Mississippi State desperately needed to pick up a victory to open series play against Florida, but they ultimately dropped Friday night's game to the Gators by a score of 8-6.

The Diamond Dawgs struggled on the mound and at the plate. They attempted to mount a comeback in the seventh and eighth innings but fell just short. Now, they have an even deeper hole to dig themselves out of to finish with at least an even conference record.

Here is what head coach Chris Lemonis and first baseman Luke Hancock had to say after Friday night's loss.

Smith had arguably his worst outing of the season on Friday night against Florida. Through 4.2 innings pitched, he gave up seven runs on six hits with three strikeouts and five walked batters. Before tonight's game, Smith had only walked eight batters in 16 appearances and had an earned run average of 3.75 on the season. Every pitcher has games in which they struggle; unfortunately for Smith, it came at a key part of the season.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Diamond Dawgs were on the verge of a total comeback. They had loaded the bases with just one out on a single by Brad Cumbest and walks against Aaron Downs and Lane Forsythe. Florida pitcher Ryan Slater was struggling to find the zone, and the atmosphere at Dudy Noble Field was most certainly getting to him. Leadoff batter RJ Yeager stepped up to the plate but didn't make the most of his at-bat. Yeager swung at the second pitch he saw on a 1-0 count against a pitcher that was easily walking batters. Although one run managed to score, he picked up the second out of the inning. With two runners in scoring position, Kamren James sent the first pitch of his at-bat sailing into right field for a routine flyout. Neither veteran took advantage of Slater's struggles.

It's hard for outsiders to feel bad for a team that just won a national championship, especially considering how Mississippi State has let some games slip away. The team has lost six games by just one run and has had some terrible meltdowns throughout the year in games that should have been won. The Diamond Dawgs could be in a very different situation right now if a few more hits and pitches had gone their way this season, but there's no time to dwell on the past. Instead, Lemonis expects his players to work hard and push for the postseason.

MSU desperately needs Johnson to step up in Saturday's game. He has been a force to be reckoned with all season but struggled a good bit in last weekend's loss to Missouri. He gave up a season-high nine runs against the Tigers, including three homers. Given the power that Florida's offense has, an outstanding performance on the mound is crucial in securing a victory. Johnson certainly can match up with any team, and Saturday's game could be the biggest of the year for him.

The odds of Mississippi State making it to the postseason are slim but still there. There are only three weekends of SEC play left before the SEC Tournament and NCAA postseason begin. The Diamond Dawgs need to win at least five of their remaining eight games to finish at .500 in the SEC. Winning six or seven games will give them a much better shot at being selected for a regional. It won't be easy: after two more games against Florida, MSU will travel to Texas A&M and face Tennessee at home. To say that the team needs to do something special might be an understatement, but the Bulldogs have proven in the past that they should never be counted out.