2016 Baseball Media Day Recap
February 14, 2016 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With less than a week away from Opening Day, the nationally-ranked Mississippi State baseball team held its annual Media Day and Fan Day on campus Saturday.
Opening Day at Dudy Noble Field for Cohen and company is Friday, Feb. 19. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT against Florida Atlantic.
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MEDIA DAY VIDEO
FAN DAY VIDEOPHOTO GALLERIES
TRANSCRIPT
Head Coach John Cohen
Opening statement…
“I think our kids are excited about this opportunity. It looks like we are going to have pretty good weather (for Opening Day). Our arms are in as good of shape as they have ever been since I have been at Mississippi State. We have had 22 guys throw at least an inning and 20 of them have thrown a baseball 90 mph or faster. We have had eight guys thrown 93 or better and four guys throw 95 or better. Velocity is not everything but it could be an indication of healthier arms. I think we are pretty healthy from that standpoint. I think our kids are excited. They are motivated and I think they have a bit of a chip on their shoulders. I think they are ready to play against somebody besides themselves right now.”
On the starting pitching…
“When you look at it, we are going to play five games in five days to start the season. We want to use as many arms as possible to start the season. It would not surprise me if we use 12 or 13 arms five games into the season. That is something that we need to do to find out what these kids can do. Several of these kids are going to be freshmen. We are really looking forward to the opportunity to get out there, get some innings under the belt and see how we perform in game conditions.”
On the catching situation…
“(Elih) Marrero is a talented player and he will be a significant part of our success this year. We are putting a lot on a freshman who has never played in the Southeastern Conference. (Gavin) Collins will still be available to catch, as well as (Josh) Lovelady, who has come along well and is ready to contribute behind the plate. Jack Kruger is a guy who had arm surgery in November. When his arm comes back, and I think it will, it certainly gives us some more depth there, too. I think Jack is one of the top two or three hitters on our entire ballclub. We are going to find him a spot, whether it is behind the plate, in the outfield or first base. The catcher position, when we get 100-percent healthy, is going to be one of the strengths of our ballclub.”
On Nathaniel Lowe's play at first base…
“When you bring in a junior college guy, a lot of people say that they have never played at the Division I level. Nathaniel has, as well as Jack Kruger. They both played Division I baseball before they went to JUCO. Both of those guys bring a lot of maturity. I think Nathaniel is somebody who has the potential to anchor the middle spot in our order with some physicality and a great knowledge of the strike zone.”
On Elih Marrero's potential to produce as a true freshman…
“I just think that he is a baseball player. A lot of times we try to measure guys in their tools—how fast they run, arm strength and all of those things. Baseball knowledge is important too. I think he has a high baseball IQ. He is somebody that really understands the game. He is a freshman and he will make mistakes. A byproduct of that is that he is going to be a fabulous player. He will be better as a player at the end of the year than he is at the beginning.”
On the pitching rotation…
“Dakota Hudson went out yesterday and pitched very well. We are very pleased with him. Daniel Brown pitched well also. Those are our two best candidates to go out there on Opening Day. Austin Sexton will have a start. I don't know if it will be Saturday or Sunday, or maybe even Friday. He will have a start for sure. There are several other guys who will get a chance to start. From there, we will have to see who pitches the best among our younger guys.”
On right-handed pitcher Zac Houston…
“I think Zac is much more comfortable in the starting role for now. I think he is open to help our ball club in any capacity. He might be throwing better than anybody on our whole team. Is he a starter on Saturday or Sunday, or do we start him on Tuesday? We have some options. He has really benefited from (new pitching coach) Wes Johnson. I think Wes has really connected with him. He is a power arm and he has thrown a couple of balls 98 mph this spring.”
On Myles Gentry and Jacob Billingsley returning from injury…
“I think Billingsley is right where we want him to be. I think if he was at this stage a year ago, I think he would have made a difference in seven to 10 games for us. I think he is really healthy and I think his breaking ball is very good. He finally feels healthy for the first time at Mississippi State. Myles Gentry is fighting his tail off to get his arm back to where it was. It hasn't even been a year since his surgery.”
On having so many options when filling out a lineup card…
“We do have options. I think with the way it has been set up and the way we evaluate, it will be a difficult decision because there is so much competition. I think we are going to have an opportunity to play a lot of guys. That is why I like the four-game weekend series to start out. It forces me to play more people than you are comfortable playing out of necessity. I think it will help us in the long run.”
On Jacob Robson…
“He has done well. He had a really nice year for us a year ago. He is a great runner and he is as athletic as any player in the Southeastern Conference. Does he lead-off? Does he hit in the two hole? Does he give you another leadoff guy at the bottom of the order? I don't know at this time. There is no question that for us to be as good as we can be, Jacob Robson has to be in the middle of what we are trying to do.”
