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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 16, 2019

Omaha, Nebraska

Mississippi State - 5, Auburn - 4

CHRIS LEMONIS: That's just how we drew it up in the scouting report before the game is give them a lead and then try to catch them. I thought Auburn did a great job, and they had some big two-out hits. Edouard Julien, that's one of the farthest home runs I think in this ballpark, and nobody has hit that pitch off Ethan all year.

I give our guys credit, we fought to the last out and just kept competing and it's something we've talked about all year. It's a little bit of a frustrating night because we had a couple opportunities to drive in some runs and we didn't, but at the very end, just the grit of our ballclub played out and we were able to put some balls in play.

Q. Marshall, can you talk about the last at-bat.
MARSHALL GILBERT: Well, I went up there and first of all, I was in awe by everybody that was able to get the job done before me. It was incredible the fact we could get to that point to where I was coming up to the plate, and all the at-bats prior to that I had kind of been a little off, missed some pitches, and I kept getting encouragement from my teammates saying, Keep going, keep going, don't quit.

My last at-bat going up there, I knew he was going to have a good fastball. I knew they were going to keep him in the game and save it for me but I struggled with velo against Greenhill before. So I was looking to get the job done, get on top and stay short, like something I've been doing all year.

Q. Elijah, just attacking that first pitch, dropping that ball down the line, you had seen what Jake had done. Did you feel like you could come after that guy immediately?
ELIJAH MacNAMEE: I do believe he went 1-0 first. But I know he was just throwing a lot of heaters, so I stayed aggressive. I wasn't doing well at-bats previously, so I just kept -- it's baseball, so I stayed with it. I know that he was looking for pitches around the zone, so I continued to be aggressive and said, put this ball in play, stay on top, do anything I can to help this team win.

Q. Elijah, as Jake kind of led off that inning with that double, did you sense, okay, man, same ol' story, here we go?
ELIJAH MacNAMEE: I remember actually being in right field for defense and Cole was pitching, and after he got the second strikeout I was like, I have the weirdest feeling about this inning. So when Jake went up there and hit that double, I said, well, here we go.

Coach Lem said when we got that first dude on, there was a little relief. Even though we were still down, there was a little confidence seeing our leadoff man get on. He's the best leadoff man in the nation, so when we go the energy from him and it started to flow through the team, and it came out at the end.

Q. Cole, your attitude, you come in there, it's not even a save situation, but was it just a matter of hold it down and give your offense a chance until the last inning?
COLE GORDON: Yeah, no matter the situation if you give our offense one more chance to swing the bats and keep it close, that's what they can do, that's what they're capable of. I watched them do it all year, and I'm just excited. There's just a comfort as a pitcher knowing if you can just hold it where it is, our offense is going to give us a chance. They've given us a chance every game this year.

Same thing as Mac, too, going into the last inning, I knew if I kept it there, I had the same feeling as Florida State last year in just like, man, our offense can do this. We're never out of a game despite the situation, the inning, how many outs. That's what having a good offense can do for your ballclub.

Q. Every team wants to be gritty, but when you actually do it time and again and again, where does that come from?
MARSHALL GILBERT: I'd say that it comes from day one that we started. It was kind of I'll throw it back to the conditioning test when we all showed up and everybody had to pass it in order to get to practice and be able to work with everybody, and I said from day one, it's kind of the point where you just can't count us out. There's never a point where somebody is not locked in or somebody has not bought into what we've got going on. And I think in order for us to have that kind of grit, it takes everybody, including people that maybe don't get to start, but at some point they're going to have to come in and make that play, and just having the trust that somebody is going to go out there and give everything they have and just bought into what we are doing.

ELIJAH MacNAMEE: Believing in one another. The bond we have is something that is hard to break. So believing in one another, going out there leaving it out there on your team, it pays off in the end. And we work pitch to the last. You're never out of a ballgame and we all know that, so when we all believe in each other, good things happen.

COLE GORDON: Yeah, I think it comes down to how much we love each other. You can see it when we're on the field. You can see it when we're off the field. We love to be around each other, and if we don't have that connection with each other, then we'll get selfish, then we don't have confidence in the next guy coming up. You watched Rowdey get walked there, and we still knew they were going to get the job done behind him.

