Hamilton coach defends 172-pitch outing

One day after Cory Bernard’s remarkable day at the ballpark, Chandler Hamilton baseball coach Mike Woods says he wouldn’t have done anything differently.

Woods left himself open for criticism after Bernard pitched in both games of a doubleheader on Thursday, helping the Huskies defeat rival Gilbert Highland and advance to Saturday’s state championship game against Tempe Corona del Sol. Bernard threw 172 pitches — 75 during four innings of relief in the first game, and 97 during a complete-game 4-0 victory in the finale. Bernard’s performance was phenomenal: 11 shutout innings, seven hits allowed, 17 strikeouts and two wins. He also had the game-winning RBI in the opener.

“People can and are criticizing me to death,” Woods said. “I still feel good about it. Cory feels good about it.”

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Woods said Friday that, after coaching Bernard the past four years, he knows the makeup of his ace hurler. He said he knows Bernard will tell him if he’s not right. Last month, Bernard pulled himself from a game, telling Woods he felt some tightness in his shoulder. Bernard didn’t pitch again for more than a week.

“At this point when Cory tells me how he’s feeling, I believe him,” Woods said.

On Thursday, a spot in the state championship was on the line, and Bernard wanted the ball in his hands.

Once the second game started, Woods said he talked to Bernard every inning to make sure he felt all right.

“He said, ‘This is mine coach, I got it,’” Woods said. “He said that with a steely look in his eye. It was the same answer, same look every inning.”

Bernard, who verbally committed to the University of Arizona earlier this week, seemed to get stronger in the later innings — seven of his strikeouts came in the final three innings. And after Bernard got through the sixth inning in only 10 pitches, Woods knew he would finish it out.

On Friday at school, Woods said Bernard told him his arm was sore “but it felt no different than a day after he’d thrown 75 pitches.”

Cory Bernard's father, Doug, who was at the game, declined to comment, saying only: "That's yesterday's game. Nothing good is going to come out of the conversation. To be honest, I don't want to discuss it. We stand by coach Woods completely."

Woods understands there are people who believe nobody should throw as much as Bernard did in one day under any circumstances — state championship on the line or not. But like it or not, winning a state championship is so important to players they’ll go beyond the call of duty to nab one.

“Cory wanted to redeem himself from his outing last week (10 runs in 1 2/3 innings against Highland),” Woods said. “He knew his teammates were counting on him. He felt good enough and was willing to try and help them accomplish the goal of winning a state championship.”