NCAA Starkville Regional: VCU Quotes (June 6, 2021)

NCAA Starkville Regional
Postgame Press Conference - Game 5
VCU
June 6, 2021

Shawn Stiffler | Head Coach

Opening Statement
SS: "It was a hard year. Congratulations to Campbell, thank you to Mississippi State for hosting and good luck to those two teams tomorrow. The regional was well run and lived up to the billing for certain. Starkville was fabulous. That game was a hatchet fight, and they came out on top. You get so thin on the backside of these regionals. These five game weekends. It just played out that way, and we ran out of gas. We ran out of options on the mound."

"So thankful for our group. Thank you to our seniors. So happy to have been able to get through the year and complete the year for our fifth-year guys to allow them to come back and make them whole again. Obviously, the way we played was very special. We were able to win the A-10 [Atlantic 10] championship and be a two seed. One thing we always talked about when the shutdown happened in 2020 was that we wanted to be able to come back, but we also wanted to be able to move this program forward. We didn't just want to come back, we wanted to make gains in the program. That has always been our though process, and I think that we did that. After all of this, we didn't go backwards. We propelled the program forward, and that's just about our kids, support staff and administration. I'm not even sure that I have my head around everything that we accomplished. I'm very proud, very proud."

Q: What will you remember about this season and team?
SS: "It was a hard year. This was tough. Congratulations goes out to every coach in the country who got their team together, who kept their team together and who had the opportunity to play baseball games. That's what I'll remember. To think about where we were in September and to where we are now is tough. It was tough, but it was very rewarding. One thing that I'll take out of this season is the resolve of these young people. It's incredible. I don't want to stop coaching these seniors, I don't. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and not get a chance to work with them again. At the same time, what you have seen over the past 16 months, I am very happy to be sending them out into the world. The world needs them. They are good dudes, and they are good men. That's what I will think most of."

Q: How do you evaluate the pitching tonight?
SS: "The evaluation wouldn't be good if I had to do it tonight. At the same time, I thought that Maddison [Furman] was good. He gave us what we wanted. We wanted to be able to hand it over to Evan Chanier for the bulk. That really didn't happen. Evan was not able to cut the outs like we needed him to."

"Again, the NCAA condenses our rosters in these kind of things to 27 athletes. It just makes it really tight. It's a five-game regional, but they cut down on players. It's tough to make it through these things. This is how you get these scores that we have been seeing all over the country. We obviously did not pitch well tonight, and Campbell took advantage of that. Somebody had to carry the bulk. We wanted it to be Chanier [Evan Chanier] to carry the bulk and then close with Tyler Davis. When Chanier couldn't, Davis had to stay out there. You saw what happened with [Edwin] Seranno he came off hurting on the mound. We were literally out."

"At the same time, what if you win? Who's going to pitch tomorrow? Somebody has to do something. Someone has to wear it a little bit. We knew that this game was not going to end in a low scoring affair. Tyler has been our best all year. I didn't think that his misses were that bad. I trust Coach [Mike] McRae with every decision when it comes to those pitchers, and we thought that was our best option for tonight."

Q: How rewarding will this season be when thinking about it in the future?
SS: "You need some time to reflect on just how special this group is to us. I can't express how proud I am of this program and of this administration. Good character people. You talk about culture, and that's so important in times like this. You don't need good culture when times are good. You need good culture when things get tough. That's one thing that really prevailed for me this year was the culture was so good. I have so much respect for this club. That is saying the least. I'm so thankful they brought me along for this journey."

Q: What was the initial word on Edwin Seranno and his injury?
SS: "It was something with his elbow. I will find out more as I get to the hotel. I don't really know right now. Right now, the emotions are running really high with those guys. So, we will wait when we get back on the plane tomorrow."

Tyler Locklear | 3B

Q: How will you look back on this year?
TL: "Just as a team we sat down, and Coach Stiffler said that it was going to be one of the best times of our lives. We went on a 22-game win streak and were A-10 champs. It was just an awesome ride to go on with these guys. They are my best friends, and I love them forever. I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Q: How rewarding is this season?
TL: "I'm extremely proud of it. I wouldn't want to do it with another group of guys. Being a freshman on this team and seeing the seniors show me the ropes, I wouldn't trade that for anything honestly. Coach Stiffler is going to get everything that he wants out of you that is for sure. Everything has to be perfect. Honestly, we lay it all out there for him, and we would not trade another coach for him."

Q: What will be the legacy of the seniors and what is the outlook for next year?
TL: "They were A-10 champs, and they have done it all. All of the young guys can hopefully fill their shoes and carry on the tradition."

Mississippi State University Athletics

NCAA Starkville Regional: VCU Quotes (June 6, 2021)

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