On the biggest strengths of his team…
“The pitching depth. I think the situational pitching depth and the nature of our starting five guys who will compete for those weekend spots is our biggest strength. If all those guys stay healthy, it will make us tremendously competitive. We have as good of arms one through 22 as anybody in the country. If you throw a Reid Humphreys in the mix, or a Jake Mangum who plays in the outfield and also pitches, I think we will have a good pitching staff. The reason why that is so important to us is that we play in a defense-oriented park where we will play 34 home games. When you can make folks swing and miss, it changes the nature of everything in your program. I think this has the potential to be one of our better pitching staffs.”
On Reid Humphreys…
“In his speech to our club yesterday, he talked about his maturation process. He is trying to help some of the younger guys who haven't experience any of this. I am really proud of Reid. I think he is poised to have a really good year for us this year, both on the mound and as a positional player.”
On Hunter Stovall getting more opportunities…
“I think he will have those opportunities. Another guy, Luke Alexander, is going to get opportunities as well. (Gavin) Collins now being an infielder gives us some flexibility too. (Ryan) Gridley has played well. Reid Humphreys has also played some third base. I think there will be a lot of competition there. There is no doubt in my mind that Stovall and Alexander are going to be great part of our program.”
On Elih Marrero's transition to the college game…
“He is going to have to learn early on about the speed of the game. I don't think he has ever caught the kind of arms that he is catching right now over and over. When you play in a high level of amateur baseball, you come across those great arms every once in a while. He is catching a great arm every single day. I think he can handle it. He is somebody who can really hit. I am not convinced that he is not one of our two or three best hitters on the ball club. He is a great base runner.”
On Reid Humphreys' role going into the season…
“I think Reid can be a one inning save guy. He has a really good slider and has a great arm. We have waited for his arm to come back for three years. In his senior year of high school, he really could not throw. In his first two years here, his arm was still coming back. Now his arm is where he wants it to be. He is smart enough to know how to take care of it. Coach Johnson has done a fabulous job of helping him manage his arm on a day-to-day basis, which is really important.”
On new pitching coach Wes Johnson's transition…
“I think our kids have bought in to what he is teaching. How can you not buy in? Almost every one of our guys increased their velocity almost instantaneously. He has done a great job. Our kids have had the benefit of working with two of the best pitching coaches in the entire country—(now Auburn head coach) Butch Thompson and Wes. I think they are excited. Both of those coaches are different in the way they go about it, but they are both very good coaches. Our kids have benefited from both of them.”
On the importance of his pitchers forcing hitters to swing and miss…
“It is an absolute must for us. The teams in Omaha, Nebraska, are the ones that make you swing and miss when it matters. Those are the teams that contend at the highest level. Credit Coach (Nick) Mingione, Coach Thompson and Coach Johnson for getting all of the guys we need to have one of the best pitching staffs in the country. Having said all of that, very few of these arms have done it at the Division I level. They are fully aware of that. They are aware that they haven't gone out and done it yet. They are optimistic about it.”
On his team having a chip on their shoulders after last season…
“There is no question they have a chip on their shoulders. Every one of our returning guys talks about what they went through a year ago and how disappointing it was to them. I feel like they have a lot to prove. I am excited about seeing how they do it on the field.”
On his team's potential growth with a lot of young pitchers and catchers…
“There will be some growing pains, but it will not be because of a lack of effort or talent. With the catching situation, I do not think we will have to catch somebody every single game. I think (Elih Marrero) is as prepared as any freshman in the country to go out and compete on a daily basis.”
On Luke Alexander and Tanner Poole…
“Luke has been committed to us for a long time. He really understands defense and has bought into Mississippi State baseball. Tanner Poole is a very talented athlete. When his level of baseball awareness and instincts get to the level of his athleticism, he will be a great player. He might be the fastest kid I have ever coached. He can fly. He has arm strength. He has power. He has worked a lot on his swing. I think he could be one of the better players in our program.”
Assistant Coach Wes Johnson
On what he expects out of the closer role…
“We have some viable candidates. We are looking at Reid Humphreys, who has come out and established himself on the mound right now. Blake Smith can do some things as well. I like our options back there. Jacob Billingsley has a power slider and is throwing the ball really well right now. It has been my experience that you need two, if not three (guys who can close). College baseball today is not like the big leagues where you have one guy who just throws the ninth inning. You may need someone to come in with the game on the line in the fifth. You may burn him, so you need somebody else to come in there in the ninth. I like having multiple closers. Over the years, that is how I have treated it.”
On how Elih Marrero has handled the pitching staff…
“Phenomenally. He defines 'competitor.' Is he young and does he still have some things to work on? Absolutely. His competitiveness makes up for a lot of things that he is not ready for.”
On the pitching rotation and getting pitchers time on the mound…
“I talk to our guys every day about prioritizing. We do a good job here of putting them against a lot of live hitters. We have a lot of talented arms on this staff.”
