Postgame Quotes: Wright State (Feb. 16)

2020 Mississippi State Baseball
Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. Wright State
February 16, 2020

Chris Lemonis | Head Coach

Q: I would assume you are pumped about [Eric] Cerantola's performance today?
CL: "I am very excited. I might have needed some Tums during some of those innings, but we knew we were going to get that. Also, that is a part of his process and his growth, learning how to manage innings and command. He was really good today. Pitched out of a jam or two but, we are happy with it."

Q: In every inning, once he got the first out then he got three outs, even when he got into trouble. Is that a confidence thing with him?
CL: "That is part of it, pitching with confidence and command. When it is going bad for him, he thinks too much, but when he gets the first out he goes at them. He is a young pitcher, and being from Canada, he has pitch some but getting out there and getting innings is going to be huge for him. I thought his stuff was really good."

Q: What are your biggest takeaways from this weekend?
CL: "I feel a lot better about our bullpen. Today, we ran some guys out there who pitched with their skills and commanded their breaking balls. I was really pleased with the whole group who pitched today. Our young kids, Kamren James, Landon Jordan, and Logan Tanner had a good weekend. I have a pretty good idea what [Jordan] Westburg and [Justin] Foscue are going to do and all those guys. We know [what we have in our freshmen], but we wanted to see them do it with the uniform on."

Q: What did you see from Logan Tanner behind the plate this weekend?
CL: "He has been good. He caught Eric [Cerantola] the whole preseason, so we had him lined up there and he did not act like a freshman out there."

Q: How pleased are you to see Landon Sims bounce back after Friday?
CL: "Really pleased. He is one of the better young arms in the country. You see it happen everywhere, young guys are going out there pitching and are a little sped up. We wanted to get him out there and see him have some success. His stuff was really good today and we need him, he is a big piece of our bullpen."

Q: What are your pitching plans for Tuesday?
CL: "I am flipping a coin right now. We have to assess everyone and see where we are [after the weekend]. There will probably be a lot of guys out there, like today. I am not exactly sure who the starter will be, but I will talk with [Scott Foxhall] and figure it out."

Q: How is Tanner Allen?
CL: "He was better today, so I feel like we will have him for this upcoming week. We still have to get him out there running around. We were a little precautionary with playing him in the outfield and running around in the cold weather. We just need to get him full speed running out there, but he should be fine."

Q: Is there any box you didn't check this weekend or anything you wanted to do better?
CL: "No, not really. I think we can do some things better with some pieces early in the weekend. I would also like to get some other guys out there and get them some more opportunities. There are still some guys I need to see, we have some talent and depth. Maybe get some of our guys more at bats."

Q: What was it like to see Kameron swing the bat the way he has?
CL: "It was good, especially in the field, he made some good plays this weekend. Usually, some freshman struggle defensively but he runs out there and plays the game with poise at third."

Eric Cerantola | Sophomore | RHP

Q: How did it feel to go out there today and put up some big innings?
EC: "My biggest thing this afternoon was to go out there and fill up the zone, and I feel like I did a pretty good job. I'm pretty pleased with the outing."

Q: What was your approach of going in with a year of experience under your belt?
EC: "Like I said, I had some good and some bad. I think it was really good [have some success today]. I learned a lot from last year, so I was excited."

Q: How do you settle yourself down when things get off track?
EC: "I was just thinking about the next pitch. Coach [Foxhall] always tells me, 'The last pitch doesn't matter. It's already done.' I just went out there and tried filling [the strike zone] up. We have a great [defense] behind us, so I was just filling it up."

Q: When a problem occurs, are you able to find the problem and fix it?
EC: "There's different things all the time. One thing is to just stay over the rubber a little longer. Other than that, it's sometimes just overthrowing. It's about maintaining your composure, and I feel like I did a decent job at that today."

Kamren James | Freshman | IF

Q: How did it feel out there this weekend as your first sweep in maroon and white?
KJ: "It felt awesome getting my first experience playing in 'The Dude.' I've been up here a lot watching my brother, [Keegan James], so to be out there and be a part of it myself was something special."

Q: Making the transition from high school to college, is it easier at the plate or in the field?
KJ: "It's not easy anywhere, but probably in the field. Going to the plate, these pitchers are elite. But, that transition from [playing shortstop in high school] to third base, the ball plays a lot faster and everything is hit harder at you. It's been good all around."

Q: How do you feel about what the group of freshmen did this first weekend?
KJ: "I feel like we're starting off really well. It's always good to have freshmen that come in and have success at the beginning of the season because you get a lot of confidence. You come in nervous and not knowing what to expect but having a little confidence after this first weekend will definitely help us contribute to the team more."

Q: How much did hearing about the big names of Mississippi State Baseball like Justin Foscue, Rowdey Jordan, and Jordan Westburg throughout the offseason make you want to contribute this weekend?
KJ: "First of all, we love seeing them succeed. It makes you want people to talk about you. [You want to] come in, follow their lead, and have the same success yourself and maybe make a name for yourself."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Postgame Quotes: Wright State (Feb. 16)

Players Mentioned

Tanner Allen

Eric Cerantola

Justin Foscue

Kamren James

Keegan James

Landon Jordan

Rowdey Jordan

Landon Sims

Logan Tanner

Jordan Westburg

Related Videos