No. 18 Ole Miss already lost its rivalry, weekend series to No. 6 Mississippi State with a 6-1 loss on Saturday. On Sunday, the Rebels will try to avoid a series sweep to the Bulldogs.
After Saturday’s game at Swayze Field, Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco and second baseman Dom Decker spoke with reporters about the game, the team’s offensive struggles and why a win Sunday is important. Here’s everything they said.
Mike Bianco, Head Coach
On Mississippi State pitcher Tomas Valincius…
“Yeah, obviously we knew he was really good, and he showed that today. But we also blew some opportunities. Last night, we talked about how they had some balls find holes and got some good fortune. We didn’t give ourselves that same chance. When we got runners to second base, I think we struck out looking three times against him. Those are opportunities where you just have to move the ball, put it in play, and maybe create some of your own luck. We didn’t do that. But yeah, he’s terrific.”
On Collin Reuter and Tristan Bissetta…
“I wish I had a clear answer for you. There have been days where both guys have looked good, just not consistently at the same time. They’ve each had good moments over the last few weeks, but not enough together, and that’s been a big part of it. The bottom half of the lineup has struggled, while the top half has done a good job putting us in position. But overall, it’s just been too inconsistent lately.”
On Owen Hancock…
“He was really good—especially against a really good offense. He got ahead with strike one and was able to put hitters away. I think he had five strikeouts over the last three-plus innings against a team that doesn’t strike out much. So, it was a really strong outing from him. Unfortunately, it goes for nothing in a loss.”
On Wil Libbert coming out of the bullpen…
“He did a nice job in that moment. But we needed more than just that inning—we were hoping he could give us some length, and he wasn’t able to do that. The stuff is good. We just have to go back to work with him and get more zeroes. But you’re right, it was a tough spot to come into, and he handled it fairly well. He was really just a pitch away from giving up that run.”
On Cade Townsend’s pitch count for Sunday…
“He will be, but I don’t know exactly what that number looks like right now.”
Dom Decker, 2B
On Mississippi State pitcher Tomas Valincius…
“He’s obviously got a really good arm. From the left side, you see the sinker working in, and then he pairs it with a really good slider away. He commanded a lot of his pitches, threw them where he wanted, didn’t give us free bases and made it tough on us.”
On struggles at the plate…
“We just have to stick to our process. We know we’re a good hitting team. It’s about trusting that—both as a group and individually. Every at-bat, you’ve got to step in believing you’re the best hitter on the planet. It’s about confidence and sticking to what we do.”
On conversations inside locker room…
“We’re all facing the same pitcher, so we’re talking about his stuff and how we can attack him. But it’s different for everybody. I’m a different hitter than Judd, and that goes for everyone in the lineup. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. We’re just trying to help each other, share what we’re seeing and adjust from there.”
On team leaders…
“A lot of our older guys have been really good about that. Hunter’s great in the dugout—he’s always a positive voice when things start to go sideways. Judd’s the same way. Guys who’ve been here and experienced it before do a really good job of keeping everyone steady and positive.”
On Sunday’s series finale…
“We need a win tomorrow. This one hurts, and it’s going to sting for a bit. But we’ve got to come out ready to go because the next one is just as important. You’ve got to move on and be ready for the next opportunity.”
