SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 26, 2021

Hunter Barco

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Florida Gators

Postgame Press Conference

Florida 13, Mississippi State 1

THE MODERATOR: We'll begin with questions for Hunter Barco. Please use your raise of the hand function to indicate you want to ask a question.

Q. Looked like a little confusion at the end?

HUNTER BARCO: I had no idea there was run rules in college baseball.

Q. Obviously, you pitched five days ago, pitching on four days' rest. I know pitchers like to get in a routine. What was different for you just preparing for this game?

HUNTER BARCO: It was mostly mental. Pretty much had an idea that I would be on four days' rest after the Friday night game in Arkansas. So I was mentally prepared to go out there. Personally, I didn't feel like I had my best stuff, but had to go out there and compete. Not a lot of strikeouts today, but a lot of weak contact and that's all you can ask for.

Q. Facing one of the best lineups in the SEC, they were aggressive early. Were you maybe pitching to contact thinking they're going to be aggressive or what was just the mentality game plan going in?

HUNTER BARCO: Mentality was to pound the zone. The first inning, they did a really good job of hitting. I could tell what they were trying to do. They were trying to go the other way. That's why they were staying on the sliders. So after the first innings, tried to bust them in a little bit to get them off balance, and that got a lot of weak contact.

Q. What are you doing between the second and third and third and fourth? You had a lot of time to learn a new skill?

HUNTER BARCO: I was more just sitting there resting. It's hot out there. Just catching a breather and staying loose.