On Austin Sexton…
“One of the things I am excited about with Austin is that we have given him a breaking ball. I believe that will get him deeper into games. His poise on the mound is something that I have pointed to a lot this year. He is a good role model in how he handles the game.”
On Dakota Hudson…
“When I got here, one of the first things I did was get Dakota a defined routine. Guys like Dakota need a routine. He had a phenomenal start last night, and I hope he can continue that. His routine has helped him get comfortable.”
On Zac Houston…
“We are going to give Zac a chance to start. He has done it two weeks in a row. He will go again today. He has been phenomenal. When you look at a staff like this and the talent we have, you wonder how you can get 50 innings out of Zac Houston or whoever. The answer is to find out what role they do. A closer needs to recover quickly. Zac's arm takes longer to recover. If you start him, you give his arm that time it needs to recover, then he is able to do more for our ballclub.”
On his transition from Dallas Baptist to Mississippi State…
“It's baseball. You better prepare. If I have learned anything here at MSU, it is that you have a lot more fan support. It is great to have people at scrimmages to get guys used to it.”
On the importance of having swing-and-miss pitchers…
“It is something you better teach. It is something you better have in the bullpen and something that your starters should be able to do.”
Assistant Coach Nick Mingione
On hitters having trouble in the cold…
“The cold is a challenge on everyone, but in order to be great in baseball you have to be able to hit in the cold. Even in Major League Baseball, their season starts in April and most the teams play in cold weather then. Then if you make the playoffs and you make it into October, it's cold. You have to be able to hit. I don't think that bad hitting has so much to do with the weather as opposed to our pitchers having some really good stuff.”
On pitching velocity and batter reactions…
“Velocity gives the hitter less time to make a decision. If you have velocity, the hitter's reaction time is less, so now you are forcing them to make earlier decisions. That means they miss more, and they get softer contact and less plays for your defense. All of that factors in. When the lights turn on, it is different. Some guys are going to perform a little better than they have, but some guys may go backwards. I feel like that's our job as coaches is to coach them with each outing and each at-bat. We have to keep making them better. There is a chance that this hitting staff could be really good, but I think we will know more of that toward the end of the year.”
On facing challenging situations…
“No matter who we face this year – let's say we face a guy throwing 98 mph, our guys can say, 'We've faced that.' Maybe we face a leftie, and they throw the ball 94 mph. Our guys can say, 'Oh yeah, I've faced that before.' All of those things are going to add to it, and maybe this is the first time in a couple of years where we've had that, where our hitters can say, 'Yeah, I've seen all of that.'”
On depth…
“I do believe that is one of our strengths. We have been shaping and mentoring our guys on how to handle that depth because there are going to be some guys that may not be getting as many chances as they deserve. We are just trying to prepare for them to be ready when their time comes. You never know when that may be, but the depth is definitely one of the strengths of our team, I think on the mound and with positions as well.”
On Reid Humphreys…
“He has been fun to watch. I think the summer has been huge for him because he went out this summer and played in the most prestigious wooden bat college baseball league. Reid struggled at first. By the time he finished, he was hitting as well as anyone in the Cape Cod League. It did a lot for him and his confidence. He is the guy that has gotten a little better every day, whether it be from his approach or strikes, he just keeps getting better. Reid, like a lot of our kids, has a chip on his shoulder for how things have gone, and he is ready to have a breakout season.”
Coordinator of Baseball Camps Will Coggin
On Elih Marrero catching…
“His dad was a Big Leaguer and Marrero has been around professional baseball his whole life. He is an incredibly talented young man. He is a very knowledgeable young man and an even better competitor. He's very competitive and that makes him such a great player. He's from Miami, Florida, and played on one of the best travel teams in the country along with Team USA. Marrero has played at such a high level of baseball, especially with Team USA last year. He is a phenomenal blocker and has tremendous arm strength. He has an accurate arm. In his mind he is always thinking of something; you never have to tell him to go. He is always ready and always moving and competing. Sometimes you have to pull the reigns back on him a little bit. He has the mold of a great player.”
On Marrero's natural leadership…
“I think he leads more by example than by anything else. He has a lot of confidence, which I think comes from Team USA, travel ball and with his dad coaching in professional baseball. He has seen baseball at a very high level and he knows he has the ability to compete in the SEC. That is why he was drafted out of high school.”
On catchers calling the game…
“It is something we have been working on in every scrimmage game. Obviously we don't care who is right, we care about what is right. In scrimmages they call a lot of the game. Coach (Wes) Johnson talks a lot about pitchers tunneling and sharing space, and thee pitches look similar out of the hand all the way to home plate. We have really taught out catchers how to evaluate that. I feel like we have given the catchers a lot of freedom during scrimmages to gain our trust. All of our catchers have a feel of how to call pitches during a game.”
On Jack Kruger…
“He's a winner who has already played Division I baseball. He is an incredibly bright young man. a good baseball player and an even better human being. He's an incredible teammate, and has real leadership skills because he is so knowledgeable.”
