Soaking in a Title
June 30, 2021 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Diamond Dawgs relish being a part of school’s first-ever national championship team – Story presented by Farm Bureau – Story presented by Farm Bureau
OMAHA, Neb. – How do you put a national championship into words? When collectively as a program, you'd never accomplished the feat, and individually, have shed blood, sweat and tears all season long to earn it, how in the world do you express that emotion?
It's not easy. But after Mississippi State topped Vanderbilt 9-0 on Wednesday to win the national title for the first time in school history, multiple Bulldogs – forever the first Diamond Dawgs to win it all – did their best to tell what it meant. And it was every bit as special as you might've expected.
"I mean, that's the best feeling I've ever had in my life," MSU closer Landon Sims said, not long after being at the center of a massive dogpile in Omaha. "It still hasn't completely set in that we're national champions… It's been a lot the past few weeks, the past month. Really since August with COVID and everything. A lot of hard work has paid off. And being the last team standing in college baseball was the goal. We worked really hard for that."
The grind has certainly been rewarded in the greatest of ways. For the rest of history, Sims and his teammates will be considered as legends – the maroon and white masters who finally pushed Mississippi State to the mountaintop. Like teams of the past, these Bulldogs were punched in the mouth. There were bad days. There were slumps. There were any number of trials and tribulations. Yet this group overcame it all to sit upon the throne as kings of college baseball.
"I couldn't be more happy for a team, a town, a fan base, the whole state of Mississippi," right fielder Tanner Allen said. "This team overcame everything, man. From getting swept at home in front of 10,000 [fans] versus Arkansas, to Missouri coming in and taking a series from us and then getting embarrassed at the SEC Tournament; we just kept playing, and kept playing and playing. You blink an eye, we're national champions. God is so good."
Guiding the ship was head coach Chris Lemonis. It was only about two years prior to Wednesday that MSU was enduring elimination at the College World Series. Bulldog legend Jake Mangum sat at the postgame press conference that day and proclaimed Lemonis would one day lead State to its first-ever national title. That day arrived.
But like almost every good coach, Lemonis was quick to point out all the others who helped lead to this moment in time – his guys, the heroes of the past and the fans that've longed for a championship for generation after generation.
"Our kids played as free as you could be on the biggest stage," Lemonis said. "From the pitching to the defense, to the grind of having to beat one of the best pitchers in college baseball history [Kumar Rocker] and the defending champions; so proud of them. And it's so awesome to bring back the trophy to Starkville. It's our community and how much they love their baseball, it's pretty special. And we just have a great administration here. John Cohen, our [athletic director], he's a big part of this, and everything that he does and everything that he's done in the past.
I want to always reach out to [Former MSU Head Coach Ron Polk] because Coach Polk is the one who built this and started it. We run out there and play in front of the big crowds, but Polk was a big reason why, and our former players, too. This is a lot of years in the making, and a lot of fun. And I know our fans will enjoy this."
It will certainly be treasured by players, alumni, fans and others alike. Mississippi State has won it all. Let the soaking in begin for everyone.
"It's the greatest feeling ever to be a national champion, especially this group of guys," starting pitcher Will Bednar said. "We worked so hard to get here. This is awesome. It's unbelievable."
It's not easy. But after Mississippi State topped Vanderbilt 9-0 on Wednesday to win the national title for the first time in school history, multiple Bulldogs – forever the first Diamond Dawgs to win it all – did their best to tell what it meant. And it was every bit as special as you might've expected.
"I mean, that's the best feeling I've ever had in my life," MSU closer Landon Sims said, not long after being at the center of a massive dogpile in Omaha. "It still hasn't completely set in that we're national champions… It's been a lot the past few weeks, the past month. Really since August with COVID and everything. A lot of hard work has paid off. And being the last team standing in college baseball was the goal. We worked really hard for that."
The grind has certainly been rewarded in the greatest of ways. For the rest of history, Sims and his teammates will be considered as legends – the maroon and white masters who finally pushed Mississippi State to the mountaintop. Like teams of the past, these Bulldogs were punched in the mouth. There were bad days. There were slumps. There were any number of trials and tribulations. Yet this group overcame it all to sit upon the throne as kings of college baseball.
"I couldn't be more happy for a team, a town, a fan base, the whole state of Mississippi," right fielder Tanner Allen said. "This team overcame everything, man. From getting swept at home in front of 10,000 [fans] versus Arkansas, to Missouri coming in and taking a series from us and then getting embarrassed at the SEC Tournament; we just kept playing, and kept playing and playing. You blink an eye, we're national champions. God is so good."
Guiding the ship was head coach Chris Lemonis. It was only about two years prior to Wednesday that MSU was enduring elimination at the College World Series. Bulldog legend Jake Mangum sat at the postgame press conference that day and proclaimed Lemonis would one day lead State to its first-ever national title. That day arrived.
But like almost every good coach, Lemonis was quick to point out all the others who helped lead to this moment in time – his guys, the heroes of the past and the fans that've longed for a championship for generation after generation.
"Our kids played as free as you could be on the biggest stage," Lemonis said. "From the pitching to the defense, to the grind of having to beat one of the best pitchers in college baseball history [Kumar Rocker] and the defending champions; so proud of them. And it's so awesome to bring back the trophy to Starkville. It's our community and how much they love their baseball, it's pretty special. And we just have a great administration here. John Cohen, our [athletic director], he's a big part of this, and everything that he does and everything that he's done in the past.
I want to always reach out to [Former MSU Head Coach Ron Polk] because Coach Polk is the one who built this and started it. We run out there and play in front of the big crowds, but Polk was a big reason why, and our former players, too. This is a lot of years in the making, and a lot of fun. And I know our fans will enjoy this."
It will certainly be treasured by players, alumni, fans and others alike. Mississippi State has won it all. Let the soaking in begin for everyone.
"It's the greatest feeling ever to be a national champion, especially this group of guys," starting pitcher Will Bednar said. "We worked so hard to get here. This is awesome. It's unbelievable."
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