NCAA Starkville Regional: VCU Quotes (June 4, 2021)

NCAA Starkville Regional
Postgame Press Conference - Game 2
VCU
June 4, 2021

Shawn Stiffler | Head Coach

Opening Statement
SS: "Thank you guys for staying up. I know it's later on the East Coast, but this was a great way to start. I'm very proud of the outcome. Hats off to our guys for being ready, and our staff for getting them ready. It was a long 48 hours waiting to play. That's a good Campbell team. We jumped them a little bit, and we were able to take advantage of a few things. Obviously, you never feel safe with them, because you know what they can do offensively. I'm just really happy we grinded through it. We played a little bit longer than we wanted to, but we played well."

Q: Did the second ending go according to how you intended when you referenced the game earlier this week?
SS: "Yeah, I'm always impressed with how calm these guys are. One thing that we've done really well all year is score after being scored upon. That's the trait of a very confident group to be quite honest with you. I'm really proud with how they were able to settle their emotions. We had a great crowd here, even for two teams that are not from Mississippi. We had a couple thousand people here. Ram Nation was out so there were a lot of juices flowing early, but the guys settled down and did a really nice job."

Q: What are your observations of the host team [Mississippi State] so far?
SS: "They're good. Their good on all aspects. Their starting pitching is really good obviously, and they can matchup out of the bullpen. That's going to be the first thing. From watching them today, I thought they took some really good at-bats. I thought Samford kind of flipped the script on them. They were off-speed heavy through the middle part of the game, but I thought they took what they gave them. They're going to be good. We have to play really, really well. I just want to go out there and get through the first third of the game and get to the middle part and be a swing away."

Q: What can you say about Hunter Vay's productivity during that run?
SS: "He has really in some ways carried. He has trended so much throughout his career and throughout this year. I'm not surprised by the caliber of his play at all. I'm not surprised that things are clicking for him. He has worked very, very hard. He has a great spirit, and he's a team first guy. We've had guys do that all year – go into these stretches and carry us. It's been Tyler [Locklear] it's been Steven [Carpenter], it's been Liam [Hibbits] and now it's Hunter [Vay]. So, I'm excited for him."

Q: Do you think the guys can compete tomorrow in the atmosphere of a Mississippi State?
SS: "I'm not going to hide from it at all. This is why you go to college. This is why you play college baseball. When you are six, seven, 12, even 15 years old, you close your eyes and think about what you are going to see tomorrow. I'm not going to hide from it at all. They know what they are walking into, probably the best college baseball atmosphere in the country."

"They deserve that, and I want that for them. I know they want to play well and win in it. Maybe people think it's an obstacle, but we're going to use it as an advantage. We're grateful for the opportunity, and we're excited for it. This is why as a young man you need to go to college because there won't be a time in your life again that you will get an opportunity to play in an atmosphere like this. It's only unique to college baseball, and it's unique for student athletes. I'm really excited about that."

Q: Who will start for you all tomorrow?
SS: "Mason Delane"

Q: Can you pinpoint a couple of reason you guys have been so good on the road, and can you use that for Saturday night when you play Mississippi State?
SS: "It's just older player that have been battle tested. We are not phased on the road or at home. Of course, you always like to be at home, but that's not something that phases these guys. They don't really care who we are playing and where we are playing. That's just a sign of a mature group."

Hunter Vay | Jr. | C

Q: Describe what you were feeling with your go-ahead home run in the second inning, and what tone did that set for the rest of the game?
HV: "I was just trying to carry over what I did in the A-10 [Atlantic 10] Tournament and not think too much about anything else other than that one at-bat. I was just trying to get the guys rolling, and I was fortunate enough to actually do that."

Q: What do you expect from the atmosphere and getting to play the host team tomorrow night?
HV: "For us, I don't think the team feels any pressure at all. We've already played our big games, and that was to get us here. Now, this is kind of the reward – getting to play them [Mississippi State] at their home field with a ton of fans."

Q: When you're in your zone, what does the baseball look like from the batter's box?
HV: "Honestly, it looks the same as it always looks. It's just a baseball, but right now I'm in an approach just looking to go the other way. Then, if the ball comes in I react to it."

Q: What has coach said about this environment, and what will you expect on Saturday night?
HV: "It's going to be nuts. I mean, 17,000 fans screaming at you is going to be fun. We're all excited for it.

Q: What has it been like to play here, and what are your impressions of Mississippi State as a program and team?
HV: This is a really fun park to play at. The ball flies here so you've always got the chance to have a big swing. They're a good team, but we just won 22-straight, so they better come out ready to play."

Hogan Brown | Jr. | CF

Q: How important was that second inning, to get that early lead and ride that for the rest of the game?
HB: "Yeah, that was huge, especially after [Campbell scored] the first run of the game. We always focus on firing back anytime a team comes at us. It felt good to get a lead like that. To open up the game after that, it was awesome."

Q: You guys have been scoring a lot of runs. How important was it to set the tone in this regional by continuing that trend?
HB: "The bats have been hot for a long time now, and we have no signs of slowing down. We're going to keep it going all weekend, I hope."

Q: Can you speak to your team's ability that when an opponent scores on you, you are able to match or exceed that scoring?
HB: "It's the momentum of the game. Once it starts going their way, we want to bring it back to us. We have a good feel for the game and a lot of good bats, so we always come back."

Q: How long do you enjoy the win before the next game, which for you guys is Mississippi State?
HB: "We're not thinking too much about the streak right now. It's about the next game. It's tournament time. It's go time, so that's in the past, [and we] focus on the next one [...] After tonight, it's all Mississippi State."

Q: What is it like to play in this venue and have the opportunity to play in a regional environment like this? What are your thoughts about Mississippi State as a baseball program heading into tomorrow?
HB: "This facility is exactly what we all wanted. This is the best park in the nation, or one of them. So, we're very excited to play under the lights against Mississippi State tomorrow night. I know they're a good team, but so are we. We're excited to show them what we got tomorrow night

Mississippi State University Athletics

NCAA Starkville Regional: VCU Quotes (June 4, 2021)

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