Everything Mark Kingston said after South Carolina's 11-10 loss to LSU on Thursday

Following South Carolina’s 11-10 loss to LSU on Thursday, head coach Mark Kingston

Opening Statement

“Well, I thought we might be in trouble this morning when I found out it was Skip Bertman’s birthday, and I know how that leads to things, especially in this tournament.”

“But, look, we did a lot of great things to win that game tonight, and we did a few things that obviously caused us to lose the game.”

“It was a hell of a game. Both sides did things to win. Both sides did things to lose. They got the one more hit, and we’ve got to wear it today, and we’ll be ready to go tomorrow, like we have been all year.”

Kingston on if there was any hesitation playing Chris Veach after throwing 67 pitches on Tuesday

“No, he made it very clear that if we got in the right spot that he felt he had probably three to four outs in him. He made that very clear. We were in the right spot. He’s obviously done for the weekend. We had made the decision that if he did pitch today, that would be it for the week.”

“So everything lined up, and you know what, he made some pitches, and they put the ball in play and found some holes. Sometimes it just is what it is.”

Kingston on the double steal attempt in the sixth inning and if it impacted the result

“No, there was a left-on-left matchup. We had the right guys on the bases speed-wise. It’s a play that we work on. Monte thought it was the right time to try it, and again, we didn’t come here to play scared, we came here to play aggressive and push the envelope and do some things that we think might help create runs.”

“Again, you do a lot of things that work out, and you do some things that don’t work out. That’s why it’s competitive athletics.”

Kingston on the four errors South Carolina made

“I mean, that was clearly the difference in the game. They made no errors, we made four. Clearly that was the difference in the game. The ball to Gavin, it was almost like a cue ball, and he did everything he could to get down and get in front of him, and it snuck through him.”

“Look, it was a tough play. It was unfortunate. Nothing you can do about it now.”

Kingston on what the difference is as the reason why LSU has played better in the postseason

“Well, it’s LSU. They’re supposed to be one of the best teams in the country, and generally they are. At some point when you have Tommy White, when you have Jared Jones, when you have Hayden Travinski, you’ve got a lot of good players, Thatcher Hurd is still a guy that helped them win a World Series last year, started the game for them.”

“They’ve got good players. Again, we talked about it in Columbia some. There are ebbs and flows to the game, to the season. Teams go through things. I know they went through an unbelievably tough stretch in the middle of the season. It happens. It’s the SEC.”

“At the end of the day, I think we’re all really enjoying this week, the competition, the pageantry. But I think come next week, I think we’re all going to be happy to get out there and not have to look at each other.”

Kingston on playing true freshman Tyler Pitzer and Jake McCoy in a postseason game

“It was really good. They needed that kind of experience. They needed that stage. They’re very talented. They’re going to be very good moving forward, and they needed it. Whether it worked out or whether it didn’t work out, they needed this experience for their growth.”

“They probably both wish they would have done a little bit better, but thought they had their moments, and again, they’ll be better because they were in front of that crowd on that stage, and they’ll be much better because of it.”

Kingston on former Gamecock Michael Braswell getting the game-winning hit against his former team

“Yeah, you know, I think I felt a little bit like Tim Corbin watching Parker Noland and Gavin Casas. It’s the age we’re in, the transfer portal age, and guys are moving around to different teams and trying to make the most of their careers. That’s something you don’t begrudge anybody.”

Kingston on what he was said to the umpires after LSU got a sac fly to tie the game at 10

“We were just trying to see if they were absolutely 100 percent positive because we had already appealed it and the umpire was right there, and they just felt like there was no reason to go look at it, and we didn’t go. But we talked about it, and the umpire assured me that he was 100 percent positive the guy did not leave early.”

Kingston on if he’s seen Michael Braswell’s game evolve this season

“Yeah, we didn’t play them this year, so it’s hard for me to say. Outside of today — that’s a hard thing to say.”

Kingston on what’s left in the tank for South Carolina in the SEC Tournament

“Yeah, again, if you watch our guys, our guys love to play. There was disappointment in that dugout. It stings. The only reason it stings is because it matters so much, and they love playing together. They’ve got a chance to do it again tomorrow. That was our message. If it didn’t sting so much, it’s because it doesn’t mean that much.”

“Look, it was a hell of a game. It’s a hell of a week, and it’s going to serve us well moving into next weekend. One of these teams was going to be very disappointed coming in here tonight. Today is our turn. But it doesn’t do anything for our resolve to continue to get better, continue to support each other, and be ready for the next one.”

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