From November 4-9, I had the privilege of spending a week with coach Tim Corbin and the Vanderbilt University baseball team.
Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of New York shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million endowment despite having never been to the South. Vanderbilt hoped that his gift and the greater work of the university would help to heal the sectional wounds inflicted by the Civil War. (Wikipedia link)
Head coach Tim Corbin has led the Commodores since 2003. Coach Corbin has transformed the Commodores from a perennial Southeastern Conference doormat to an elite program. When he arrived in 2003, Vanderbilt had only had six winning seasons in SEC play since baseball became a scholarship sport in 1968, and had only been to three NCAA Tournaments in school history. However, since then, they have been to all but one NCAA Tournament since 2004.
On June 25, 2014, he led the team to Vanderbilt's first ever men's NCAA Championship in any sport, winning the College World Series. In his first ten years, Corbin amassed a 411-217 record with the Commodores. His 2013 Commodores team set an SEC record for wins, going 26-3 in conference. On May 2, 2014, Corbin won his 500th game at Vanderbilt in an 8-3 victory over Missouri. In 2019 he led the Commodores to their 2nd Division 1 Championship.
It was very clear from the moment a stepped foot in the athletic center, and was greeted by a few players. They carried themselves like professionals. The team meetings were informative and the practices were very intense, with a high tempo. The players hustled everywhere and played every minute with extreme focus.
It's no surprise that they are NCAA Division 1 best program.
Thank you Baseball Ontario for the opportunity and to coach Tim Corbin, Mike Baxter, David Macias and Vandy Boys for an experience I will never forget.
Links:
