Everything Mississippi State Baseball Coach Chris Lemonis, Amani Larry Said Following 8-4 Win Over Cal

Mississippi State baseball got the results it was after in Sunday's 8-4 win over the California Golden Bears to end the Frisco College Baseball Classic on a high note after falling 8-3 to the Ohio State Buckeyes and then dropping the second contest against the Oklahoma Sooners, 9-15 in the second matchup of the weekend.

Bulldogs head coach Chris Lemonis and junior infielder Amani Larry met with the media following the victory:

Question: What did you think of the win today?

Chris Lemonis: "(It was a) gritty effort against a really tough team here on Sunday. I applaud the guys for fighting. It’s been a tough weekend. To come out and play a pretty clean game, I’m really happy with the way we played. I thought we got a good start from Gartman and a great ending from Dohm. That really helps."

Q: What were your impressions of Gartman?

CL: "He wasn’t as crisp as he usually is. I thought he made a big pitch to get out of the fourth. That guy hit one to Starkville, I forget what inning it was. That was a really good hitter to get out of the jam. He’ll be alright, he just didn’t have his usual command."

Q: And then Nate dominated the rest of the ballgame.

CL: That’s how it felt today. We threw him in the fifth. I just told him, I felt like the game was on the line there in the middle innings. They were surging a little bit. He’s got starter stuff, but having in the role he is now just to get a win today.

Q: What did you see there in the seventh when the bases were loaded?

CL: "He’s a strike thrower for having that much power. We don’t make a couple of plays behind him, but he’s really comfortable on the rubber. He doesn’t get too sped up. He just made a pitch."

Q: How much easier does it make your job playing behind Nate?

Amani Larry: "It’s a lot of fun. He brings a lot of energy to the team. We get behind each other, they push us, we push them. When Nate comes out there and dominates like that, it’s exciting."

Q: You had a big swing in the seventh…take us through that at bat?

AL: People keep throwing lefties against us and I know it’s my job just to stay on one like they’ve been telling us. That’s what I did and I just got a hold of one.

Q: How much do you enjoy that leadoff spot?

AL: "It’s kind of new to me still. I like being the guy who sets the tone and I like swinging at the first pitch."

Q: What was the mentality to get out to a good start in a must-win game?

AL: "We knew the importance coming in. We lost the first two, obviously, to win the last one before you go back home was a big one for us. It can lead to a great week."

Q: How does this win help you determine what you have the rest of the year?

CL: "Everybody here this weekend was good. That’s why you come to it. I told the kids it’s like a regional. You go on the road and you put your team in an environment, good crowds, good teams sitting there waiting for the next game. We still have to get better. I challenged the guys after the game, we’re leaving a lot on the table. We didn’t pitch great this weekend, but defensively and offensively we can do more, and find out more about our ball club. We’re fighting consistency a little bit. We’ve beaten some really good teams already this year. But we’ve also lost some games where we’re not competitive in those games. We’re fighting to find that consistency of a good effort every night."

Q: How important is this week back at home before the SEC?

CL: "They’re big. We just need to play consistent baseball. Have a solid game on Tuesday. Have a good weekend at home. And improve every day we go out there. We’re a work in progress. We’re young…not an excuse…but a lot of guys haven’t played at this level. Try to get them comfortable and get them ready for SEC play in Lexington in a couple of weeks."

Q: What have you seen from Bryce Chance that you’ve put him in the 3-hole?

CL: "He’s just a ballplayer. He knows the game so well. And he’s able to get his swing off in the middle of it. He doesn’t strike out a lot. There’s some sneaky power in there. But it’s very clutch too. He just knows how to break a pitcher down and get a swing off. We have other guys in our lineup that need to learn that a little bit more. He’s not the biggest guy or the strongest guy but he’s one of my best guys."

Q: What’s your experience here at Frisco been like?

CL: "It’s awesome. It feels like a real regional. You’re taken care of, the people here are great. The opponents are great. And we’ve played in front of some great crowds the last couple of days. It’s big for us because Dallas is a big Mississippi State area. We try to hit areas where we will have a lot of fans. Everybody here at the event has been awesome."

Q: Can you talk about Kellum’s home run?

CL: "That was a big one. I said, one of our big guys need to get a hold of one. I barely got it out of my mouth and he hit one almost out of the stadium. He’s gotten off to a slow start, but he’s a really good player. He’s done so much for us the last couple of years in the program. He had a couple of good games, I hope that gets him going."