On Josh Lovelady coming back…
“He is such a tough kid. He is an incredible defensive player and has such a strong arm. He is a good receiver, and his blocking has improved. Offensively he has made some strides as well.”
On Gavin Collins' position…
“He spends a lot of his time at third base during scrimmages and has done really well. He is such a competitor and could be really good anywhere. He is going to catch a couple of innings today.”
#25 Dakota Hudson – Jr. – RHP – Team Captain
On the difference in this season's pitching staff to last…
“I feel like we have more experience. We know what to expect and know how to approach the game. I think a lot of guys have picked up key pieces and are starting to put it together.”
On coach Wes Johnson adding velocity…
“I feel like we have been able to sustain and build velocity. I think pretty much everyone on our staff touched 90 MPH during the fall.”
On playing with a chip on his shoulder…
“It is a bulldog that we keep on our left shoulder. It is how we approach every game. We had a tough season last year and we carry the chip of knowing that we have to get back to where we need to be.”
On expectations for 2016…
“The atmosphere here reminds me of how it was my freshman year when Jonathan Holder and Jacob Lindgren were here. I feel like there is an environment of winning.”
On handling added attention from being a preseason All-American…
“I have just backed off and tried to invest myself in our team. I want all my attention to reflect back on the team. That is how I focus on day-to-day stuff.”
On how he is approaching the season…
“I am just taking it a game at a time. I have been in different situations and gotten different experience under my belt. I have learned from two of the best pitching coaches in the nation.”
On what Wes Johnson brings to the table…
“He has such a physical program. That is helping me sustain what I can do and sustain it for a long time.”
On expectations for 2016…
“Once last year was over, a lot of us went out and had great summers. That built us up into the fall. We have had a lot of leadership roles develop into the spring.”
On the starting rotation…
“It has been interesting to see. That [competition] is making everyone sharp. It pushes the next guy in front of you. This year, more so than any other year, we know if we are not on our game someone else will easily be able to step in. That is a good feeling to have. We have five or six guys that can throw on Friday night in the Southeastern Conference.”
On the freshman class that came in ranked No. 3…
“They are definitely talented and have the right mindset. To be around them and see them pick up different things from Coach Johnson, they are changing drastically in such a short period of time. They have a lot of talent and I think they will add a lot for us this spring.”
On when he began to see things 'click' for himself…
“During Arkansas and Texas A&M, I saw flashes. My first time to actually have a complete outing was against LSU. I was able to build off of that and know that I always had a moment in my back pocket to mentally prepare for the next one. I think I was maybe trying to be too perfect. I think I just needed to get some experience and know that not everything is going to be a strikeout. Some guys are going to get hits at this level.”
On expectations heading into 2016…
“I expect for us to have a great season. We are going to be competitive no matter where we go. I expect us to be a serious competitor for Omaha. We have the guys, and I think we are going to be a team that gets there.”
#7 Jacob Robson – RJr. – OF – Team Captain
On team talent and chemistry…
“I think we are a really close bunch and the team chemistry is there. We are all clicking well together off the field and on the field. I think it is going to help us in the long run. We have a great bunch of guys who are passionate about getting better every day. It is not that we did not have that in the past; we just have it more so now.”
On the pressure of being a veteran player and leader…
“I do not really view it as pressure on me. I like to be the one that others look to in situations where we may be in a difficult situation during a game. I like to have that responsibility, and I believe that we have other people on the team who also have the ability to take on that pressure.”
On Elih Marrero …
“He is one the more exciting freshman that I have seen and he plays beyond his years. This is probably something similar to what Coach Cohen would say, but he is a really competitive guy. He has been playing his whole life, and it seems like he has been playing three years in college already. It is exciting to see someone like that who is very aggressive and is not afraid to take any risks. It is tough to find a freshman like that who is willing to take those risks. With a few years under his belt here, he is going to gain maturity where he needs it. Elih is definitely a great player and I think he is going to help our team a lot.”
On Ethan Small…
“Small is a left-handed pitcher with great velocity as a freshman. That is a big deal, especially from the left-hand side. He has a great breaking ball, and Coach (Wes) Johnson is breeding the whole bunch. He [Johnson] is developing them all, and I am really excited to see what they are going to do this spring. He is a high-energy player, which is all you can ask for. He is the type of player we try to emulate here at Mississippi State. As a young freshman like that, he is not afraid of anybody. When the game starts and he steps between the lines, it is game time. Nothing else matters and he is never timid. He will not shy away from any situation.”
On the chip on their shoulders from last season…
“That chip is in pretty much everything we do. It is a big deal to us. Last year we experienced a lot of failure, and I think it helped us grow as a team. One of the most important things to do in baseball is to learn how to deal with adversity. I think last year that was our biggest problem. We did not really know how to deal with it [adversity]. Last year we started 13-0, and then we lost to some teams we should not have lost to. Things started to fall apart, and once we got in to SEC play, trouble hit us. We did not really know how to respond. That is something we take in everything we do. With every rep in the weight room and every drill on the field, we think about that. It is going to make us, as a team, better.”
