Calm, Cool and Collected

OMAHA, Neb. – Right here. Right now. It's all that matters.

On the eve of the College World Series Finals against Vanderbilt, Mississippi State is zeroing in on the task at hand. The Bulldogs and Commodores hit the diamond for the first game of their best-of-three national championship series on Monday and anticipation is growing. So just how does MSU manage any anxiety? The only way the Bulldogs know how; by living in the moment.

"You can't make the moment bigger than what it is," MSU's Game 1 starting pitcher Christian MacLeod said on Sunday. "Obviously we're really excited to be playing for a national championship, playing a quality opponent with Vanderbilt, but we've just got to stay calm, cool and collected and do what we've done all season; playing together, playing for each other."

It seems simple enough to handle things moment by moment or pitch by pitch. It's perhaps easier said than done. In this kind of situation, there's always pressure. For Mississippi State, if the Bulldogs let it, the pressure has the potential to come from many sides.

The past has the potential to weigh on MSU. This year's Bulldogs are seeking to do what no State team has ever done and win it all. However, head coach Chris Lemonis insists his current club is locked in on 2021 and not one single other year or opportunity.

"You can't go back," Lemonis said. "We know our whole university and our whole state is behind us, and we just want to play good and represent our fan base. The reality is, these poor kids, [like] Tanner Allen, I don't think was born [for some of the past losses]. They are here. They are making their own mark on history is our goal."

Keeping the past in the past would go a long way towards State keeping its emotions in check. But what about the present? Only one other Mississippi State baseball team has played in a CWS Finals; that being the 2013 Bulldogs. This is rare air for MSU. No one could blame guys if they got at least a little carried away. It's just not this team's style though.

"We just have to control what we can control," Allen said, a familiar refrain from the veteran, but one the Bulldogs have backed up time and time again this year.

MSU's resume to get to this point is one highlighted by times State survived the big moments, overcame the difficult ones and simply stayed where their feet stood; not looking backwards or forwards.

Maybe no one better exemplifies that than MacLeod. He admits he wasn't happy with his start against Virginia earlier in the College World Series, but the finals hand MacLeod a new life. All of a sudden, MacLeod's last start doesn't matter anymore. Again, right here, right now.

"Definitely ready to get out there [against Vanderbilt] and bounce back," MacLeod said. "Obviously I wasn't happy with how I pitched against Virginia. I didn't have my best command and everything but this is a great opportunity to bounce back and I'm thankful for another opportunity to go out and pitch, especially for a national championship. It means the world to me. It means the world to be a part of this team, so I'm looking forward to going back out and competing."

At shortly after 6 p.m. CT on Monday, that's exactly what MacLeod will do. He'll toe the pitching rubber and get to work, not worried about the past or the future. It'll be all about the present and that challenge is enough, all on its own, against the defending national champs.

"We knew coming to Omaha, this is not going to be easy but we know that we're supposed to be here," Allen said. "Vanderbilt is an unbelievable team. They have really good talent and they have really good arms and they can really swing it. So we'll have our hands full, but like I said, we didn't expect this to be a cakewalk, but we're ready for it."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Tanner Allen

Christian MacLeod

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