June 1, 2015
Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin
Opening statement:
“Well it was obviously an offensive show from our guys from the get go. I don’t think you ever would dream that a game would play out that way, but the kids did a very nice job of swinging the bat early. It looked like they were very much confortable at the plate. Ro (Colman) and on down was on base six times today, and Zander (Wiel) and Dansby (Swanson) four… it was just a total output. I thought Walker (Buehler) pitched very nicely. He threw a lot of strikes and commanded the ball — the breaking ball — that was good for him personally. But as I told then kids at the end, that to win a game like that that they did it with class. They were just a classy group of kids with how they handled themselves in playing the game appropriately and for what it is and keeping the integrity of it. So I’m proud of them for a lot of different reasons. So we’ll just move on from here.”Â
On team’s status heading into NCAA Super Regional:
“I would just say they’re consistent more than anything else. You can’t control the score all the time. The game got out of hand, but we obviously had something to do with that because of the offensive output. But I would just say that consistency and their approach more than anything else. To be honest with you I was at peace when we got to the locker room this morning with how they were going to play. I just knew from a maturity standpoint and their approach to things. They were all sitting in the clubhouse last night when the game got rained out and they were eating and hanging together, and then they were there three hours before we met this morning… so they were eager, yet under control and mature. They’re just mature kids.”
Preparing and scouting Radford:
“Well I think any team is dangerous heading into the championship game, you just have to look at it that way. We just talked to them about who they were, but I think they approach has to be very singular and self-centered when it gets to playing an opponent. It’s about what you can do as a team, and your approach mentally and physically. If you stay on that note then the training and preparedness will take care of the games. I feel confident about the kids… they go about business well and I just felt like no matter who it was, whether it was Radford or Indiana, that we would handle ourselves appropriately. We knew they were an offensive team and we beat a team that went 36 out of 39, and that’s a second seed. So it was just one of those days, but we beat a good team.”
Emotions when players were coming off the field for the last time:
“That’s not easy. That’s the tough part of coaching kids for two and three kids. It just seems like the years go bye way way too fast. I’m glad they got the moment because they’re deserving of it. I thought in the back of my mind that if we could create that moment for them, that I’d do my best to do it. But you have no control of the game score. But I wanted to do it for them. You folks do a great job at celebrating the kids and I `m very appreciative for that, and that’s why we’re all together. We’re here for the kids and what they do on the field. So when you can be an active participant in their life it’s very gratifying to see them do the right things.”
On feel of pitching staff:
“I feel good, because they’ve all been there. Carson (Fulmer) Phil (Pfeifer) and Walker (Buehler) have all been in these environments before. I do like our relief pitching; we got to see Bowden and Wright the other night. He kids that we bring in are very confortable and I do think that we’re improving. I think this time of year sometimes it gets lost when you’re in the postseason about the strides you can make in weeks and that’s the thing that we stressed last year. Those moments when you’re training or practicing… you can still get better. I think our bullpen has gotten batter and I think our team has gotten better and more confident.”
Comparing last season’s run to the current season’s:
“I don’t think you as a coach can ever think you have everything in place, but my feeling of this group is that I trust their mentality and their heartbeat and their approach more than anything else. I think it’s insane that the game sometimes takes swings that you’re not ready for or see coming. And this game is a little bit different, but I don’t worry about their approach or who they go about things. And Dansby (Swanson) and Zander (Wiel) noted it to that when you’ve been through these things before it hardens your skin a little bit, and you see what’s coming before it hits you. It doesn’t mean you’ll win, but it does help you.”
What this regional’s “definitive” win says about this team?
“Mature, and motivated and confident. In keeping things into perspective, we got through that second, third and fourth inning and we said nothing to the team about keeping things into perspective and playing the frames. They continued to play the frames and I told them ” I just appreciate how classy you guys are and who you played that game and with the maturity you played that game”. I’ve been on the other side of that game, and that’s not a fun one. I’m sitting over there in third base and I’m thinking of Joe (Raccuia) and how he feels, but at the same time as an opponent if they’re scoring a lot of runs you can do it in the right way. I felt the kids handled themselves in the right way.”
Shortstop Dansby Swanson
On the team mood in the dugout with a huge lead:
“I think, for us, the biggest thing is to just keep our focus and edge. It get tough, but as coach said you have to be very mature in those moments and not start clowning around and acting in ways that you shouldn’t. We were just trying to stay focused and support the guys who don’t necessarily get on the field all the time and try to help them because at the end of the year they are going to be huge participants for us.”Â
On being substituted out of the game to a standing ovation:
“It’s a special moment and I honestly couldn’t thank coach for a better person to go off the field with than Carson. He’s my best friend and being able to do it with him was emotional. I remember Rhett came up to me and asked if I was ready because I didn’t think it was going to be that bad and told that no it really is. So when we were coming off the field, I was just thinking that the fans have been incredible to us the past three years. And coming off of the field with Carson and seeing the guys and coach, I would be lying to you if I didn’t tear up. It has been a heck of a ride.”
On playing a game that wasn’t as intense and stressful going into the Super Regional:
“I think the positive thing for us is the confidence that we can build on from an explosive offensive performance and we also pitched very well this week and defended very well. I think moving forward it will help us.”Â
On how the team feels heading into Super Regional:
“I think not even comparing to last year, I believe we are really confident about where we are. It’s that time of the year when the intensity gets built up a little bit more. I think everyone is focused and are going into things the right way, you can’t really ask for anything more than that.”