On his response now if things go poorly…
“The key is maintain confidence and continue to work hard. The coaches have created a process for us to work along, and we have to trust it. Everything from drill work to the weight room, it is all meant to get us to Omaha. We have to trust that process the coaches created. We have to continue working hard. Win or lose, we will always learn from our mistakes. That will help us win more.”
On how the team has developed over the past few months…
“From my perspective, I came back from summer ball and learned about all these new players. As older players, we never really know if the recruits are the real deal or not until they show up on campus and start playing. The returning players saw these guys show up, the freshmen and junior college guys, and saw they were the real deal. These guys are not taking things for granted. They understood the situation and understood we came from adversity last year. Being someone who commits here, whether high school or junior college, and having to watch us go through the season we went through was not an easy thing. They were not on the field and not the ones losing, but they had to watch us do that. They had to stay loyal to our program. There were times when a recruit could have said that they did not want to come here. I think it says something about our recruiting class. They stayed loyal to us, and they knew we were going to be a great team this year. Now every time we step on the field, every new game, and every practice, I see something that impresses me. It makes me believe in our group this year even more.”
#19 Brent Rooker – RSo. – OF – Team Captain
On improvement…
“The more reps you get, the better you are going to be. I was able to get consistent bats every day this summer and work on some things. I was able to work on some things and put it together to have a good summer. I just carried that approach into the fall. Again, the more reps you get, the better you are going to be, and the more reps you get against top prospects and elite competition, the more it will help you build and get better every day.”
On hitting power…
“Reid Humphreys has all of the power in the world; Gavin hits for power; Jack Kruger has a lot of pop. We are going to have a strong middle of the order.”
#23 Austin Sexton – Jr. – RHP
On his consistency…
“I struggled a lot as a freshman and I think that is what taught me a lot. I'm glad I struggled. I went out that summer and developed as a pitcher. Getting that experience your freshman summer is so good for you. So I went out there and worked really hard and came back and took it into the fall of my sophomore year and kept growing. I went to the Cape Cod League this past summer and had a blast up there with a great group of guys. It was a lot of fun, but it really helps build you a lot as a pitcher. The one thing you need as a pitcher is consistency.”
On what he learned in the CCBL…
“You grow and learn from all aspects of things. You play with kids from California, Canada, the Northeast, etc… You play with kids from all over the place and you really learn a lot. You take something from what they learned from where they are from and you combine everything you know to help you learn and grow. That is what I think makes baseball so special.”
On his mental encyclopedia…
“It's just reps and allowing pitches to take place by seeing how hitters react to it. It is all that stuff combined. It is very interesting.”
On the two best pitching coaches…
“For Mississippi State pitching coaches, we have it. Butch Thompson was a phenomenal coach and an even better person. Then with Coach (Wes) Johnson, he is the same way, but with complete opposite coaching. Coach Thompson is a little bit more laid back, he lets us figure it out on our own a little bit. He let us struggle and then we talked about it. Coach Johnson is with you every step of the way; he is way more intense. We do work before we even throw. We jump hurdles and life weights. There are two aspects of the game and they blended them in.”
On Coach Johnson…
“The biggest thing I've taken from him is the intensity. I think that is awesome. We let them know that we are going to be here for nine innings and they have no one to face but me. I think that is something that I have taken away, and like they say, baseball is 90 percent mental and 10 percent baseball. That speaks volumes about what he teaches.”
On keeping his poise…
“Credit to the coaches and catchers who have helped me along the way. It is a little bit about what is inside you and what you were born with, but it is also about your coaches and I have had the best in the country.”
On what he's looking forward to most…
“I think just playing. Last season was hard on us. We finished last in the SEC and did not make it to any postseason tournament. As a program like Mississippi State baseball, that is unacceptable. We know that. We want to go out there and do something for the fans.”
On his Junior Year…
“Freshman year was the biggest year; you are either going to fail the most or succeed the most. For me I did both. I had struggles, but then I grew and took a step forward. Junior year is just another year for me. I have a lot more experience that I can pass on. We take experience and just pass it on to the other guys. We play in the best stadium in the country, so when we travel there is no reason to 'ooh and ahh' over other stadiums. I don't think there are any added pressures of this season. I'm just looking forwarded to it.”
On developing his career…
“I finally got my feet wet and got confidence. For pitchers, it's a routine. Getting a set routine and playing the best teams every week is something I didn't take for granted. It's hard to explain.”
On the pitching rotation…
“A lot of guys went out and did some good things this summer. We went out this summer and worked out butts off. I think it speaks volumes with the amount of talent we have on this team. The job the coaches did getting everyone here makes this the most talent I have worked with here. That says a lot. So for us, it is putting pieces together.”
