Postgame Quotes: Kent State (March 5)

2021 Mississippi State Baseball
Postgame Quotes
Mississippi State vs. Kent State
March 5 2021

Head Coach Chris Lemonis

Q: The starts haven't been there over the weekend, but that bullpen has been really sharp, what is your assessment of them tonight?
CL: I think they were really good. Brandon [Smith] change the game for us and changed the tempo. Very aggressive in the zone. It was nice to see Will [Bednar] back in there and throwing with the heat that he threw with. Carlisle [Koestler] did a really good job in the eighth and ninth inning. He was really clean, but our bullpen is really good. We have to get better starts. I have said it to our team, it's hard when you are playing from behind all the time. Everybody says we win late and it's because we are having a hard time getting started in games and that's offensively, defensively, and pitching wise. We have to get better.

Is Will [Bednar] in track to get back into the rotation next week?
CL: We will have to see. It is a progression now to get his volume up. He looked good tonight, very sharp and crisp. We will try to get him out there again and keep working towards getting his volume up. It's been two weeks since he has pitched. We gave him one inning tonight and maybe two the next time to build him up.

Q: You haven't got the starting plays you wanted and a guy like Christian [Macleod] for example, what is the process for working with him?
CL: That will be [Scott] Foxhall. He will evaluate him during film and break it down. Fox has such a great relationship with our guys. He will try and figure out some minor things to help him along the way. Right now, on our staff, there is such competition. You have to compete and pitch well because someone else wants your innings. That's what these guys have to go out there and be ready to do. Be ready to compete and take the ball for as many pitches as they get. ... Christian is one of the hardest workers we have. The most disappointed person in the stadium tonight is Christian Macleod. He will put his nose to the grind and he will be fighting to have a good start next week."

Q: What does it say about this club that, in every single game, it seems like the blood pressure never goes up in the middle innings when you are down?
CL: It's a competitive and gritty group and we are talented. I keep telling them, we are winning, beating some good teams, and playing some good baseball but we are nowhere near playing our best baseball. We are in the process of pulling ourselves out, growing, and getting better at trying to get some guys hot. Tonight, I thought we did some great things on the bases. Being able to run bases and put some pressure when its available to us. It's a young group in a lot of ways but, as you do this more and more and come back game after game, it doesn't bother them. Some teams it bothers them when they get behind. We feel like we have the play from behind right now.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Postgame Quotes: Kent State (March 5)

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