2021 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 22, 2021

Tanner Allen

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Postgame Press Conference

Mississippi State - 6, Virginia - 5

Q. What were your emotions like when you hit that homer to take the lead? And two, were you kind of surprised that they didn't walk you there with first base open and a couple of runners at second and third?

TANNER ALLEN: My first emotion was, going to the plate. I kind of prayed. I said, Lord, I know this is a big moment. I just told him, I want you to know, if I succeed or not I am still thankful for the ability you've given me and the opportunity you've given me to be in this moment.

And then secondly, I knew they were going to throw to me. I had a rough night before that. But I have it written on my glove in the outfield, "It don't matter." Those three at-bats are behind me. I knew I had another at-bat or two to make a difference in the game.

Q. Take us through that at-bat. What did you see? What were you looking for?

TANNER ALLEN: First off, I've played with that guy, Steven Schoch, before when I was an incoming freshman in summer league. He's an unbelievable pitcher. He dominated that league I was in. He's dominated all year long. So hats off to that guy.

But I knew I had a base open. I knew they weren't going to throw me a fastball. So I kind of had an idea. I was just trying to get a slider up in the zone so I could do some damage with it.

Q. You mentioned having a rough night. But you were hitless on Sunday as well. How did it feel to get the monkey off your back in Omaha in such a big moment?

TANNER ALLEN: It was a big sigh of relief. Like you said, I hadn't had a hit in a couple days. But honestly it really doesn't faze me. It's about the next at-bat. I'm sitting out there in the outfield thinking about how they're going to pitch me my next at-bat. So, I'm just playing it one pitch at a time, that's all.

Q. When Kellum hits that home run could you talk about the momentum shift that just, I guess, the jolt that sent through the dugout? And then of course, back to back to back, you get Hatch, Rowdey, you -- you three guys that have been here three straight times play a big role in that rally. Just how special is that to -- I know you're celebrating the win, but you three guys that have been doing this for so long having a huge part of that?

TANNER ALLEN: For sure. Don't forget about the play that Kamren James made in the other team's dugout. That was an unbelievable play. Kind of got us the momentum back.

Kellum has a big swing, hits the home run. We got on the board, and we got the monkey off our back as a team.

And a lot of people are going to remember Rowdey's double and my home, but I'm going to tell you one thing that won't go unnoticed Josh Hatcher's two-strike fight at the plate, to put the ball in play and get something started. That was big time.

He hasn't got to play much lately. But I never doubted him. He's been playing a heck of a defense lately in the game. Hats off to that guy.

Q. The game was teetering early, it was 4-0, they had the bases loaded, a chance to really blow it open there. And the bullpen was able to really settle down, I think had five or six straight shutout innings. I know you weren't all able to come through in the middle innings, but what kind of confidence did it give you guys that you were just a couple of big swings away from tying that thing or taking the lead?

TANNER ALLEN: For sure. They came out and shut them down completely. That was huge because every time we get a 1-2-3 or they didn't score in that inning, we'd always have momentum going to our dugout. Like I said, we wouldn't always come through, but we always had the momentum. And we kind of kept it out of their dugout. That played a big part of the game.

Q. When the rally started, at what point did you realize you would be the go-ahead run? Were you kind of doing the math in the dugout knowing you would be No. 5?

TANNER ALLEN: Of course. I was standing in the dugout, and I was telling Gaut I'm going to face Schoch, I know I will, because the guy they brought in before, he didn't have his greatest stuff, but I saw him warming up and I said, that's the guy I'm going to face right there.

When Rowdey got the double, that was the first thing came to my mind, they got a base open. I'm probably not going to get much to hit, but I'm definitely going to look for a ball up in the zone.

Q. When you guys are up against it and McGarry was dominant, obviously, but a lot of the younger guys look to you to see how to act. How do you handle yourself in the dugout knowing that's going on, that these guys are paying attention to you to see, is tonight just not our night, or are we going to be okay?

TANNER ALLEN: Funny you say that. First off, hats off to that guy from Virginia. He was unbelievable. Talking up to 97, 98. He was in the zone with a good slider. Got me twice on a slider. I tip my hat to him. That's the game. Sometimes you get 'em; sometimes you don't.

But as I was struggling throughout the game, I tried my best to just stay positive and keep the energy in the dugout and keep playing good defense, because I knew eventually I'd get a chance to help us win the game.

And the thought of having a big at-bat late in the game kind of kept me in the game. And also the young guys I know they looked to me and Rowdey and Riley Self and Hatch, all the older guys, we know how to handle the big moments. We just had to stay positive as long as we could.