First baseman Zander Wiel
On realizing that it could possibly the last time him and his teammates play at home:
“It’s definitely emotional. I think it started with Rhett and Walker, it was great for those guys to have that moment. I came up and got that hit in my last at bat. It’s just so many memories of my years here and a lot of success. I’m just so thankful for the fans and just being around this great group of guys and the coaching staff during this special period in my life, so it was definitely emotional.”
On beating all three teams in the Regional:
Ever since day one coach preaches to us that we aren’t playing to whoever the opponent is, it’s just another shirt. We can’t change the way we play and we know we have to come out hungry and ready to play our best everytime out. To go through all regional opponents was just a really good all around performance. It’s definitely a confidence boost going into supers.
Radford University Head Coach Joe Raccuia
Opening Statement:
“First off, I’d like to thank Vanderbilt for their first class operation. The way they ran the regional, I thought they were outstanding, and obviously we went up against the defending National Champion who is playing very good baseball at this point. You know, we are facing a first-rounder and obviously we felt like if we got a good start from Mitchell (MacKeith) we’d compete and if we didn’t we were going to be in serious trouble and it happens you know. That’s a good baseball team. We made a couple of mistakes early in the game and they made it hurt, and then just the momentum just wasn’t going to be stopped. So, I congratulate them. I think they are going to be a force to reckon with through the Super Regionals, and then I would first and foremost like to thank my team for a record-breaking season. Forty-five wins, not a lot of losses, first place in the regular season, Big South Tournament Championship, and even more proud of the fact that we lost game one against Indiana and bounced back and got into the championship/final round whatever it may be. You know, it was disappointing that it finished like this, but like I said that is not going to be the trademark of this season. The trademark of this season is a 45-16 record and separating ourselves from a lot of people in our level.”
On the pitchers available to pitch in this game:
“(Daniel) Bridgeman was available. We obviously didn’t get a chance to use our closer. He was going to be our closer. So, I was just trying to figure out how we were going to get through nine at some point through the fourth inning, and you know Meis (Ryan Meisinger) wasn’t available. We probably could have made him available, but I’m not at the point where I want to start using kids when they don’t need to be used for you know professional purposes. So, that’s not the way we were going to go down. “
On the difficulty of trying to duplicate this year’s success next year:
“You know, winning’s hard. I mean, I think Coach Corbin will come up here and tell you that winning is hard. So, I don’t take it for granted, but you got to hope that the young kids we continue to recruit learn what it is about winning. What it took this older class to go through. I mean, winning gets contagious and it becomes a tradition. So, you know this is something for these kids to grasp onto. So, hopefully you get to next year and you get to August that guy’s understand what it takes to get to this level. Hopefully, they’re going to understand it.”
On if he will return as the Radford head coach next season:
“I hope to be in a Radford uniform next year. I don’t even focus on that.”Â
On if any point in the game did you try to push reset and rally the troops:
“Yeah, I don’t take trips to the mound many times nowadays. I got Coach McQueen with me, a veteran pitching coach. So, when you start seeing me take trips it means I’m trying to, OK, look calm the situation down. Look, we can’t run from it. There’s 3,000 people in the stands, we’re on the SEC Network, we’re not going to run from it. You know, I can’t hide in the dugout. I’ve got to coach third with ya. You know, these are the things that we need to do. There’s no reason for us to go out on this note. Let’s just stay composed, let’s play defense, let’s take good at-bats, and at one point in the game I don’t know what my guy’s thought about what I said but we were down nine, nothing. I said, `Let’s lose 11-5′.’Let’s get this game under control, let’s make it respectable, let’s go out on the right note.’ You know, because you’re getting beat, and it’s just not stopping and we didn’t stop it defensively, we didn’t stop them on the mound. So, we just wanted to make sure our kids went down trying to give it what they had. It doesn’t help when they are bringing out guys that are throwing 94, 96 in the eighth inning that don’t pitch very much. It’s crazy.”
Radford junior pitcher Mitchell MacKeith
On his difficulties on the mound stemming from poor command or a difficult lineup:
“I think a little bit of both. I left a lot, a couple balls up that could have been down in the zone when I wanted it to be, but yeah those mistakes on my part that I wanted to change but they’re a great hitting team.”
On the future of the team heading into next season:
“Yeah, I think that we can build on this team and the season that we just had. The younger guys have learned from our older guys. So, I think it will carry over on to next season. Hopefully, we can duplicate what we did.”
Radford senior catcher Josh Reavis
On the feelings of ending the season in such a way:
“It’s unfortunate. It’s definitely disappointing in a lot of ways. Just to not show up on the field like we wanted to today, but it’s hard to focus on that when you have the good group of guys that we have, that have done so much this year both on and off the field. Just the greatest group of guys we’ve been around, that I’ve had around me in five years here. It’s hard to focus on the negative when you look back on everything.”Â
On how you will remember this season:
“I won’t forget it, that’s for sure. I mean like I said, the group of guys we have is unbelievable. So, 1-35 or 37 to start the fall, it’s just they’re all unbelievable kids, and getting to watch some of the guys grow up over the year and throughout my five years here has been a huge blessing that I’ll probably never have again in my life. But it’s just been an awesome ride, and I’m glad we got to go out this way.”Â
On feeling of the team losing the game in this manner, is there embarrassment:
“Embarrassed is definitely a good word for it, I would say. Working so hard to get to this point then not coming out today is highly embarrassing, but at the same time it’s, we are playing a great ball club. When knew the way we were going to have to play to beat a ball club of their caliber, and we didn’t come out and play that way.”
