TRANSCRIPT: Mike Bianco, Brayden Randle and Judd Utermark After Ole Miss’ 6-4 Win Over Auburn in Game One of Super Regional

AUBURN, Ala. — Ole Miss moved within one win of a return trip to Omaha Friday night with a 6-4 victory over Auburn in Game 1 of the Auburn Super Regional. Following the win, head coach Mike Bianco, infielder/outfielder Brayden Randle and third baseman Judd Utermark met with the media to discuss the Rebels’ performance, Randle’s move to the outfield, key moments from the game and the opportunity awaiting Ole Miss on Saturday.

Mike Bianco’s Opening Statement:

You know, I thought it was a great college baseball game. I thought we played really well. On the mound, for our reporters and our fans that have seen Hunter Elliott for so many years, um, you know, he can have games like that where he looks like it’s not going to be his night, but he just makes pitches and gets off the field and he’s just got as much guts as anybody that’s ever put on this uniform. So it’s great to have him out there kind of grinding through. And then, of course, I thought, you know, a huge part of the game, you know, besides the offense was Calhoun coming in the fifth and getting off the field  with a couple big outs. Obviously, Randle’s here because he was the guy that threw the first punch and the first couple punches and you know, just proud of the way he’s played, you know, the last couple weekends. Uh, and then, we stuck him, we talked about it a couple weeks ago, he’s been taking flyballs out in the outfield with a chance to get on the field and still leave the DH spot open for Rueter. And, that ended up working out pretty well for us tonight with a couple hits from him and a big home run by Rueter and then of course, a huge home run by Judd. But I thought we played really well. You know, they’re they’re a really good team. They can really pitch it. You know it’s an offense that’s underrated on the other side. But we played really well tonight.

Question: Brayden, when was the when was the last time that you played outfield in a game?

Brayden: There were about four people that asked me about it before the game. I told them 14 year, summer ball.

Question: What has this process been like getting into that role?

Brayden: I really don’t know how they thought about it, but, for some reason, all the infielders in our last round of BP would go out and take fly balls in the outfield.  I just caught the balls.  I guess they noticed that and put me out there one day for practice. Kept doing it, kept doing it, kept doing it. And I started to feel comfortable out there.

Question: And then Judd, for you. How did that one feel off the bat?

Judd: Yeah, it felt good. I knew that obviously there’s a massive green monster wall out there in left. It’s one of the reasons why I love playing here. It’s it’s cool to have something different on your field. So I knew I had to hit it high enough and I definitely hit it high enough. It was just a matter of was it going to go the distance. But yeah, It felt good off the bat. Glad to put two up there for us.

Question: Brayden, you have become one of the hottest hitters in college baseball this postseason. What are you seeing at the plate right now?

Brayden: Really everything. You know, I just go up there with that approach of do it for the team. No moment is too big and just try to think like there’s no outs in the game. Like I think tonight there was two outs on both my hits, I went up there like there was no outs and just put the ball in play and let good things happen.

Question: I think back to last year, even with the home run against Murray State, but it seems like you have a knack for, for coming up and playing well in these big games. Is there something you like about the big game atmosphere?

Brayden: Man, it’s just another game. You win, you play tomorrow. That’s kind of the mindset that I go into. I’m just proud of the guys around me that have kept that same mindset.

Question: Were you pretty good in 14 year in the outfield?

Brayden: You know, I did hose somebody in my last game.

Question: Braden, what was the month of May like? I mean, didn’t play every day after playing most days before that. I guess just mindset wise, how did you kind of stay in it and locked in for the last couple of weeks when you got the opportunity again?

Brayden: I just wanted to stay ready when my name was going to be called again, I wanted to be ready so I could get in there and do the best for the team and keep winning. It was hard for sure playing every day and then having to sit. But, you know, I just kind of kept the mindset that when I get in there again, I’m going to show them how it’s done.

Question: Mike, you brought up Brayden earlier, but just what can you say about his attitude through all of this?

Mike Bianco: I mean, he mentioned it. It’s tough. It’s, I was going to say tough on young people, but it’s tough on anybody, right. That you’re a starter and then all of a sudden you’re not.But, you know, we ask that of everyone. We ask them to be selfless, to put the team first, to accept the role and certainly he’s done that and he’s done in a lot of different ways, either as a backup. You know, when when Fed got hurt, we moved Paino to third base and moved him to short. He’s done that a lot. But I’m proud of him because in the biggest moments, I don’t know if he sees it, but, you know, we see it, the pulse is slow. He wants those big moments. There are certain guys that will pull the trigger, certain guys that are different in those moments. And he’s almost better in those moments. And so that’s been a big, big boost to that lineup especially, that back half of the lineup the last couple weeks.

Question: Coach, Bissetta obviously started in left and then moved to right field. What was the reasoning behind that?

Coach Bianco: The truth is I didn’t know the 14 youth story. I just took it as he’s never played before. And I didn’t want the first time that he ran out there for the sun to be in his face. You know, it’s one thing, the monster didn’t scare me as much as the sun did. You know, this field’s situated a little different than most. Most fields, the sun field is right field. This field is like Omaha, Georgia, and some other parks, I think, Arkansas, where the sun field is left field and playing at 7:00 and actually, I think tomorrow it’ll be a bigger factor. You know, we weren’t sure 7:00 pm at the stadium how much that would be a factor. And really, I don’t think it was a factor at the beginning. But that was the plan all along, is maybe an inning, two, three. You know, once Bissetta, the sun’s not you know, it’s fine. And you gotta remember that Bissetta plays right field for us. So he plays in the sun every game. And so he’s used to it. We did that actually, our guys probably remember up in Minute Maid to start the season we put Bissetta in left field to to handle the sun. So you know tomorrow probably do a little bit of that and the guy that’s a little more comfortable out there with the sun.

Question: We couldn’t see what was the call on the pitch before, on what everybody thought was the strikeout right there.

Bianco: The umpire called it originally that the ball hit the ground. The umpire, David Savage from first came in, and thought he had a different, a better angle. The umpire saw the ball, felt that the ball was scuffed from hitting the ground and ruled that the ball hit the ground. Foul tip.

Question: I know, obviously you mentioned the fifth with Calhoun there, but it looked like Hooks was ready in the seventh. What did you like about keeping Calhoun right there and not going to Hooks this early in the seventh?

Bianco: You know, this is different than last week. We talked about it, Joel (Mangrum) and I, obviously you got to win the first game. But you got to win two. You know, last week the risk reward for winning and losing was so great in those first two games that it’s really difficult if you lose one of those first two games. And and so we were willing to just empty the tank on anybody to win the game.

This becomes more like a three game series where you got to have enough to, to finish it and so the way Huddy was throwing the ball, we thought he was in control and really get through the seventh. We were,  hitter to hitter and just proud of him. He’s shown that he deserves it. He earned, you know, he’s earned that, that opportunity. But sometimes you don’t know because of the emotion. And I think that’s what really drained them to come in there to get off the field in the fifth, to get through the sixth, you know, and then all of a sudden you get through the seventh and now we’re really squeezing it. But again, trying to just save pitches, you know for Hooks.

Question: Have you settled on an arm tomorrow?

Coach Bianco: We’re going to start Taylor Rabe.

Next up:

Ole Miss can secure a trip to Omaha with a win Saturday, while Auburn will be fighting to keep its season alive and force a winner-take-all Game 3.