TRANSCRIPT | On to Supers: Coach Bianco, Dom Decker and Wil Libbert talk about 5-4 win over Arizona State

LINCOLN, Neb. — Ole Miss spent the weekend proving it could handle just about anything. Extra innings. Elimination pressure. Hostile crowds. Momentum swings. And on Sunday night, when the Rebels found themselves one win away from a Super Regional berth, they found a way once again. Behind another gritty pitching performance, timely offense, and a sacrifice fly from Dom Decker that ultimately stood as the difference, Ole Miss knocked off Arizona State 5-4 to claim the Lincoln Regional championship and continue its march toward Omaha.

The victory was hardly flawless. The Rebels left opportunities on the field, made mistakes defensively, and never quite played the clean brand of baseball they strive for. Yet that may have made the win even more representative of this team. Throughout a season filled with challenges, Ole Miss has repeatedly responded when circumstances became difficult, and Sunday was no exception.

As head coach Mike Bianco, Decker, and reliever Wil Libbert explained afterward, the Rebels’ ability to lean on one another and remain composed in pressure-filled moments was ultimately what carried them through another postseason test.

Here’s the transcript from their postgame presser: 

Coach Bianco’s Opening Statement

Mike Bianco: Before I talk about my guys, I just want to congratulate the entire field, but obviously a really, really good Arizona State team that competed their rear ends off all weekend long. Also, thank the University of Nebraska and all the people. We know how many hands it goes into putting on an event like this. And they’ve been awesome here in every way. The atmosphere last night was awesome. And so, just a pleasure to be here.

Obviously, I’m really proud of my guys. You know, we played well — probably a better word than, well, is tough,  the entire weekend. And it wasn’t easy, you know? But, you know, I’ve said so many times this week and throughout the year that our guys handle hard well. And, I think in our conference,  you have to to survive. And we needed that and if we didn’t have to go through what we went through this year with our schedule and our conference and everything, I don’t know if we could have gotten through this. But they’ve handled the adversity. And one of the weird things is, I guess I eat a little crow tonight, that I’ve talked so much about and I shared this with the guys about if you don’t play well, you lose. Well, you know, tonight we didn’t play well tonight. We made a lot of mistakes tonight. We didn’t make plays, didn’t make pitches, had some tough at bats at the wrong time. But credit the players for their toughness and their perseverance to overcome some bad play.

I thought, you know, Townsend wasn’t  his normal self tonight. But man, it may be the gutsiest performance of his career against a really, really good offense. I mean, he, you know we we talk about, ‘hey, leaving it on the field and empty the tank.’ And he certainly did that tonight. Of course, sitting next to me Wil Libbert, I thought was the difference in the game for us and of course JP Robertson. You know, at the end, another great outing and just eating up innings for us, but just super proud of my guys for hanging in there and making plays and having great at bats, making some pitches when it meant the most.

Question: Wil, for you. Those three innings, just what was working for you out there?

Wil Libbert: Just a lot of spin. Just really working it and getting in the zone was just the ultimate goal overall and just letting the defense work behind me, especially Dom and Paino just making two great plays back to back. And then just going after hitters and really attacking them, just trying to keep the team in the game is really all I could ask for. And then just the defense behind me and the bats just coming alive at the end was just really great to see.

Question: And I guess with JP (Robertson), too, how much did it mean to you to see? How much did you get fired up from that and the whole team?

Wil Libbert: Yeah, JP is awesome. One of my best friends. Just to see him go out there on just not even a day’s rest after throwing however many pitches yesterday and just put that kind of performance together. It’s just really awesome. So just really proud for him.

Question for Dom Decker: Just kind of what was your mindset there (on the winning SAC fly)?

Dom: I saw they brought the infield in and that happened the first time we played them too and I obviously remembered that and was just trying to get something elevated. I know, I mean, Cannon Goldin’s one of the fastest people in the country, so, if I get it anywhere out in the outfield, he’s going to score. And that was really just kind of the approach, just sticking to my process. Like had a pretty rough game all around. But, I kind of, I mean, I knew I was there for a reason and just stuck to my process, tried to get a ball in the air for Cannon.

Question for Dom: So obviously you’re going back to the super regional, but what does it mean to come here in year one with this team and get to a super regional with these guys?

Dom: Oh, it’s an amazing feeling. I mean, it was my dream as a little kid to play in the SEC. And I mean, dream come true. This team’s everything I’ve ever hoped for in a team. I mean, great group of guys, and it’s such a close knit group and I couldn’t be more proud to play with a group of players.

