June 16, 2011
Vanderbilt’s College World Series central
What once seemed like a long shot or pipe dream to many Commodore faithful is now a reality. The Commodores secured their spot in the College World Series last Saturday, but on Thursday the team’s long road to Omaha finally came to an end in the city so many players and coaches dream about reaching.
It was before 6:00 a.m. when the team buses pulled up next to Parmer Field House on Vanderbilt’s campus. Most in the traveling party had risen by no later than 5:30 a.m. and were en route to campus at this time.
Before players and the majority of support staff arrived to the bus Thursday morning, Coach Tim Corbin was already there. He’s rehearsed the moment so many times before, but now it was actually happening. The journey to Omaha was no longer just a dream – it was a reality.
After taking a moment to survey the scene, he greeted a few fans, who had risen early to send the Commodores off to Omaha. He then spoke with television reporters who had gathered to film Vanderbilt’s departure. Corbin then made his way over to a father who was with his young son. After thanking them for attending, he unzipped his bag and handed the kid a Vanderbilt game jersey.
Although small in Corbin’s eye, the gesture made the child’s day and said so much about the man who has been the architect behind the team’s trip to Omaha. After shaking hands Corbin retreated back to his office. There were 45 minutes remaining before the team would depart … and that meant there were 45 more minutes of preparation he could put in.
To provide a feel for the day’s activities, follow the timeline of Vanderbilt’s first day in Omaha. Each time below includes a link to a photo gallery that will provide a better insight into the team’s day.
7:02 a.m. – The team departs Vanderbilt’s campus for Atlantic Aviation at Nashville International Airport. After completely filling the storage under one bus, a few bags were placed on seats in the second bus. The dress code was coat and tie for the flight to Omaha. 
Photo Gallery. 
7:35 a.m. – Arrive at Atlantic Aviation and begin going through security. The coaches were the first to board, followed by players and support staff. Coach Corbin stayed outside the plane as everyone went through security, including pitcher Jack Armstrong (below). Photo Gallery. 
8:30 a.m. – Depart from Nashville International Airport on a 737 charter flight operated by Sun Country Airlines. Photo Gallery. 
9:13 a.m. – Food is served on plane. Unlike flying commercial where food is not an option at all or is only an option if you don’t mind paying exorbitantly high prices, each person received two egg and cheese croissants, a cinnamon roll and an apple. When the players were not eating, they used the down time to catch up on sleep. Photo Gallery.
9:55 a.m. – Shortly before arriving at the airport, the team was awestruck by the devastation they saw outside of the plane. The Missouri River was wreaking havoc on Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa and was well above flood stage. The river had swallowed up major roads, houses and businesses. The river is expected to crest in two or three days. It should be noted that flooding is not an issue at TD Ameritrade Park and once inside the city center, there is no sign of flooding. Photo Gallery. 
10:03 a.m. – After a flight time of 1 hour, 33 minutes, the team touched down in Omaha. The sky was overcast, but the temperature was in the low to mid 70s. Photo Gallery. 
10:35 a.m. – The luggage is transferred from the plane to the two buses the team is using in Omaha.
10:47 a.m. – The team arrives at TD Ameritrade Park. Before entering the park, the team is greeted by the infamous Road to Omaha statue. Members of the coaching staff and players take photos of the statue before posing for a group photo. TD Ameritrade Park opened in April and the statue was officially rededicated to TD Ameritrade Park on Wednesday. Photo Gallery. 
10:57 a.m. – After posing for photos outside the stadium, the team climbs the steps to take a look inside. Once inside, players snap photos of the field and of themselves at the field. The dimensions of 24,500-seat ballpark are 335′ in the corners, 375′ in the gaps and 408′ to dead center. Most every player agreed that it was the nicest park they will ever have a chance to play in at the college level. Photo Gallery. 
11:20 a.m. – The team departs TD Ameritrade Park for the Hilton Garden Suites, which will serve as the team’s headquarters for what the Commodores hope is two weeks.
11:26 a.m. – After a short drive, the team arrives at the Hilton Garden Suites. The hotel is just a few blocks from the ballpark and is an easy walk with many eateries and shops nearby. As the team pulls up, television cameras and a small contingent of fans greet them. Inside the hotel, Dynamite blared in the lobby and workers donned in Vanderbilt baseball t-shirts assisted the team as they entered. Below, Channel 5 in Nashville interviews Curt Casali. Photo Gallery. 
12:00 p.m. – Before the team heads to their rooms, they grab a boxed lunch from Panera and head to their respective rooms. The players will eat and change into their practice uniforms and head back down to the bus.
12:34 p.m. – The final players make their way onto the one bus that is heading to Creighton University where the team will practice from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
All the teams in the College World Series practice at Creighton’s practice field. When the Commodores arrived at the field, Florida was just wrapping up practice. Following Vanderbilt’s practice, California was taking the field.
Creighton plays its home game at TD Ameritrade Park and its practice field is entirely turf. Its infield, including around home plate and the bases is field turf, while the outfield is Astroturf. 
1 p.m. – Coach Corbin huddles up the team before beginning practice. During the first half of practice, the team focused on fundamentals before finishing with a short scrimmage. Shortly before the team departed for practice, the sun came out for the first time and remained out the rest of the day. Photo Gallery. 
3:02 p.m. – Members of the team sign autographs for a local little league team that is called the Vanderbilt Commodores. The 10-year old Commodores play in the Memorial League in Omaha and adopted the Commodores as their team name based on the team’s preseason ranking. Before every college baseball season, every team selects a college baseball team to be their team for the season. The teams wear the college’s jerseys and hats throughout the season and cheer their team to Omaha. Photo Gallery. 
3:12 p.m. – The team arrives back at the Hilton Garden Inn and will have a few hours to relax before heading to the team dinner at The Drover Restaurant.
