'It's on Me': Chris Lemonis Takes Accountability for Mississippi State's 26-3 Loss to Vanderbilt
After an incredible victory over Arkansas State on Tuesday, Mississippi State baseball was ready to be back on the field and take on the Commodores to get things back on track on the SEC stage.
However, the game didn't go as expected, ending in an atrocious final score of 26-3, Commodores.
At the top of the seventh inning, the score was 22-3. Just when the team thought things couldn't get worse, Vanderbilt hit a grand slam. It was one of those situations where they were already in a hard spot, and that last hit left them hopeless.
In the postgame press conference, Coach Lemonis was asked why he thought they lost so badly. "When you play that way we did tonight, it's on the head coach and who's in charge of the program and I'm in charge."
It is a very honorable and respectful thing for a coach to put a loss like this one upon himself, and that is exactly what Lemonis did. He went further into explaining why the team played like they did.
"I've got to figure out a rotation. I got to figure out some different things to help these kids out."
Lemonis expressed the passion and dedication he has for his players to help them get better. In fact, the vast majority of the roster is new and still in a learning phase. During this game, the pitcher was switched five times after the starter. It took a lot out of these rookies to play in a situation in this instance.
"Hopefully we'll get some more older guys back here soon, but I don't think it's that it's just when I'm coaching them well enough," he said "I get them ready to play. I get them tough enough. . ."
Something to look for in future games, especially in the rest of this series, is how these new players are being coached and taught while having to perform well on the field. A lot of pressure is pushed onto freshmen and transfers and that could be a factor in why there is trouble during games.
"We can't sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. They're gonna come out and they're gonna be ready be ready to go."
Going into the rest of the weekend, it's safe to say that Lemonis will not give up on the team. His ambition to lead, take faults, shake off the dust, and move on will motivate the team.
If anything, this game may have just been an eye-opener for changes that need to be made, and strategies yet to be played. Games like this are learning experiences that will help shape Mississippi State into a stronger team.