SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 27, 2021

Tanner Allen

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Tennessee 12, Mississippi State 2

Q. Tanner, as one of the leaders of this team, what was kind of your message to the rest of the team in the locker room after the SEC tournament, obviously losing both games?

TANNER ALLEN: We're going to go home and regroup. Go back to practice, have a good week of practice, and get ready for next week. I don't know what else we can do. We can lay down like everyone wants us to or go home and get back to work like we always do. My two trips here, we didn't play very well at all here, so I'm not worried about it.

Got to get back home and get this train rolling in the right direction.

Q. Your body language today just seemed like, once they got up, there wasn't a lot of fight back in the team. How do you kind of address that? It's like three straight SEC tournament games, you guys have been ten-run ruled. Is it just one of those weird things that happens? How would you explain it?

TANNER ALLEN: I just feel like we were getting embarrassed, man. We were tired of it. For me out there, for me, Rowdy, and Brayland, in the outfield, we talk about it. We're like, hey, we've got to finish the game strong, do what we can, have good at bats, make plays. We're probably not going to win the game, but our season's not over because we know what's at stake next weekend.

We're going to go home with as much positive vibes as we can get out of that and look forward to practice on Monday.

Q. We saw you foul the ball off your toes, it looked like -- and even running out the grounder to the pitcher late in the game, it still looked like it was giving you a little pain there. How much pain are you in, and how are you feeling right now? You feel like it's something that, by the time regionals get here, you think that will be a thing of the past?

TANNER ALLEN: Yes, sir, I'll be fine, man. It don't feel good, I promise. If you've never fouled a ball off your foot, I would advise you to try your best not to do it because it does not feel good. Earlier in the year, I got hit by Kumar in that same spot, so I kind of re-aggravated it, but I'll be fine.

Q. As you mentioned, this one's behind you, you've got a regional next one in Mississippi, possibly your last one. What do you say to fans to try to get them to come out and try to get behind the Dogs next weekend, knowing there's a bigger prize than this?

TANNER ALLEN: I'm not worried about Dog Nation. They know what's at stake. They know what we're playing for. We're playing for something bigger than the SEC Championship. Would we like to have won one? Of course. Would we have liked to play better here? Of course. We know what's at stake next week.

We're going to come home and get ready for it and bring it Friday night or whenever it starts.