NCAA Starkville Super Regional: MSU Quotes (June 14, 2021)

NCAA Starkville Super Regional
Postgame Press Conference – Game 3
Mississippi State
June 14, 2021

Mississippi State Head Coach Chris Lemonis

Q: What does it say for Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen's legacy that they haven't ended their season anywhere but in Omaha?
CL: "It's pretty special. We spoke about it in our office today, there's no way Tanner [Allen] and Rowdey [Jordan] are going out with an 'L' in this ballpark. I like having the odds of having them on our team and playing for what we were playing for. And then you look up and you see what they've done in their career, it's a 'never say die' attitude and they were both really good tonight."

Q: How does it feel going into Omaha knowing you have production in the bottom of the order but that you also may have identified your third pitcher?
CL: "Hooty [Houston Harding] was good. A lot of us were sitting there last night watching games and I get a text message from Landon Sims; 'Coach I'm ready, you can use me any way you want me.' And I'm sitting on my couch, and I knew that meant we could extend him. Earlier in the year, he's throwing 60-70 pitches an appearance, but we felt like getting started with Hooty and going through the lineup once or twice. Our goal was to get five [innings], and we got four. We just felt like Landon [Sims] would be a good matchup, obviously he's a good matchup against anybody. These guys were hot. Not only were they talented, but they were hot. We had to show them some different looks tonight."

Q: Was there any doubt or were you just more at ease with how the energy was?
CL: "We're never at ease. Even in the second [inning] when we scored the runs and used the bullpen. Notre Dame, if you go back through their year, they have some come-from-behind games where they had eight or nine runs in the eighth or the ninth inning. We knew they weren't going to stop, and we knew that offense, the way they were hitting, they could do some things. But I felt good that we ran through their best bullpen arms there in the second. There starter came back from Friday, and he pitched great, I wasn't sure he was going to be able to do that. Going into the game, the advantage that we had was bullpen depth and it paid off in tonight's game."

Q: How have you been able to build Omaha into your team's culture?
CL: "Well, it was here when we got here. Obviously when you decide to go to Mississippi State, you're going to a program where that's the aspiration. That's why we have the ballpark we do, the fanbase we do. Our goal was to keep it moving and keep it moving forward. The nice part is all these young players in the program right now have experienced it and they want it. That just continues to grow and sets the expectation higher. That's why I'm thankful that Tanner [Allen] and Rowdey [Jordan] decided to come back. I'm so happy for them, and last year at this time, we didn't know what they were going to do. Coming back and being able to go to Omaha for a third time with the park packed just makes up for a lot that we lost last year."

Q: How important is it for the program that you'll have players who have had these experiences in the next year?
CL: "It's huge, I mean experience, you can't substitute for it. Our guys, the expectation in that clubhouse really comes from Tanner, Rowdey and Josh, and Spencer and Riley; those older kids. This is where you're supposed to be. We spoke all week and spoke last week that this is what Mississippi State is supposed to be. If we're not, everyone is disappointed. It's not like that everywhere in the country. There are high expectations for coaches, high expectations for players, and we understand that. It's that experience for those young kids. Even a Cade Smith coming out last night and getting three outs, he's going to be a great player in this program. Just so many of our young guys being a part of this. Even the ones who didn't play, they're going to benefit from this down the road. It's exciting. I'm thankful for the old guys, they've done a tremendous job leading this team in the locker room but also on the field."

Q: What does the rest of the week look like and how do you prepare your players for what's ahead?
CL: "Nine o'clock tomorrow morning we have camp, so if any of you guys want to come for camp…but we have great ball players coming to hang out. Then they have tomorrow off. I think, don't quote me, we'll practice Wednesday morning, we'll get a good lift Wednesday around midday, and then we'll probably be flying out Wednesday afternoon, and I think we play Sunday night if I'm not mistaken. It's a busy week and no rest, but it's been a stressful weekend, so I feel like they need a day off. They usually respond pretty well after a day off and we'll get a good practice and get ready to play great baseball."

Q: What have you seen from your offense from how they're approaching pitches since the SEC Tournament?
CL: "I think so, yesterday was a tough day. Their guy pitched really well yesterday so give him credit, we hit a lot of balls hard and they play great defense. They really stuffed us yesterday and made some plays on us. The SEC Tournament, we did face I think Florida's number one [pitcher] and Tennessee's number one when we were behind, so I don't know how much that is, but I just didn't feel like we pitched well there and it's hard to come from behind, especially facing really good guys. We blew past it and these guys have been great in the postseason. We have a great offense, and we have great offensive coaches with Coach Gaut [Jake Gautreau] and coach Cheese [Kyle Cheesebrough] and they have a great game plan every day. That's what you see when this happens today is its game plan. Taking pitches away from pitchers, making them work, and our guys executed every time."