On freshman talent…
“We have guys like Elih Marrero, Luke Alexander and Noah Hughes. Every year we just keep taking it to a new level. It amplifies when you get to SEC play. I'm excited to get out there and Coach Cohen says you either play 10 percent better or 10 percent worse when you get in the game. So I'm just excited to see how they perform. I think they will all be 10 percent better. They are really talented and are truly something special.”
On guiding the younger guys…
“There are so many young, talented arms. All of them are throwing 90 mph and that blows my mind. I came in throwing 88 and I'm still throwing that. They are only going to be better. This group is so talented and they are always trying to learn more. I am excited. The guys ask questions, but usually you see something the guys are doing and you pull them to the side later and help them fix this or that. They are very open to learn and they are very talented. Our talent speaks volumes of this club.”
On being the constant in the rotation…
“To be honest, at the end of the day I'm just going to go out there and pitch. I've busted my tail for 17 years playing baseball. I believe in myself and I believe in my teammates. I'm going to give my 100 and they are going to give their 100. What happens at the end of the day happens. I'm going to go home and call my mom or dad and everything is going to be right in the world. There is no real pressure. The pressure is what we put on ourselves. That is very cliché to say, but at the end of the day it is true. We are young adults playing a kid's game.”
On throwing to Elih Marrero…
“He is from Miami and brings more flavor to the game. It's a good flavor and I enjoy it. He plays with a lot of passion and a lot of heart. He is diving all over the place. I love him to death and he is a great player. I am so excited to see him play.”
On last season…
“We started last year 13-0 and everyone was excited, and then we faced adversity and we crumbled. You never want to go through that. If we could go through this and win three straight championships without adversity, we would. Nobody goes through life without adversity, especially in baseball. I think it has set up this team, like Coach Cohen has said, to play with a chip on our shoulder. It has made us who we are as a team. We have worked so hard, and we had a lot of guys go out last summer and work really hard. We dominated the fall and now it is time to get out there and play.”
#41 Zac Houston – Jr. RHP
On what Wes Johnson is adding to his game…
“He knows how to get the most out of our arms. Everything that he has helped me do, it has been amazing. I have seen him do that with a lot of guys. Everyone has made jumps in velocity.”
On his role in 2016…
“I see myself as a starter, but nothing is set in stone yet. If I wind up being a reliever or closer, I am willing to do whatever it takes to help out this team.”
On playing with a chip on his shoulder in 2016…
“We do not want anything like last season to happen again. All of the returning guys know what it is like to have the feeling we had last season, and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure that doesn't happen again. Our offseason prep has been intense and we have worked really hard. We are ready to show what we have done.”
On Wes Johnson…
“He knows so much about pitchers and how the body works. He has helped me so much, even in the short time he has been here. I just look forward to learning more and more from him.”
On moving on from last season…
“I hate that the guys whose last years were last year. I hate that they had to leave this university with that. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that the people who are in their last year now, that this year is nothing like that.”
On Wes Johnson…
“He is big on velocity, and that is awesome for me because I love to throw hard. That is what I pride myself on. The fact that he is so focused on that is great for me. That has helped me to get better. He is a power guy and we have been working at that. He has helped other guys too. I have seen people make jumps. He is really good at what he does.”
On Wes' impact on the overall program…
“I can see the result when we are playing. There are guys making throws I have never seen them make before. He is not just a pitching coach. He is helping everyone with their arms and our program.”
On the talented freshmen on campus…
“The new guys are great. This is one of the most talented groups of guys that I have ever seen come through. They are going to be really good and I am excited to see how they perform on a big stage.”
#12 Reid Humphreys – Jr. – RHP/INF/OF
On transitioning to a pitcher…
“I have always been open to it. I knew it was something I wanted to try out and see. I have not really tried to pitch in a few years. I wanted to see for myself what could happen. Coach Johnson came in and has helped me come a long way from where I was. I feel really comfortable pitching now.”
On Coach Johnson…
“He knows about the arm and how the body works. I could always throw well, but I would throw 15 pitches and then be sore for four days. Now, I threw yesterday and do not even feel sore today. He just knows a lot about the arm and how it works. He knows the right drills to help when something hurts. He gives me things to do on the side in my own time that will help me.”
On his role in 2016…
“I still want to be in the lineup every day. We are going to have to work and figure out a good plan to be able to play and pitch. I still plan to do everything.”
On hitting the reset button in 2016…
“Last year was not a good year for us. It kind of snowballed on us. We did not feel like we were going to be a bad team last year, but things did not go our way. We had a lot of guys last year that had the potential to do what they are doing now, but now they know what they are capable of. It was a mental thing for a lot of us, but we have a lot of confidence now.
