2021 Friday, June 18, 2021 Omaha, Nebraska, USA Press Conference Q. Do you know if those two relievers for Arizona are available? THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin. TIM CORBIN: I don't know that, no.

Coach, could you please give us an opening statement. Q. With Arizona's offense, what stands out to you especially about the versatility, the many ways they TIM CORBIN: Well, like everyone else, we're very excited can score, a one-trick pony, seems like they have a lot to be here, very grateful to be here. It feels similar to 2011, of ways to be productive? at least for me, when we were part of opening up the stadium. But I feel like in a lot of different ways we're TIM CORBIN: Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of run production rejuvenating the tournament, opening up the stadium throughout the lineup. If you look at all nine guys, you again. That's a great feeling for college baseball in have to be inclusive of all nine guys, because there may be general. one, two guys that might be different than the rest, but they're part of the rest. But played some good baseball at the end, particularly at the end once we got out of the SEC. We played well If you start at the top and work down, I mean, it's very during the course of the year, pretty consistent for the most potent. The guy at the top is very good. Berry is not a part. Had a difficult regional against Georgia Tech, and freshman, he's not typically not a two-hole hitter. When certainly a very difficult super regional against East you hit 17 home runs and drive 70-plus RBIs, that's not Carolina, two very good teams. usually statistically what a two-hole hitter looks like.

We got through it and are here. Just, as I said, grateful to I think Jay's in a situation where someone has to hit two. be here. They all produce. You pile them up together. The combination of left-handed hitting, some quality THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions. right-handed bats with strength, with average, with pretty good plus-minus in terms of walk to strike-out. These guys Q. The theme for this series, this game between you are very difficult to X out. and Arizona, is Arizona bats versus Vanderbilt pitching. Vanderbilt has been a good hitting team this It's just a potent offense that you see in these tournaments year. What do you think you need to do offensively to every so often where a lot of .350 and above hitters. counteract Arizona's offense? Q. What do you see from Kumar Rocker in terms of TIM CORBIN: Score more runs than them. his demeanor, his ability to handle the spotlight? A lot of people know his name and probably his game I just think everything's different. On paper, statistically, because of how much success he's had, yet he's able whether it's offense or pitching, things look a certain way. to produce at a high level with a target on his back. But they always seem to play out a little bit differently when What has allowed him to do that? you're here. Or maybe in a tournament in general. TIM CORBIN: I think he keeps things simple. I think he But we just have to be able to slow them down enough. gets lost in competition. I think when you're competitive We have to get comfortable in the batter's box in order to and you love the competitive arena, there's very little that's get some base runners and move runners. I think it's as on your mind outside of that. simple as that, yeah. I think it's one thing to talk about things away from the

108885-2-1001 2021-06-19 02:32:00 GMT Page 1 of 4 white lines, but there are certain guys that once they get in can. But you can see that he's the best reflection of both of between the white lines, it really doesn't matter what his parents. they've even talked about prior to that moment, it's just a matter of competition. And he competes very well. Q. With the Major League draft in July this year, how different has your experience been, and the players' Q. What has really stood out to you the most about experience been, when they're not worrying about Jack, his development? He was a good prospect in being drafted or things of that nature, they can focus high school, but he's kind of exploded this year. entirely on this post-season run? Has that been a positive? How different has the experience been? TIM CORBIN: Consistency to what he's doing. He's the same every day. Whether it's academically, socially or TIM CORBIN: Yeah, it's very much a positive for the kids. athletically, he's low maintenance, mature, gets to the You just don't want kids conflicted or split. That's not fair. facility, and it's full-on go. He's wired to compete, too, That's not fair to kids in general. No fault to anyone, it's every single day. just what it was.