Q: How big was that second inning, especially with four of those six coming with two outs.
CL: "It's huge, because you need a cushion against these guys. They have a really good offense over there so it's never comfortable. Even in the ninth. I just feel like these guys have just played such great baseball over the last couple of weeks, and really, all year. They won the ACC by like, four games or something, or four and a half games, so they just know how to win. For us to spread it, we kept talking about expanding it and expanding it the whole game."

Q: How much of a grind has this season been?
CL: "It's been probably one of the hardest years of my career. Not wins and losses, but the COVID piece. It's just been crazy all year long. You're always kind of worried about it, having to go through all those protocols and traveling on different buses, and worried about your team. The fall was just so different. Coaches, we like to control everything, we want everything controlled. And a lot wasn't controlled, a lot was on the players this year, but our guys were very responsible in how they handled themselves. We had a lot of young guys, had a lot of pitchers, trying to keep everybody happy, trying to get the right guys going … that was tough in itself but it's all worth it once you get to this point and you're playing well. Really when you sit in that dugout and hug your coaches and I know how excited they are, I see all these guys going for the first time, and man it brings a joy to you because you know how special it is. Not many kids get to play in Omaha and some of these kids have played three years and some are going for the first time. We've got to get over the shellshock for the first-timers going there and play good baseball."

Q: How much of a difference was the crowd this weekend?
CL: "It is a big difference. Link Jarrett told me that before the game. He has coached in this league, and he made some very complimentary comments before the game. This is why you play all year. Obviously, our goal is to win a national championship, but when we start our season, it is to host. It is always our goal to be a national seed. We want to win the SEC, and we want to win the SEC Tournament, but we want to go to Omaha. We want to win it. To do that, you almost have to host. If we host, it becomes a huge advantage for us. We have the best fans in the country. Not even close. They wouldn't leave after the game tonight. They are probably getting in trouble by their family, but they are all still sitting out there. When I walk back out, there will be people still in the parking lot. That is why we have a stadium like this. It is all about the fan base. It is not what we have been doing. This has been going on for the past 25-30 years. It is special to be a part of. I do not take it for granted being the head coach here. It is an honor. Every day when we come into work, we are so happy to be coaching a program with this much tradition."

Q: Where did you see the biggest difference between the two teams this weekend?
CL: "I thought the first game our crowd got to them a little bit, however, the second game they beat us like a drum. I do not know. I felt like our bullpen depth helped us. That was the biggest thing. We had a longer pitching staff maybe. We were able to use our guys and did not have to use Landon [Sims] much over the weekend. I do not think it was experience or anything like that. I think the bullpen was better this weekend."

Q: Is it a relief to make it to Omaha?
CL: "It is a big relief. I think you hit it on the head there. Getting into Omaha and being the last ticket out there. Sitting around today, you knew that the whole country was going to be there watching. For me, I have been blessed and have had the opportunity to be there many times. I think about our kids getting there. I did not want Tanner Allen walking off of this field not going to Omaha or Rowdey Jordan. Will [Bednar] who had last year of his career cut short. I want him to have an opportunity to pitch in Omaha. That is what we were saying earlier. That is why you come here. It is a relief, but we still have work to do. We have great opponents that we have to play. We have to go out there and play good baseball. We have to play at a high level and get our kids focused on that."

Landon Sims | Pitcher

Q: How comfortable were you out there and how do you feel now?
LS: "I was pretty comfortable out there. I was telling people all day that once I got the ball in the bullpen and I knew that I was going in the next inning that all of my nerves were going to flush away. I was nervous there for a while. The past two days has not much sleep or much eating. I am a bit of an anxiety king over here. First of all, it was a lot of fun."

Q: What was your mentality when you saw the homerun go over the fence and what did you have to do to lock in and get the outs you needed to win the game?
LS: "Hats off to that guy. He is a really good baseball player. If there is anybody right now that I would not be extremely mad giving up a home run to it would be that guy. I was 3-1 in that count, and I walked the previous guy on four pitches, so, it allowed me to reset. I hit the reset button. I think it came at the best time possible if it were to come at a good time."

Q: What was your mindset with two runners in the ninth and how good it feel to see the double play to end it?
LS: "Me and Logan [Tanner] were just talking about it. I was not going to throw him another fastball. I had a really good feel for my slider in the last two innings. I knew if I located it well, I had a chance for him [Niko Kavadas] to roll over it. Any out right there was big, but the double play was huge. It sent us on our way to Omaha."

Q: How would you describe attacking Notre Dame when you know that they are so aggressive at the plate?
LS: "It makes you attack them even more because they can hit the ball so well. You do not want to put anybody on base. They are an extremely disciplined team. They spit on good pitches a lot of the time. Every mistake that we threw this weekend they either hit into a hard line drive in the gap or found a way to hit it over the fence."

Q: How do you stay so collected when you are in that big of a moment?
LS: "The moment is big, but it is the same game that I have been playing since I was three years old. That is never going to change. The rubber is still 66 inches away from home plate. I still have to throw it over the plate to get outs. I try not to make any moment too big or too small. It is just a game. The stakes were a little bit higher. Keeping my cool out there and throwing balls over the plate was my main goal."

