Vanderbilt University won the baseball national championship in Omaha earlier this summer. This marks another milestone in a program that is clearly doing a lot of great things. There is no doubt that Vandy is at the top of the college baseball food chain!
Why is Vanderbilt baseball so good?
It seems like a pretty logical question to me and one that’s answer, like so many questions we ask, has many layers.
Coach Tim Corbin is a great coach and a great recruiter. He consistently convinces great players who have already been drafted by pro baseball teams that the experience they will gain playing in his program will benefit them. Now, most of these players still end up being high draft picks and professional baseball players, but they all agree that spending time in Nashville was a great investment.
Now I believe Coach Corbin is teaching more than just baseball skills. I believe he’s teaching young men how to be better men. Now measuring the impact that a coach can have on the personal development of an athlete is difficult to quantify but we all know that the benefits are real.
Want some clear evidence?
Shortly after winning the championship game and having the obligatory dog pile and celebration on the field something amazing happened. Vanderbilt’s director of baseball operations, Brooks Webb, observed one of their players doing something extraordinary, something simple, but something that really stood out considering the events that transpired just minutes earlier. Webb was so proud that he snapped a photo that went viral.
What was this jaw dropping photo of?
Stephen Scott, newly minted national champion, taking the time to clean up all the trash in the dugout.
A simple example of champions acting like champions! A simple example of the qualities a program can instill in an athlete.
Now if only Vanderbilt would just start a softball program!!
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
