Don’t Take it for Granted

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

June 18, 2021 | Baseball, Joel Coleman

Even after three straight College World Series appearances, Bulldogs still treasure being in Omaha

By: Joel Coleman, Senior Writer

OMAHA, Neb. – Chris Lemonis stepped out of the dugout at TD Ameritrade Park on Friday. With his trusty fungo bat in hand before practice, the Mississippi State head coach took a long look around at college baseball's hallowed ground. Just over 48 hours before the Bulldogs open up play in the College World Series, Lemonis had a message for anyone listening.

"Don't take it for granted," Lemonis said out loud, maybe as much talking to himself as anyone. "It's hard to get here. A lot of good teams are sitting at home."

Indeed there are talented, national-championship caliber programs whose seasons have already ended. Yet for the third consecutive completed season, MSU is playing for it all in Omaha. But while the Bulldogs have been here before, many of THESE Bulldogs haven't.

Now there are guys like Tanner Allen and Rowdey Jordan and Josh Hatcher. The College World Series has become just as regular of an occurrence for those guys as Opening Day. They've had three full seasons and three trips north, but even so, there doesn't seem to be a bit of danger in any of them being complacent.

"I soak it in every second up here," Allen said Friday. "I tell everybody, it gets sweeter and sweeter every time I come here."

Aside from Allen and the rest of the Omaha veterans, then there are the bunch of Bulldogs that probably couldn't take it all for granted, even if they wanted to. Many of the Bulldogs' key contributors are College World Series newbies.

Mississippi State certainly isn't in Nebraska right now if not for the production of guys like Kamren James or Logan Tanner in the heart of the batting order. The Bulldogs might be watching the College World Series on television if not for splendid starts on the mound by Will Bednar and the late-inning dominance of closer Landon Sims. However, again, all of those guys and many of their teammates are on this stage for the very first time. That perhaps makes taking all this for granted unlikely, but those players do have to guard against being overwhelmed.

"Tanner Allen acts like it's just normal, that's what you're supposed to do," Lemonis said. "But for most of our guys, we're a pretty young team. They're pretty bright-eyed and big-eyed right now."

So how does a team find that perfect balance? How can Mississippi State navigate the College World Series in such a way where the Bulldogs aren't taking things for granted and too relaxed, but are also able to calm the nerves down and not get overly excited? Well it has to help the young Dawgs to know that even the old Dawgs' heart rates can rise a little for this event.

"Everybody will have butterflies," Allen said. "I don't care if you've been to Omaha 10 times. It's going to be nerve racking at first."

But then?

"Once the first pitch is thrown or once you field the first ground ball, fly ball, or have your first at-bat, it's going to be the same game you've been playing all year long," Allen said.

Therein lies the secret. Get excited, that's just fine. Then get settled because the game itself is the same one you've been succeeding at for months. The bases are still 90 feet apart. The pitching rubber is still 60 feet and six inches from home plate. The scenery may have changed, but the contest itself is the same type of game MSU has won 45 times already this season.

And, oh yeah, none of this is to even mention that these guys – young and old – haven't exactly just been coasting along on cruise control all year anyway.

"In our environment that we play in all the time…as great as our fan base and as great as our stadium is, there's a lot of pressure being a Mississippi State baseball player," Lemonis said. "I think our kids have to deal with that all year long. And getting here is a piece of it, but I think our kids are pretty used to [playing in big environments]."

MSU's mettle will start getting put to the test beginning Sunday when the Bulldogs battle Texas at 6 p.m. CT. At that point, State can begin its quest towards what is surely the biggest motivator of all to handle things the right way. It's the very reason for not taking all this for granted or getting too amped.

"At the end of the day we know why we're here," Allen said. "We came here to play great baseball and win a national championship…I feel like the town of Starkville, they deserve it. They're great fans. It's a great fan base. They support us no matter what. I feel it's our time to come here, win the national championship and bring it back home to Starkville."