NCAA Starkville Regional: VCU Quotes (June 5, 2021)

NCAA Starkville Regional
Postgame Press Conference - Game 4
VCU
June 5, 2021

Shawn Stiffler  | Head Coach

Opening Statement
SS: "Congratulations to Mississippi State. They played outstandingly in all three aspects of the game. They got a fantastic start [on the mound]. Their bullpen was fantastic coming in there, certainly, in the back end of the game. They had great defense and turned a couple double plays when they needed to. Obviously offensively, they were dynamic and played hard. They competed their tails off all night. The atmosphere was great as expected."

"I'm very disappointed in how we played. We were the complete opposite. We didn't compete in any aspect of the game. So, I'm disappointed certainly from that standpoint, but we're looking forward and focusing on the turnaround for tomorrow."

Q: What happened to Mississippi State's starter Christian MacLeod during the third inning that allowed him to get on track?
SS: "I don't think he got back on track. We let them. We didn't try to execute offensively the entire night, starting with the first inning … Of those three punch outs or three strikeouts in a row [during the third inning], we probably chased eight balls. That how we started through the first-third of the game."

"We chose to not hit early in the game, and that fed into him. He didn't have a ton of command early. He saw that we were not disciple. He was able to pitch up in the zone, and we kept chasing it. So, it was really more of us letting him off the hook. We had the middle part of our lineup right there. If we'd get two sac flies [during the third inning with runners on second and third with no outs], that game would have been different. That's what I was hoping for – two sac flies there and maybe that would settle us down. We just couldn't do it."

Q: What the message to the guys the loss?
SS: "I don't know if there is any message. They know that we didn't play well. I think the only thing I told them is 'If we want an opportunity to play in front of that atmosphere again –to prove to Mississippi State and to ourselves that we are a much better than we played tonight, we have to go take care of Campbell tomorrow.' That was it. That's the only message. The team knows how the game went, and they know how they played."

Q: What are your pitching plans for tomorrow?
SS: "We still have Danny [Watson] and Maddison [Furman], who've started games for us available. The guys who threw against Campbell will be able to flip back around and also be available. That's the tough part. When you get into these games, and you see the nine spot [in the sixth inning] knowing you could be staring at two more games tomorrow. You have to try and save some pitching. That's where we got caught in the six innings when they scored the nine runs. We were just trying to figure out how to save pitching if we had to move forward through the rest of the tournament."

Q: Do you think it will be easier to face Campbell after already playing them on Friday?
SS: "I think it will be two good teams playing again. Friday has nothing to do with it. As good as we played Friday, we played just as bad today. Campbell played well Friday, and they played really good today. It will be two good teams. The team that plays well will win the chance to play Mississippi State tomorrow night."

Steven Carpenter | 1B

Q: What do you think needs to happen in tomorrow's game to get you all back to the final?
SC: "I think that we have to get back to really competing for RBIs. We have to be willing to execute. It may not be the big hit, it may be the ground ball that gets the runner in from third. We need not to try and do too much. We just have to play the game and let the game come to us, focus purely on execution."

Q: How do you correct your lack of execution moving into tomorrow's game against Campbell?
SC: "We're a competitive team, and we always have a competitive mindset. We may have gotten a little bit ahead of ourselves today. I don't think it will be an issue getting back into the competitive mindset for tomorrow. We have to lock in, get in the box, fight for the RBI and fight for the team. We have to get the ball moving and play every play."

Q: Is there anything you would say to your teammates as a veteran player about putting this game behind you and preparing for a quick turnaround?
SC: "Every day is a new day. Anything can happen any day and in any game. Tough day today, but wake up tomorrow and get focused. Get ready to go, come out with a lot of energy and execute the game plan."

Mississippi State University Athletics

NCAA Starkville Regional: VCU Quotes (June 5, 2021)

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