June 11, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Tim Corbin sat in the media room of Oregon State’s Goss Stadium late Saturday night, and for a moment, Vanderbilt’s head coach looked to the future.
“I guess every coach sits up here after the season is over and speaks to the other team and if that team goes on,” Corbin said. “Now, after playing them twice, we have a pretty good understanding why they’ve done what they’ve done.”
The Dores are accustomed to being that team, one that considers trips to the College World Series the standard for success. But Vanderbilt’s season ended on Saturday with a 9-2 loss to No. 1 overall seed Oregon State in the NCAA Super Regional. In the immediate aftermath of the loss, Corbin found himself assessing the Beavers’ championship aspirations instead of the Dores’ own.
“What they’ve done, you folks who watch them and are in this town and are fans of the program, take advantage of the situation,” Corbin said. “This doesn’t happen all the time.”
Vanderbilt’s 2017 season will be remembered as an up-and-down affair. Due to an inconsistent offense and a shuffling pitching corps, the Dores finished the regular season sixth in the SEC. They suffered a first-round loss to South Carolina in the SEC tournament and were forced to hit the road for an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2012.
That’s where Vanderbilt began to find its footing. It beat St. John’s and Clemson to claim the program’s fourth regional championship in five seasons. That title sent Vanderbilt on the road again to Corvallis to faced the top-ranked Beavers, whose weapons ultimately proved too potent in two games.
Perhaps Corbin considers a missed trip to Omaha a missed opportunity. But that expectation sheds light on the caliber of program Corbin has built. The Commodores made their 12th straight trip to the NCAA tournament this season, the longest active streak in the SEC. Corbin’s tenure is likewise responsible for all seven of the Dores’ Super Regional appearances.
Moreover, pitcher Kyle Wright and outfielder Jeren Kendall earned All-America status this season and are likely to become top-10 picks in Monday’s Major League Baseball draft. Wright, who made his final start for Vanderbilt in Saturday’s loss, has been projected as the potential No. 1 overall pick. The 6’4”, 200-pound junior from Huntsville, Ala. is a particularly special talent, Corbin said.
“He’s one of the best that we’ve ever had in the program, and that’s saying a lot with the number of pitchers we’ve had coming through our program,” Corbin said.
Replacing and replenishing talent is not a new challenge for Vanderbilt under Corbin. Thirteen Commodores have become first-round picks during the coach’s tenure, another example of the high level of baseball on West End.
The pain of a Super Regional loss might linger for the Commodores as they venture back home. But even though Vanderbilt didn’t always play to its potential in 2017, it still managed to end the season as one of the final 16 teams in college baseball. That shows exactly what Corbin has built in Nashville.