2021 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 27, 2021

Tanner Allen

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Press Conference

Q. Tanner, you guys have walked it off now five times this year. Does it make it easier to kind of come down out of the clouds a little bit from last night because you guys have done it and you personally have done it, or because of the stage, is it maybe a little more difficult? How would you kind of describe it?

TANNER ALLEN: We don't ever stop fighting. We always play nine outs -- or play all nine innings. But about to swing by Leggett, man, that's unbelievable. He has not played that much lately. Really just playing his role. All the young kids out there, man, when you play your role and the game reward you and can't be more happy for him.

Q. Feels like a broken record here with you, you've been here a million times but now this is even new territory for you, the Championship Series, just two wins away from the program's first national title. How do you prepare for a stage like this and what's kind of your message to the rest of the guys?

TANNER ALLEN: We just have to control what we can control, and that's preparation. We're going to have a great practice today and then we're going to go home and get off our feet and lay up and relax.

Q. You've played Vanderbilt 11 or 12 times in the last four years in the Supers and College World Series, does it feel like this is the team it would have to be to get this title?

TANNER ALLEN: Oh, of course, this is not going to be easy. We knew coming to Omaha, this is not going to be easy but we know that we're supposed to be here.

Vanderbilt is an unbelievable team. They have really good talent and they have really good arms and they can really swing it. So we'll have our hands full, but like I said, we didn't expect this to be a cakewalk, but we're ready for it, though.

Q. After the Arkansas sweep, you made a comment about not getting too high and too low, and you referenced that 2018 College World Series where you guys had swept Arkansas in the regular series and you look up and they are playing for a National Championship. History is kind of repeated -- I see you grinning because you know where I'm going with this -- but how did you get the guys to buy into the season is not over?

TANNER ALLEN: Like you said, I've been here awhile and I've been on some great teams here at Mississippi State. My freshman year we didn't have the greatest start to the year, and I think we had a really great team and I think we had a really good brothership on the team.

So they kind of knew that I had been there and I was just telling our guy, man, like I said, you can't get too high and you can't get too low in this game. They believed it and we flushed that series, and we turn around and get beat by Missouri at home and that was a big loss. We could have easily packed it in right there.

But we knew we were playing for something bigger. We came together as a team, went to the SEC Tournament and got beat there twice, too. Really didn't care, we knew we were playing for something bigger. We are exactly where we are meant to be right now, and I feel like we are ready for it and we are going to embrace every moment because at the end of the day there's nothing like ending your career or your season in Omaha.

Q. You had some success with Leiter in Nashville. Can you describe him as a pitcher and basically what you'll be facing?

TANNER ALLEN: We'll probably be facing the best arm in the country. He's an unbelievable talent. He's a great guy and can really compete. We've got our hands full. Like I said, we knew this wasn't going to be easy.

So we're just going to prepare today and have a good practice and BP, and then really have a good scouting report tomorrow morning and just go into the game with confidence because we've been playing great baseball lately.

Q. How as a veteran player do you approach Christian and say you've been a pitcher for us all year, you can get this done, just go out and be yourself against Vanderbilt?

TANNER ALLEN: Of course, man. He's been there. He didn't have the greatest start his last start up here, but that's past. Can't live in the past. If you live on what you did in the past, you'll never get anything done in the future.

So I have full confidence in him. I'm glad we have Christian going. I feel like God is going to work His hands through him. Monday night, seeing 28 out there on the mound, I have a good feeling and I have full confidence in him. I can't wait to watch him pitch.