Question: So what is it about this team that it’s able to come through and win close games, especially in wacky situations like this?

Dom Decker: I mean, honestly, it’s really how close we are and how much we love each other. And you’re not playing for yourself — you’re playing for the guys next to you. You’re playing for the seniors who this could be their last game games. And, you want to do it for the guys around you and not for yourself. And I think that’s what makes us so tough in late situations is it’s not for us. It’s for the guys next to you. And, I think that’s what makes us really special.

Question: Coach, I’m sure throughout your career, you’ve been on the losing side of some of these big games. Can you speak on that side of it and how good it feels to be on the winning side in the super regional?

Coach Bianco: Yeah, it’s hard when you’re on the other side and, you know, unfortunately, we all have that, right? Only one team gets to win their final game. And so everybody loses their final game except for one team. And, usually when that happens, you’re not prepared for it as a coach, as players. And that’s why you can see the emotion from an Arizona State team that just absolutely left it on the field tonight. So you feel for those guys. We’ve been there. You know, we were there last year and watched Dom and his former team (Murray State) celebrate. And it’s tough. You know, the players, the coaches administrators, the families, they’ve invested so much of their lives for these moments and sometimes it doesn’t work out. So, yeah, it’s a tough moment, but it’s also what makes sports so great and so competitive because you know, that feeling, that’s why this feeling feels so, so good. And, I’m super proud and so happy that my players could experience that. A year ago we experienced the other part of it. And so for those older guys like Furniss and Utermark, and Hunter Elliott to feel it again, and so many older guys to experience that. It’s pretty cool.

Question: In that moment and Cannon Goldin where he was, I know you have a lot of trust in him to put him in that spot.

Coach Bianco: Yeah. You know, when we were contemplating you trying to set up the next inning, we moved Moseley in, who’s really a defensive replacement, in a few innings ago and knew when that spot came up, but then started to figure out if Rueter got on, obviously, Fawley can’t come out of the game, but if Rueter comes on, a couple pinch running scenarios. But, you know, Goldin is the fastest that we run him out there. And hopefully, you know, we get a long single or ball in the gap. As Dom said, once he got to third, we couldn’t draw it up better. And I mean that sincerely, like you got maybe your fastest guy at third base. You got probably the guy that swings and misses the least of the team, at the plate. So it was a pretty good situation for us.

Question: (Was it) nice to share this moment on the same side at the table together (with Dom) after last year?

Coach Bianco: Yeah, I just gave him a big hug out there and said, ‘hey, thanks for coming over to the other side.’ But you know, a lot of guys in this era, not just Dom, but we have other guys that played at other schools last year. And, it’s cool. It’s cool to see them experience all, not just today, but, you know, throughout, to play. As Dom said, his goal was to play in the SEC and, to watch guys realize their goals as coaches, that’s what you’re in it for, to watch the players experience these experiences. So it’s been neat.

Question: How rewarding is it for you as a coach to hear players talk about playing for each other, not playing for ourselves?

Coach Bianco: Well, I know people tend to think it’s coaches speak or it’s just the saying, but, and I wasn’t a football player or a basketball player, but I know our game. You can’t win if you’re not a good team. You can have some superstar players, you can have some future major leaguers. But there’s too much invested in the belief. And so what I just said in that scenario about Goldin at third and Dom, I don’t think there was a guy in that dugout wearing our uniform that didn’t believe that that was going to happen. I don’t know if that happens in the other sports. You know, our guys, —  my athletic director is sitting back there so it’s probably not the right thing (to say), but they would rather bus than fly, because they love being on the bus together. And that’s one of the cool things is you hear that later being in the locker room, being with one another. And that usually happens, those comments from the good teams. And so, I think it makes a huge difference.

Final thoughts

After the celebration on the field, the theme that echoed throughout the postgame press conference was not about talent, statistics, or individual performances. It was belief. Belief in teammates. Belief in preparation. Belief that somebody would step up when the moment demanded it. Whether it was Libbert delivering critical innings out of the bullpen, Decker lifting the game-winning sacrifice fly, or a dugout full of players expecting success before it happened, the Rebels once again demonstrated the toughness and togetherness that have defined their postseason run.

Now, with a Super Regional berth secured and Omaha one step closer, Ole Miss heads home knowing the journey is far from over.