Postgame Quotes: Arkansas (March 28)

2021 Mississippi State Baseball
Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. Arkansas
March 28, 2021

Head Coach Chris Lemonis

Q: What was that postgame meeting like with your team?
CL: I just told them we've got a good team, but we have to play better. The only thing we can do and the only thing we can control is how hard we work this week and try to get back to the practice field and improve and get that good feeling again. We just got manhandled in all phases of the game. We got beat, and that includes coaching. We got beat in every phase. We've got a good team, but we did not show up ready to play this weekend.

Q: A lot of guys haven't been a part of this kind of atmosphere before, do you think that that effected them a little bit this weekend?
CL: It does a little, possibly. I think you've got a little going on, but I've got guys that have played here for four years who didn't play well. It's across the board. I think it does matter but the kid who closed the game for them hadn't done it, either. It's a little bit across our league, a lot of young kids right now and we all have to be able to handle it.

Q: What's one or two things from this weekend that's looked at as a learning experience or something that needs to be improved on going forward?
CL: We always talk about getting two-out hits. It's really about making two-out pitches, making two-out plays. We don't get off the field this weekend and it kills us. It killed us in the fourth [inning] today. And the other side is, we don't really get a lot of two-out hits today. We're in positive counts and we just get really bad at-bats [and swing] at bad pitches in those situations that let them off the hook. Like I always say, tip your hat to them to make a pitch, but we're not looking to hit a 2-0 changeup with the bases loaded. You've got to be able to box somebody up and make them pay and I think that's what they did to us.

Q: How did you think [Jackson] Fristoe did today, and did he do enough to stay on Sunday for next weekend?
CL: I thought he was fine today, especially the first three innings he was really good. The fourth inning, we ran into some trouble, but we don't make plays either, so it was a hard evaluation. I'm trying to get through today right now, so we'll sit down and figure out next week. Being a shifted week because of Easter, it throws some different dynamics in there, but we'll meet as a staff and go over everything.

Q: How do you adjust in order for the guys to start getting more clutch hits?
CL: I think a little bit for us is pitch selection, and if you watch us all weekend we're overly aggressive, trying to do too much, trying to swing too big. We're giving away counts. If you're sitting in a 1-1 [count] and he throws a ball, [you should take the pitch] and it should be 2-1. Then you get to sit on a fastball, and you've got a better chance to hit. I can promise you this, our guys are a lot better fastball hitters than curveball [hitters]. We've got to [do a better job to] get in fastball counts and get the pitch that we want to hit [and] put a good swing on it. That takes time, that takes being able to relax a little bit. Some of these guys that have been struggling, they're doing the same thing and it's repetitive and at some point, you have to step back and change that.

Q: Does that mean changing the lineup a little bit or you need those guys to make an adjustment themselves?
CL: Well that might be, we'll see. We have a ton of depth on the pitching side but not as much depth on the position player side. We'll see where we're at and maybe moving some things around is a possibility.

Q: How would you assess the pitching staff right now?
CL: I think we had some guys have some bad outings. I think we are a good team. I think [Arkansas] is a good team. We had a couple of guys have some bad outings that we haven't seen all year ... I do think we can pitch better. Christian MacLeod can make better pitches. Brandon Smith can make better pitches. Even today, Landon Sims [can make better pitches]. He wasn't even as sharp as he is normally. Today he gutted through it because he is a competitor. I do think we have a good pitching staff. We have some very talented guys on the mound. I think we will pitch well in the future.

Q: Could Landon Sims get moved into the rotation or do you see him more as that long reliever?
CL: I'm sure there is a world where he could start. Things could happen as time goes on. If we get good starts from our guys he gives us a chance to secure one or two games on a weekend. I kind of like him in that role. We have to get better starts too. It could happen but, I don't see it anytime soon.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Postgame Quotes: Arkansas (March 28)

Players Mentioned

Christian MacLeod

Landon Sims

Brandon Smith

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