SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 29, 2021

Liam Spence

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Tennessee Volunteers

Postgame Press Conference

Tennessee - 4, Florida - 0

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Liam Spence.

Q. I've got two for you. From your perspective at shortstop, what did you see out of Camden today?

LIAM SPENCE: Camden was incredible today. He pounds the zone, and he works fast. As a defender, when your pitcher is working fast, it's easy to stay locked in. So we really appreciate that out of Cam.

Q. After losing on Wednesday and having to win three in a row, kind of taking the scenic route to get to Sunday, just why do you think this team is able to overcome that type of adversity and make it to the title game?

LIAM SPENCE: We just focus on the next task at hand. We've been doing that all year, trying to bounce back from a loss. It's just a group that has a lot of confidence, and we go out there grinding each day and just focusing on what we've got to do out of that day, and we'll move on to the next day when that comes.

Q. Seems like you were in a short cold stretch going into the week. Anything you can credit that you're looking like your normal self the last few days?

LIAM SPENCE: Just sticking with the approach. It's been working all season. No reason to get away from it. The hits will come. Just trust that what I'm doing is working, and the hits will come. But just trusting what I was doing and having fun.

Q. To kind of build off of that, I know that, when you go through an entire season basically with only maybe one little mini slump in there and then you start to go into that rut maybe a week or two ago, was there a part of you in the back of your mind of having to fight off that feeling of, oh, man, maybe this is the wrong time of year to be doing this?

LIAM SPENCE: I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it, but it wasn't really worrying me because, as soon as the season ended, it's kind of like a fresh start. Once playoffs start, it's like a fresh start to the season, and I went with the approach that's been working for me all season. Yeah, I'm just happy to be getting on base again for the boys.

Q. And what about the way that you all were able to go out there and blank Florida without having any of the three weekend starters available? I know that Camden is a guy who's been there and done that a little bit, but just kind of speak to how much more depth this staff has than people think that it did.

LIAM SPENCE: We know we have a lot of depth in the pen. We faced them all fall, and we know that they're all good pitchers. We have confidence in everybody that comes out of the pen. It's good to see the guys today step up and do what we know they can do in a big moment for us. That's pretty special.

Q. Back-to-back weekends, Sean's come in and gotten you out of trouble. Why do you think Hunley's been able to be so cool and calm in those situations?

LIAM SPENCE: That guy's composure is unreal. He just knows how to slow the game down and focus on what he's going to do next pitch and make that pitch. Hat's off to him for the way he can calm himself down in a big moment in a high pressure situation. It's very impressive.

Q. Looked like Rucker and Beck both lost balls in the sun today. From your view, was it particularly harder to track balls? You kind of just answered it on Sean, but what does it say about Camden that he wasn't rattled at all in that situation and just kept going about his business?

LIAM SPENCE: It's impressive for Cam to just wipe it off kind of and just knuckle down and do what he's been doing all game and pick us up when we needed him. That was just big from him, and it keeps the momentum on our side, which is very important going into the bats. It's good to have a pitcher out there that can handle that kind of situation and continue on with what he's doing.

Q. In terms of you were talking about Hunley not being rattled, have you ever seen the guy get rattled? It can be on the field, off the field, just sitting home playing a video game. Have you ever seen the guy lose his temper or get flustered?

LIAM SPENCE: I can't say I have. He's always a calm guy. He's a chill guy to be around, and that's what we love about him. He's always calm, collected, and he's a fun guy to be around.

Q. You don't know who you're playing yet tomorrow, but if it's Arkansas, the way that series ended, just how close those games were, would you all be relishing another chance to get a crack at those guys?

LIAM SPENCE: Absolutely. We'd love to play either of them, and we're ready for whoever is in the other dugout tomorrow. Whoever it is, we're going to come ready to play, and we're all excited.