2021 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 20, 2021

Connor Pavolony

Tennessee Volunteers

Postgame Press Conference

Virginia - 6, Tennessee - 0

Q. Tony said that there were moments that seemed like you guys lacked conviction or just didn't have that edge you usually have. Why do you think that is? And how did that kind of show itself today?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: I couldn't tell you what led to it. I agree with him. I think there were times where we needed to have conviction; we didn't. And he also made some big pitches in some big moments. Credit that guy.

But I couldn't tell you why or specific moments when. The game kind of went by pretty quick. But there were a couple times there were runners in position, I'm sure you could say put the ball in play right here. He made pitches when he needed to. I think that's a big reason why we didn't do it.

Q. Just what was Abbott doing so well on the mound to prevent you all from taking advantage of some of those early inning opportunities; and then what did you see from Chad Hunley there in the seventh or the sixth that led to that big inning?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: I think Abbott's fastball was playing up in the zone. It was on the scouting report, fastball at high spin rate, plays well up in the zone. We kind of fed into what he was trying to do and never made an adjustment. I think that's what he went back to when he needed to get a strikeout or with two strikes and we just never adjusted to it.

When it comes to Chad, I think he battled out there like he usually does. The dude's a winner. Doesn't matter if he has his best stuff or doesn't. He goes out there, competes, gives you everything that he has. He hung one curveball that just happened to fly out of the yard.

And for Hunley, that's who Hunley is, he fills it up. And I don't think they really ever hit many balls hard, they hit a couple. But for the most part he was filling it up, doing what he does, and trying to compete.

Q. Feels like you when guys were giving up big innings this year it was a lot due to a home run. In the seventh inning, when it was single after single, do you think that was a little more demoralization for the team or kind of losing the juice?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: No, whether it's a home run or single, a run is a run. I think it hurt more when they got cap singles or something like that. It just seemed like everything was going against us. But I think we were doing everything we could to keep our spirits up because our offense can flip this game in one inning. I wouldn't put it past us to put six runs up in an inning, we've done it multiple times this year. I don't think we were ever out of this game at any point until the game was over. I wouldn't say demoralize was the right word, but, yeah, it hurt a little bit seeing that.

Q. The way that you all bounced back from Hoover, obviously maybe that was a different kind of loss because it went the way it did and you thought you had won it. But you all seemed to come back with a lot of steam the few days after that. Does that give you confidence that you guys can do this again. I know this stage is different, but it was a big deal then, too?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: Yeah, I agree the stage is different. But I don't think this is any different than the SEC Tournament in terms of competition or in terms of -- the park, it all looks the same. It's a little bit bigger, there's a little more seats. But, yeah, I think this team's built for this. We're not going to win every game. And we don't expect to win every game.

But when we do lose a game, we come back and want to win the next one a little bit more. I think that's exactly what we're going to do on Tuesday.

Q. Do you think with it potentially being, if you lose the game at Hoover, you're still going to the postseason, you've still got more games to play -- will it be any different that the potential of the next loss could end the season?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: Probably. I don't think we should approach it any different. I just think we need to be ourselves, especially with our backs against the wall. I don't think anybody is going to go in there say this could be our last game of the season. I think we'll go in there, say we just want to win, just like we went into every game this year. Especially bouncing back from a loss. We're just going to go in there try and play our game. Whatever the scoreboard says the scoreboard but we're going to control what we can control, attitude and effort, and do everything we can with conviction.

Q. What was just Coach Vit's message out there in left field after the game?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: I think the opening question kind of summed it up. There were times where we just didn't have enough conviction in what we were doing. And every single team that's in Omaha right now has a chance to win it. You can't do that to high level teams, like the teams we're going to play. And I think that's just a big reason why we lost is just we didn't do a lot with conviction.

But that's kind of what he was saying to us. We've got to have conviction in what we're doing because we've got a really good club. We have one of the best offenses in the country, one of the best defenses in the country. And people are going to throw strikes when they get on the mound. There's no reason for us not to go out there with confidence and conviction. And I think that's what we're going to do on Tuesday.

Q. What does that conviction look like?

CONNOR PAVOLONY: I have an example just for myself. I check swung on a 3-1 here in my first AB. Not sure why. It was just one of those things. I think that's just kind of what he's talking about, is not buying into what you're trying to do or, like Coach V says, it's not just putting your soul on the line for it. We were trying to do a little bit too much. And that's what happens.

But I think on Tuesday it's going to be a different story. Everybody's going to go out there and give everything they have for the University of Tennessee. And I think the outcome's going to be a little bit different.