On maturing as a leader…
“My freshman and sophomore years did not really go the way I wanted. For my team speech this year I really wanted to tell the younger guys things that I have learned. There have been a lot of good speeches this year. I wanted to talk to the younger guys and the transfer guys, and give them an idea of what is coming. No one really did that for us when we were freshmen. I wanted to reassure every guy that they are good enough to play. That was a big thing when I was a freshman. I was having success in the fall, but when the season came I was not sure if I could hang with these guys. Here I was in Alex Box Stadium as a freshman, and did not know if I could hang with these guys. I just wanted to tell them that they are good enough. I have watched every single one of them and they have what it takes.”
On improving in the summer…
“I got to go off and play in a league that has had so many good players. Getting to go to the Cape Cod League and get the experience of succeeding and doing well, really helped me.”
On the possibility of being a closer in 2016…
“I did it in high school but still have not done it on a college level. I feel like Coach Johnson has a good plan for me. We have so many good arms that we still do not know who is going to be the closer. Honestly, I feel like whoever we throw out there is going to get the job done.”
On when he decided to try pitching…
“I started at the very end of the fall. I just said I was going to try to throw a bullpen and see where it goes from there. I threw one bullpen and liked where I was, and we moved on from there.”
On the toughest thing about being a closer…
“Obviously the last three outs are the toughest to get. It is almost what you make it out to be. I think if you say 'I am going to go get these three outs like it is the first inning' then you will have success. I just want to go out there and get the job done.”
On the importance of the closer role…
“It is very important. Our whole season could have been completely different last year if we had had success in the eighth and ninth innings. We were clearly missing that one piece. I think it is very important and I think we have at least four guys in the running for that closer spot.”
#8 Gavin Collins – Jr. – 3B
On Austin Sexton…
“He is going to bring great tempo. You know you are going to get the same thing out of him every time. He will take you deep into a ballgame. He is going to try to get us off the field and let us do our thing offensively. He is going to play a huge role for us.”
On transitioning to third base…
“I just want to play. It does not matter if it is catcher, third base or outfield, I just want go out and play. I think that has something to do with my comfort over there.”
On his confidence at his new position…
“It is just my confidence level. I have built confidence up over there. I have taken a lot of ground balls over there to get prepared.”
On playing third base compared to catching…
“I do not think it makes that much of a difference because I try to separate my offense from my defense. One day my offense may be thriving while my defense may be suffering, so I try not to mix them together. Third base is a lot better on the body. I am able to recover better.”
#13 John Holland – Sr. – INF
On Wes Johnson…
“With us, he is helping with arm care and therapy. He has a great program for strengthening so he has been really trying to help us keep our arms in shape. We never did that before, other than just he throwing program. Now there are weighted balls and throwing balls into socks. It is just a different way to look at the training aspect of this. It shows that it works.”
On the new guys…
“They are just figuring out how we run things. Every program is going to have their certain go to, or things they look for. [Hunter] Stovall has been my guy that I have been working with. He just wants to know everything possible. He really picks my brain to see how things work. We just kind of share techniques.”
On transitioning from Wes Rea to Nathaniel Lowe at first base…
“It is nice to have someone of similar stature. It helps when you have your back to first base and you look over and you have some 6-foot-5 guy over there. It is reassuring to know that it's okay if you miss a little high or a little low. Nathaniel is more agile at first base. We have to communicate with balls in the hole. With Wes, that was my ball all the time, but with Nathaniel he has more range so we have to find limits. It is nice having a big guy over at first base.”
On having guys helping cover your area…
“It helps me play in a different area than I would have to knowing I have to play toward a specific side. I actually am able to cover more ground not having to shade to a certain side to cover someone else's spot. It lets me have more range for sure.”
On coming to the plate…
“It is about simplicity. Last year I had my downs and that is something Coach Cohen stressed to me a lot. He wanted me to simplify things. He told me not to add things because it has been the game I've always played. I am not making it any harder than it already is.”
On the biggest thing you are looking forward to…
“Success. It seems that we had success until the last 30 minutes of the game last year. We had some games where all we had to do was just finish, and the season would have been completely different. The confidence that we can score just two runs and be okay to close out the game will give less pressure to our hitters. Getting one run should suffice, where last season we felt we had to get more than that every game. I think it will calm us down.”
#9 Elih Marrero – Fr. – C
On playing as a freshman…
“I have to do what I have to do. My job is to help this team win.”
On how being the son of a former big-leaguer helps…
“It has its pros and cons. I have been around baseball for a long time and it has taught me things every day.”
On when he realized his potential…
“My dad always taught me to have confidence. Ever since then, I have always gone out there and played my game. Whatever he has taught me, I have done it.”
On transitioning to the college game…
“It has been a big change. This is a more laid-back town than my town (Miami, Florida). I have adjusted very well.”
On possibly starting at catcher on Opening Day…
“That is up to Coach Cohen. All of these catchers are working hard together. It does not matter who plays; we are all here to help the team win a championship.”
On what made him decide to attend MSU…
“It is Mississippi State. Rafael Palmeiro came here from my hometown and had success here.”
