What USM Coach Scott Berry, Golden Eagle Players Said About Tennessee Baseball

Tennessee baseball is headed to the College World Series, knocking off Southern Miss in the Hattiesburg Super Regional.

It was the end of legendary Southern Miss’ coach Scott Berry’s career and the Golden Eagles’ coach spoke kindly of Tony Vitello and his program following the game.

Here’s what Berry and Southern Miss players said about the Vols over the course of the weekend.

More From RTI: Tony Vitello’s Best Coaching Job Sends Tennessee To Omaha

Scott Berry

Following Sunday’s games

On What Changed After Tennessee’s Six-Run Fourth Inning

“I don’t know, I’d say Dollander got a lot of confidence in that situation. He gives up a four-spot and [Southern Miss 1B Christopher] Sargent’s three-run homer. His team just like if it was our team, we answer back and that guy on the mound feels like it’s not by himself and that he’s got others around him. The team responded. They were able to lead off that inning with a double and situational hitting got them all through in the right side. And we had four errors throughout the game and a couple of those runs came off an error that would’ve kept it, I wish, a two-run game with four innings led to play, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I think Dollander probably fed a bit off of that and how his team responded.”

Following Monday’s game

Opening statement

“First of all, I want to congratulate Tennessee on their berth to the College World Series. I know they work hard just like we do and certainly they came out and played very well today. Most deserving of that to move ahead and we wish them to best in Omaha.”

On Tennessee’s pitching

“It was really good. I honestly thought that Beam, as far as starters, I thought he had the best stuff of the three and the other two were pretty good, but I thought Beam was really good. The biggest thing is that the freebies weren’t there to build some momentum for us, we couldn’t string the hits together and that’s a credit to them. Not being able to let us have any momentum, that we had to work to get on with base hits, and we hit some balls hard, especially off Beam. Burns was a little different creature. Sitting there in triple digits, that’s pretty tough there with him. Very elite pitching. We knew that going in, the numbers indicated that. The two guys today I thought were really good. Of course, the one guy, Combs, that they brought in to deal with a situation to get out of it, they just really never gave us any chance to get going.”

Pitching Tanner Hall on Sunday

On what happened in Tennessee’s six-run fourth inning

“I feel like they were just really getting their timely hits. It wasn’t really something I feel like I was doing differently. I felt like I was making the same pitches. I definitely left a pitch or two up to make it a little easier for them but they defintely capitalized on the mistakes I made along with mistakes in the field. I think that’s why they were able to get that momentum and keep rolling and made that inning a lot longer than it should have been. But I feel like I was making pitches but they were getting the good swings off and putting the ball in play. That’s something you have to do in the game especially when your backs are against the wall like them. I feel like they did it well in that inning and really capitalized.”

Infielder Dustin Dickerson on Sunday

On what was going so well for Chase Dollander

“He’s a really good pitcher. We got to him early on and he kind of settled in after that. He has an electric fastball. He’s got three other pitches he can land for strikes that keep you off balance. I mean, his fastball got some more ride as the game went on and that’s a credit to him and how good of a pitcher he is.”

Infielder Danny Lynch on Monday

On Tennessee’s pitching

“It’s like Coach Berry said, the walks weren’t there. Beam had really good stuff and he was in the zone. When you’re really good stuff and you’re not getting the freebies, it’s going to be tough to score. You have to string together a bunch of hits and we weren’t able to do that. Obviously Burns came in and he has electric stuff. He gave us a little bit there in the ninth but we couldn’t string it together enough.”