So I think it's just having that relationship with all these guys that we've built over all this time that we've spent together. It's truly a family. It's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you don't anywhere else. You don't get to see these guys every day. So I think that's what it is, it comes down to how much we love each other as a family.

Q. Marshall and Elijah, even though Owen was doing so well, did you feel that if you just get in bullpen after the way you played against them in Starkville, did you feel like you make something happen eventually, just keep grinding away and something would crack?
MARSHALL GILBERT: Yeah, you know, that's kind of our philosophy is grind out the starter, get to the pen, so that way they have to change something up and somebody new has to come in. I think it just has to do with the fact that we just stay the course and we never veer off what we're trying to do. If we are, we all bring it back together and we go back and kind of reset.

And I think that as far as Jack Owen, he pitched a great game. He did a hell of a job. Next thing is just the fact that we're able to go out there every single day with the same approach and just trust that the guy after you is going to be able to get the job done.

ELIJAH MacNAMEE: Hats off to Jack Owen. He went out there and did what he was supposed to for his team. We kept grinding and we were trying to get in that bullpen, like you said. Eventually we got in that bullpen, there was that disbelief knowing that he's not out there anymore, because he had three pitches working for him. So when he came out of the game, a little relief came, a little weight off our shoulders for sure.

Q. Chris, you've seen many magical moments with this team throughout the year, but as you're sitting back and watching that ninth inning unfold, what's going through your mind?
CHRIS LEMONIS: You know, our message in the dugout was just get it to the next guy, get it to the next guy. Tanner Allen had a big at-bat with just a walk. Josh Hatcher gets the chop ball. You just have so many things of guys just competing. And Jake Gautreau has done such an unbelievable job with our offense this year, of instilling just the grinder mentality and wearing people out and putting balls in play.

And we were a little frustrate today night. It really wasn't typical of us for the first so many innings and you can tip your hat to their pitching for that. But in that ninth inning, that was us. That's what we do.

Q. I believe Burns, that was his first relief appearance, and there had been some talk that Auburn wouldn't even try to use him today. When he went in, did you think this was a chance to get to this guy after what y'all had seen of him in Starkville?
CHRIS LEMONIS: Well, we kind of knew he'd be available today, just the way they've been using him and listening to everything. We even watched video of him knowing they might use him. Tanner Burns is one of the best arms in the country. I mean, he's a great pitcher. But -- and I was just talking to Cole Gordon, pitching the ninth is just different than any other thing. Cole Gordon, when I pitch him in the seventh, he's not real good. I pitch him in the ninth, he's real good.

It's sometimes a mindset with pitchers and where they're at, and we were fortunate in our game in Starkville we got to Tanner in that first inning he pitched. Then he settled down and really pitched good against us, but we were able to get to him that first time through.

Q. Chris, you said that nobody has hit that pitch Ethan Small -- I'm assuming that was a high fastball --
CHRIS LEMONIS: It was a high fastball, an elevated fastball, and man, he just turned and lifted it. With two strikes you'd think you'd be protecting against some off-speed, but he turned on that ball and he hit it a ton. Edouard, he's one of the best hitters in the country. We said it after our weekend in Starkville. And the changeup he hit to center field to drive in the run after that was another great at-bat.

Q. You're ecstatic with winning and everything, but do you ever in a game like this feel for that third baseman?
CHRIS LEMONIS: We do. You do. That's the first thing we said when we came off the field. Not just the third baseman, the other dugout. There's just such highs and lows of this game and plays happen. But their coaching staff is as good a coaching staff as you'll find. You feel for other coaches as they go through it, as excited as we are. But we've been on the other side, too, and I think everybody at some point in our game has to fight through that piece. It happens to all of us.

Q. I know it's really quick after the game, but now that you know the matchup for Tuesday, do you know who you plan to throw?
CHRIS LEMONIS: We'll probably know tomorrow. I've got to talk to my pitching coach and see, but we'll try to look at it. I think we have a little bit of an idea, but we'll know for sure probably by the time we get to practice tomorrow. I'm sure that will be the first question.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 16, 2019

Chris Lemonis

Cole Gordon

Elijah MacNamee

Marshall Gilbert