Postgame Quotes: North Alabama (March 24)
March 24, 2021 | Baseball
2021 Mississippi State Baseball
Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. North Alabama
March 24, 2021
 Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. North Alabama
March 24, 2021
Head Coach Chris Lemonis
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Q: Are you happy with the way tonight went?
CL: It was good. We wanted to get some guys some [at-bats] then we also wanted to get a lot of arms out there. We were able to do both and get a little tune-up for the weekend.
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Q: How do you feel going into the Arkansas series this weekend?
CL: We're excited. This is the one that kind of got pulled away from us last year. We were supposed to open with Arkansas, but then [the pandemic] hit. The year before, we went to Arkansas and had a bad showing, so I know that a lot of the older players in the program are excited to play. They're obviously very talented, well- coached, and it'll be a great matchup all weekend.
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Q: Does the fact that COVID hit just before the Arkansas series last year make this year's trip more emotional?
CL: I think it's SEC play at home - being able to open in front of our fans and our crowd. Last weekend was huge [at LSU], too. They're all huge. This one just feels a little bigger because it is at home. It is our crowd. It was the one that was taken away [in 2020]. Our kids are very excited to play this weekend. I hope we're not too excited.
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Q: How frustrating is it to not be throwing strikes when you're trying to end the game?
CL: It's a delicate balance right now because we're trying to keep guys sharp and keep getting them innings. They're also learning. Some of these guys are really learning on the run here. I thought Riley [Self] was good. We were trying to get our left-handers in there a little bit. Arkansas has a lot of left-handed guys, so we're trying to get our left-handed arms in there a little more tonight with seeing Carmouche, [Harding], and Cam [Tullar]. For the most part, we were fine. I thought Riley was good. [Xavier Lovett] at the end, he's a young pitcher, just didn't throw like he can. Plus, we're trying to give Drew Talley some innings. Talley went out there and pitched great.
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Q: Do you expect Houston Harding to be available this weekend?
CL: Definitely. We need left-handed arms for the weekend. We don't know how we'll use him yet, but we're just trying to keep him in the mix and using him against their lineup this weekend.
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Q: How would you describe the budding rivalry that Mississippi State and Arkansas developed and what do you expect from this weekend?
CL: It's two of the top programs in the country. The last couple of years, we've really gone head-to-head. We were in Omaha together. I think there's a lot of respect for both programs, obviously. Playing in this division, you're butting your head against some of the best teams in the country every week. For me, I've been here for three years, it is [a rivalry]. There are just so many [rivalries]. Ole Miss is a rival, then [you have] the LSU weekend. I just think that they're all so big in this league that they're magnified.
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Q: Have you decided your pitching lineup for this weekend?
CL: No we haven't. We're probably going to do it in the morning. Right now, we're [planning to go with] [Christian] MacLeod, [Will] Bednar, and [to be announced]. We're trying to see what we match up like and look at right now. We'll meet in the morning to go over it. We'll assess what we used tonight and what we have for the weekend.
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Q: How important is it to jump out early in games like this so that you're able to get more guys playing time?
CL: It's nice. Our kids work so hard. From Tanner Allen to Kyte McDonald, who runs in there and hits two lasers again tonight. These kids deserve to play and being able to get out there and get a lot of guys on the field was huge.
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Q: Aside from their abundance of lefties, what else makes Arkansas such a difficult matchup?
CL: There are real power arms there. They've pitched really well. Number two, they have a great bullpen. Their bullpen is comparable to ours. There are some really good position players in there and some veteran guys. Christian Franklin will probably be one of the better draft picks in the country, Robert Moore their second baseman, you can just go through their lineup. It's like having Tanner Allen and Rowdy Jordan. These guys have been around a long time and I think it's a really good lineup. They're pretty well-rounded all the way across.
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Q: Does facing a lot of left-handed pitchers this weekend force you to switch the lineup a bit?
CL: Actually, our splits [show that] we're better against left-handed pitching. Scotty Dubrule hits lefties better, Tanner Allen hits lefties better, you can go through our lineup - Rowdy Jordan. We're a better matchup to the lefties just from a statistical standpoint. It's crazy, but it's just the way we are right now.
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Q: Do you plan to continue leading off with Brayland Skinner in the future when he's in the lineup?
CL: We'll talk about it [as a coaching staff]. I think Brayland is a good leadoff hitter. Scotty [Dubrule] has been a little down the last week or two, so [we're] maybe trying to get a spark going there. I think we have a couple different options. We need on-base percentage in that spot right now. We're trying to get some guys that can get on [base] and get something going in the first [inning]. Brayland has played well. He has put himself in that mix. Scotty has played well, at times, too, so he's in the mix. We'll look and see how we matchup best for that spot this weekend.
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