SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 27, 2021

Brad Bohannon

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Alabama Crimson Tide

Postgame Press Conference

Florida 7, Alabama 2

BRAD BOHANNON: First, congratulations to Florida. It's a heck of a team. I feel like we just kind of ran into a buzz saw today. Aleman, that had to be the best game he's pitched this year. Getting on both sides of the plate, but be low and live on his fastball and threw his secondary pitches around the zone. He was really good, and I thought Dylan Smith was every bit as good for six innings and just really matched him. Was probably a victim of playing in a tournament.

We just played our sixth SEC game in eight days, and we're not in a position where that's a good thing for us. I probably should have gone and got Dylan. I mean, he was up there in the 90s, and I could tell his stuff wasn't sharp and as crisp as it was early, but we were trying to sneak another inning out of him. Don't want it to go unsaid how proud I am of Dylan. I thought he was awesome. Tip of my cap to Aleman and Florida.

Q. One of the guys, Andrew Pinckney, he had two hits, and obviously he's making great catches out in right field. What are you seeing from him recently?

BRAD BOHANNON: I'm really proud of Andrew. He's a guy that was pretty far away when he got to campus a year and a half ago, and he's just the best kid in the world, tremendous worker, and a great athlete. Just kept getting better, and he still wasn't ready early in the season. And got some opportunity due to some injuries and made the most of it and played really well for a three week period.

Had the typical first time seeing SEC pitching and got punched in the nose for a little bit, and then he didn't play for a while. He's continued to work and has been ready for his opportunity that came his way this weekend and did some good things. Obviously, making some nice catches and got some good hits today. It's really a good lesson for young players in every way, shape, and form. Happy for him to have some success here.

Q. Despite the loss, Smith was able to go seven innings, so that's three straight games where you guys have had starters go deep and haven't had to go to your bullpen too often. How important is that heading into a must-win game tomorrow, and if you guys can pull off a victory heading into this weekend.

BRAD BOHANNON: Couldn't have said it any better. It was huge to use only two guys today. Jake gave up some hits, but he pounded the strike zone and kept us from having to go to somebody else. That part was huge. We've got some good guys who are available to go tomorrow. We've played Tennessee four times, and I think there's been two extra-inning games, and I think the other two may be one-run games, 2-2 each way.

So we've had great battles with them. I have a lot of respect for their team, and we're excited to get another shot at them tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned there about the starters going deep. What is the outlook for starting pitchers and also for the bullpen the rest of this weekend if you guys are able to continue playing? Who's available or who maybe is off the table for the rest of the weekend?

BRAD BOHANNON: They're all available. We're fighting for our life. I think, as a coach, early in the season, even in the middle, you've got to be careful about pitching guys on back-to-back days or twice in a weekend or extending them. But a lot of these guys get to rest a lot after tomorrow potentially, if we don't pull out a victory.

We're just kind of taking it a game at a time, and that's what I told J.J. today. Amen. That's his job to map things out and look at every scenario. We talked about, if we have to go get Dylan early, we'll do this. If it's late, we'll do this. And just kind of taking a day at a time. You're going to see multiple guys tomorrow; and if we win tomorrow, you'll see multiple guys. Just piece it together, one, two, three-inning stints, and everybody is going to have to do their part.

Q. One of the things that Dylan talked about is just the run support. What do you tell him in between innings when he's coming off the mound? Stick with it? What do you say about his confidence level that, A, even though the offense may not be working, his stuff on the mound is really good.

BRAD BOHANNON: It's remarkable how bad we've been offensively when he's pitched. His stuff and how well he's performed is so far not reflective in his record, and I hate that for him. Dylan is a really popular kid on our team. He's just got a really infectious personality and just a really lovable young man.

I think every coach, you talk all the time to your players about control what you can control, and Dylan does that. He just goes out and pitches and tries to put up zeros. That's all he can control. I don't ever talk to him about our offense when he's pitching. I just tell him, hey, keep competing, keep fighting, keep doing your part because that's all any of us can control, and he's been fabulous with that this year.

Q. Back to the pitching situation just the rest of this weekend. I know, it's always a big deal in the postseason, but is there any chance we see Dylan or maybe even Ras late in games as a reliever in some kind of high leverage situation, or is that off the table for you guys?

BRAD BOHANNON: Everything is on the table. The only thing I can say is I can't see Dylan pitching again. I don't even want to say an inning or two late on Sunday. Yeah, nothing's off the table. I mean, we'll just take it day by day, inning by inning. I hope we'll have to make some tough decisions in a couple of days.