June 12, 2015
Watch Press Conference | 
Quotes
OPENING STATEMENT
COACH CORBIN: Welcome. We’re certainly glad and fortunate to be back in Omaha once again. Great experience, obviously, last year. I think, as a coach, we all want that opportunity for our kids, if we’re fortunate enough to play consistent baseball during the course of the year, and we have. We’ve survived our league and been able to get through it, and certainly like everyone else that’s here, played well in the postseason in order to earn this opportunity. So we’re very glad and happy to be here.
Q. I wonder if you could address just what you’ve seen from the flat seam ball this year, how do you think it’s affected the game, your hitters and your pitchers, and whether it’s affected the way you coach at all?
COACH CORBIN: I think it’s created a little more harmony between the offense and the defense. To me, it’s been a better game. I like the adjustment. I don’t even think about it anymore until a question like that’s asked. To be honest with you, it’s a good game right now. I like the way it’s played.
Q. With the personnel out of the ballpark, as it is, I’d like to have you maybe talk a little bit about your defense, what makes it so special, and also the arm strength of your outfielders.
COACH CORBIN: I think for the most part we’re experienced defensively. We have two new kids, one at third and one in left field, but they’ve transitioned nicely. Third baseman’s played very well actually as the season’s progressed. Swanson’s made the transition from second to short well, but I thought that would be the case. He would have been our shortstop his freshman year had he not gotten hurt.
Zander Wiel and Tyler Campbell have played well on the right side. I think a little bit like maybe Paul and Jim, from what I know, is all three outfielders for us could probably play centerfield if they had to. So I like the athletic ability of them.
Q. Coach Corbin and Coach Mainieri, with the SEC having half the tournament field this year, how much pride do you take in your conference sending four representatives?
COACH CORBIN: We’re all prideful of that. I think — Paul would probably say this, too — we don’t bang ourselves on the chest and say this is the toughest conference. It’s a very good conference, and I think you have to endure it. I think you just have to keep the confidence of your kids going during the course of the year because there’s certain times that you go through a weekend and you wonder — you do a self-check of whether or not you’ve got the right club or not, but you do. You’re just getting through another club, and you’re just going through maybe a weekend that’s not as good as the one prior to or after.
I just think you have to endure that, and if you do, I think you’re prepared. You’re prepared for the Regional. You’re prepared for a Super Regional, just because of what you have to go through and the level of abilities and skill sets that exist inside the conference.
Q. Tim, when I go out there, I talk to a lot of kids that have Vanderbilt caps, and they can name your whole lineup. They said they didn’t know that about Vanderbilt last year. What does Omaha do to the branding of the program? Did you foresee that brand coming out of coming here?
COACH CORBIN: You couldn’t buy a Vanderbilt hat back in 2002 and 2003. I remember going to a sporting goods store and asking, and there was just a lot of orange. There was nothing black and gold. So I think that part has been fun to see.
I would say that our network has done more for our kids and done more for our league in players than anything I’ve seen in the past 12 months. They do a remarkable job of celebrating the kids and making them feel good about what they do.
Prior to getting to Omaha, I think that’s the one thing that all of us could point to and say that’s been a very good thing for our kids. That’s been a good thing for branding. That’s been a good thing for LSU, Vanderbilt, Arkansas — all of our teams. So, yeah, branding is a very powerful thing with young kids because they look up to these kids like they’re rock stars.
Q. Could you explain the way you revitalized the way you recruited players, the type of players you recruited to get to this level, to win at this level, and how long ago did that process start?
COACH CORBIN: Certainly, I had to adjust. I think through the years, when we were trying to compete at a level that was somewhat successful, we had to recruit a better athlete in a lot of different ways. I think what Jim said, the pitching was paramount. Before my arrival, Vanderbilt had some good arms. Jeremy Sowers was already there when we got there. But the thing about Clemson and how Jack (Leggett) went about recruiting there was power arms, efficient arms, guys who could keep your team close and play good defense. That certainly was very impactful on me personally on how to build a club.
Q. This question’s for Paul and Tim and whoever else wants to chime in: The shortstop serves in the Draft was pretty well documented with the top three guys being shortstops. What do you guys attribute that to? Is there a reason for it? Is the position developing differently? Is there any trend or any explanation for it?
COACH CORBIN: I think Major League Baseball is always looking for shortstops that are competent, that they think have a skill set that can stay in the game for several years.
In the college game, it’s very cyclical. I think it just happened this year you had so many good shortstops, and even in our league, outside of Alex and Dansby, there were great shortstops in our league, and all can play at a very high level. And the guys that aren’t mentioned are very good.
I think it’s a year where the shortstop can defend but also has offensive abilities, is out there, and because they’re out there, they got grabbed quick. Sometimes in drafts, whether it’s MLB or NFL, you see a certain position get highlighted, and the next thing you know, once one guy goes, then that position, the next position guy right next to him goes. I think that’s kind of what it was this year.
Q. Do you expect the home run correction in offense will be better in this year’s World Series than it was last year, or do you think it’s not going to quite match up?
COACH CORBIN: I have no idea. I’m anxious to see it, I guess. The level of pitching that we’re up against with Eshelman and Poche and Preston, it would be tough. These kids pitch very, very well. So I don’t know, ball or old ball, new ball, I’m not really sure. I’m anxious to see what happens.
Q. Tim, there’s a difference between a good player and a popular player. Carson and Dansby are both popular players. What is it about their philosophy or approach that makes them attractive?
COACH CORBIN: I just think that, as the years have gone on, they’ve been able to hold on to their innocence. I think that’s very seeable, and they certainly engage other people well, and they do it naturally. It’s not manufactured. Their personalities are very engaging.
They see people for what they are, and they see themselves for what they are. They’re real. They don’t get outside of their personality, and I think it wears well, and people feel that.