Q: Have you ever given up a homerun as far as the one that Niko Kavadas hit?
LS: "Not off the top of my head. He got all of that ball. You just have to tip your hat and throw the next pitch. I do not think I have ever given up a homerun that far."

Q: What does it say about this program that no matter who puts on the maroon and white, you guys can make it to Omaha?
LS: "It is the standard here. As soon as you put pen to paper that you are playing baseball for Mississippi State. It is the standard. Two years ago, when Mississippi State beat Stanford to go to Omaha my parents asked me if I wanted to go to Omaha. I told them let's save the money because I have a feeling that we may take a trip or two to Omaha while I am here."

Logan Tanner | Catcher

Q: What does it feel like to dogpile at Duty Noble Field after being a Mississippi State fan your whole life?
LT: "It's an incredible feeling. The first couple seconds were fun, but after that, it gets a little crowded and uncomfortable, to say the least. It was really fun and I'm glad I got to do it with my boys."

Q: What did it feel like to hit that three-run home run?
LT: "He had gone fastball a couple of times, and he had done a changeup, but I hadn't seen the slider yet. I had a feeling he was going to go slider 1-2, I saw it up, and I was able to put a really good swing on it. It felt like it was a really good swing as soon as a took it and it went out. I kind of blacked out after that."

Q: How big was it to score six runs early and set the tone of the game?
LT: "It was huge for the offense to get going when it did to give the pitcher some breathing room to be able to work and work in the zone without having to worry about giving up a solo home run or anything like that. I thought it was huge for the confidence of the offense as well."

Q: How does it feel to make it to Omaha?
LT: "It's awesome, but we still have to play our best baseball, and it's ahead of us. We have to get to Omaha and go after it."

Q: Why do you think this program can have the turnover it has, yet still have the consistency year after year?
LT: "I think it's the culture. The culture around here is to win and to go as far as you can. I think the culture here is great. It's probably the best in the country if I had to say so."

Q: How did you feel that you were able to attack early today and what changed from yesterday?
LT: "I think we were just more disciplined today by laying off pitches out of the zone and trying to get our pitch instead of trying to hit their pitch. Having good approaches at the plate really helped."

Q: Why is it both so fun and so hard to catch for Landon Sims?
LT: "I wouldn't necessarily say it's hard because he just throws it where I put my mitt and that makes it really easy. He's definitely the most fun to catch for sure. He's always locked in. His stuff is always good and it's a blast."

Q: What is done each year in the offseason that gives you guys the culture that allows you to produce the way you have?
LT: "Trying to get better every day. We continue to get better every day, every week, every month – every time you step on the field, you try to get better. I think that creates a great culture to be a great team and a great program."

Houston Harding | Pitcher

Q: When did you find out you were going to start and how prepared were you?
HH: "I found out last night an hour or so after the game. Coach Foxhall called me and asked me if I was busy today around 6 o'clock. I told him I wasn't. As far as mentally, this is something that I've dreamed about since the time I picked up a baseball and started watching college baseball. That piece was already taken care of."

Q: While you were at Itawamba Community College, did you ever think you'd be heading to a College World Series?
HH: "I'm a bit at a loss for words. This is something I'd always seen in the schedule happening, especially with the talent we have on this time. The people with the arms, the bats, just all around. Yes. I definitely could see it."

Q: What is it like to pitch in this atmosphere?
HH: "Unreal. Indescribable. I could go on for days. The fans are unreal. They brought the energy every single day. I'm just so excited that we were able to get it done for them."

Q: Notre Dame has offense that you're not going to shut down. They're going to get runs, but you did exactly what you needed them to do. How were you able to attack them, while also limiting them today?
HH: "I think probably the biggest piece was getting in there and making sure they didn't have that big inning. Hats off to them. They did a wonderful job all weekend. They're a great team. They're hot and very, very difficult to throw to. I trust my defense and I think that's what it goes back to the most. Just being aggressive in the strike zone, attacking, getting in their head and just let them play behind me."

Q: These are the moments you dream of; a dog pile on the field and the chance to go to Omaha. Now that you've done it, how does it feel?
HH: "The Lord has blessed me tremendously. It's everything I ever wanted and everything I ever thought it would be. It's really hard to describe, but just an unreal feeling."

Q: This will be your first trip to Omaha, but what's it like to come into a program that has built a standard of going to Omaha.
HH: "There's that expectation. I think the big piece is just going out there and doing what you've been doing since you got on campus. I think our coaches do a great job of putting that winning mentality in us and making sure we all know that that is the standard and what we expect to do every single year. It's been an honor to be a part of it."

Q: How do you feel about your chances going into the CWS and with three SEC teams, how balanced is it?
HH: "I think we've got as good of chance as anybody. I know I'm excited and everybody's pumped. I think it's just go out there and play the solid baseball we've been playing all year. I don't think that the pressure will get to anybody. I think we'll just come in and play relaxed, lose baseball for each other like we have all year."

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