking about that yesterday, it's interesting, that this will be the first year I don't think we have a shot. Not with that pitching staff."