On Josh Lovelady…
“He is a great guy. From the first day I got here, he has taken me under his wing and taught me. To this day, we learn something every day. We work hard every day.”
On the catcher competition…
“Everybody wants to one-up each other. It will help us going into the season.”
On how he thinks he has handled the pitching staff…
“In the past, I have handled a lot of good pitchers. These are some of the best guys in the country. We have done a good job of communicating well.”
On his freshman class…
“This is a very special group. All of the upperclassmen say that this is the best freshman class they have ever seen. We are all working together and we are ready to show everybody that we are here to win. These guys are very special.”
On catching hard-throwers…
“It is a special feeling. Zac (Houston) and Dakota (Hudson) are two of the best arms in the country. We communicate very well before and after the game.”
On Wes Johnson's impact on velocity…
“Zac (Houston) was throwing really hard already. Now he is consistently throwing hard and he is difficult to hit.”
#35 Jack Kruger – Jr. – C
On what makes Elih Marrero different…
“For me, I think it is his instincts. I think he has really good and aggressive baseball instincts. There is no question he has talent and ability. He will continue to grow and develop that talent over the next couple of years. He is definitely a draft guy. For me, I love playing on the field with him because of his instincts. He plays the game really hard and aggressively.”
On development…
“For me, I have developed a lot. I had good high school years; everyone who plays Division I did. I struggled a little during my freshman year at Oregon. There was a lot of development and hard work that pushed me to where I am now. It wasn't totally a talent overflow. There was a lot of hard work picking up on small aspects of the game that make hitting easier.”
On playing Oregon…
“It is going to be really cool; I'm looking forward to it. I know that they are a good team. It is definitely not an end-all series where that is my most focused series. Conference play is much more important, but I am looking forward to seeing everyone on the Oregon team. I have some good friends over there.”
#10 Ryan Gridley – INF – So.
On SEC play…
“I think our pitching is so much more developed this year than it was last year. It gives me a lot more confidence going into those games.”
On the offense…
“I think Will Coggin has done a great job of developing our hitters. I feel like everyone has their own routine right now for their swings, and it feels like it's natural for everyone right now.”
On personal goals…
“The biggest thing is trying to go 100 percent all of the time. I am going to give every ounce of effort I have and try not to overdo anything.”
On his faith…
“Honestly, I think my purpose in life is to spread the word of God. I think that is what I am called to do. If I am just sitting around not doing anything, then I am just wasting my time and my life. Just having the opportunity to talk to people around the community is a big deal. If I can encourage others to do the same; it's a big deal.”
On the team's status…
“I feel like everyone on this team is extremely confident as well as myself. I feel like this is going to be a great year for us.”
On being confident…
“I feel like if you don't have any confidence, then you shouldn't be here anyways. You kind of have to go to the plate with confidence. The guys that don't have confidence don't make it. Every guy you play against thinks he is better than you, and if you don't think you are better than them, you are going to fail.”
On helping Luke Alexander…
“Regardless of if someone is competing for a job or not, we are teammates. It's my obligation to help him. I feel called to do that as well. We want the team to win. It is not about ourselves.”
On MSU's pitching game…
“It is good. I don't think we are going to see better than our own staff. I have already seen everything that I need to see. I can look back and remember my time in the fall, and how good my hitting was, and know that I can hang with the guys I face even if they throw 95 or 96 because I have already seen it.”
On pitching advancing faster than hitting…
“That is usually what happens when you play in the beginning of the year. We know all of the pitchers, and the pitchers know all of us pretty well. Especially with all of the good arms we have, it's hard to go out there and hit .350 in scrimmages.”
On the team this year…
“We have tasted what it feels like to be the worst. We are never going to let that happen again. Once you've tasted that, there is now way we are going back. I feel like everything that happened to us last year is going to help us this year and drive us toward being the best.”
SCRIMMAGE RECAP
Junior right-handed pitcher Austin Sexton cruised through four easy innings Saturday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field, leading Black to a 2-0 shutout of Maroon in MSU's 10th scrimmage of the preseason. The exhibition lasted seven innings.
Sexton struck out one and walked none in the start, yielding three hits. Newcomers Konnor Pilkington (0.2 IP), Ryan Cyr (0.1 IP), Blake Smith (1.0 IP) and Ryan Rigby (1.0 IP) completed the shutout for the victors.
Freshman outfielder Jake Mangum provided the only scoring in the game, driving in redshirt freshman Cole Gordon and redshirt junior Cody Brown on a base hit up the middle in the second. Gordon and Brown both walked and advanced a base on a balk. Mangum finished the day with two hits in three at-bats.
For Maroon, redshirt junior leadoff hitter Jacob Robson also had two hits.
On the mound, freshman southpaw Kale Breaux (2.2 IP) and redshirt sophomore righty Jacob Billingsley (1.0 IP) both had scoreless relief outings for Maroon.