Just works at what he's doing. He's got a strong passion But it's not fair to a kid. It's not fair to the team that he's on for what he's doing. High care level kid. I think regardless because that is a big day for a lot of kids. The fact that of how he was spoken about, he's just thrown himself into they have to share mental interests with what they're going the group. He loves competing for the team. He's very to do on the field versus what my future looks like, that's protective of the team. not what we should be doing to an 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-old kid. They should be able to compartmentalize So much like Kumar in a lot of different ways, when you what they're doing, pay attention to what they're doing. talk about the fanfare that each one of them get, they get lost in their team and they get lost in competition. This is a team event, one of the greatest things they'll ever do. That is even if they get to the big leagues. Every The other piece of that is sometimes when kids are talked single big leaguer that's ever been to Vanderbilt that's about more or celebrated more, it might in a lot of different played in College World Series has always come back to ways have a negative effect on your team unless those these moments, this tournament, as being the most kids are inclusive. They're not exclusive. They're very important moment of their baseball life. inclusive. They include the other people on the team in every event of their lives. I think that's why it's easy to To have those interests split doesn't serve the kid or team hang on to both of them. very well. So it's a lot different just because you don't have to contend with it. Q. Obviously he's got the famous father who obviously had a great career. How much do you think Q. Can you share an example or two over the years that's factored into who Jack is, how he's developed? where a guy gets drafted, a situation where someone was put in a tough spot like you're talking about? TIM CORBIN: I mean, it's his father. Whether his father played baseball or not, his father's had an influence on TIM CORBIN: Super regional 2015 at Illinois. We get him. done playing and five minutes later we're on the third baseline celebrating getting picked first The thing about it is, there's a lot of Major League Baseball on a phone. That's different. players out there, there's a lot of Major League Baseball players that have kids. I would tell you that 90% of them Q. I was wondering if you could talk a little about Troy never follow in their father's footsteps because either LaNeve, what he did to earn some more playing time they've had enough of it, they've seen it, they might not towards the end of the year, what he's brought to your have the same passion that their dad or mom do about it, team so far? so they move away from it. TIM CORBIN: Troy LaNeve? Jack is good at what he does because he's passionate about what he does. He loves it. He may love it because Q. Yes. of what his dad did or how Laurie and Al handled the baseball situation. But you have to really enjoy it and be TIM CORBIN: What did he do to earn more playing time? engrossed in it, and he is. Whether that's a reflection of his dad and mom, Jack can answer that question better than I Q. Yes. Seemed like he got some more starts, at-bats

108885-2-1001 2021-06-19 02:32:00 GMT Page 2 of 4 in the month of May. representation of the country. We enjoy being able to do that. TIM CORBIN: He just played better. When you play better, you get an opportunity to play. You don't play Q. On the red, white, and blues that you used to wear, better, then someone else can play better and they'll play how long did that go? You've been doing this forever. in front of you. He just played better. That's really what it comes down to. It's kind of a simple thing. TIM CORBIN: Yeah.

But the reason he did play better is because he stayed Q. Do you remember when you stopped the red, white, consistent with his investment habits. He never went in a and blue ones? different direction. He never allowed not traveling on a couple initial trips move him in a direction of negativism. TIM CORBIN: When did we stop them? He just always stayed positive, stayed very consistent. He's a mature kid. Q. The red, white, and blue. You did that forever before you went to the green. It took him a little bit of time, but I'm happy for him. I'm happy for him because that's a good example of what TIM CORBIN: Right. This is the second year. It would happens when you really pay attention to what you're doing have been the third year, but we didn't wear them in '20 and you don't look to the left, don't look to the right, you because of the season. But this would be the third year just stay in your lane and do the best you can, and that we've had the green. understand that at some point in time things will work out. Q. How long did you do the red, white, and blue? But it's not on your watch, it doesn't happen at the speed or That's what I should have asked. rate that you want it to happen. It never does. It happens completely different. TIM CORBIN: It was actually eight years.

He bought into that. He's earned that right to be on the Q. Is there a development on Tate Kolwyck's status field. going into tomorrow night? Anything happening lately that's led you to believe he might be a factor Q. A few years ago you wore the red, white, and blue tomorrow? uniforms every Sunday to honor our heroes. When did you switch to the green? Your players respond to that. TIM CORBIN: He's getting better. He took BP on the field It's important to honor our heroes. What does that today. He took his groundballs. It's kind of day-to-day. mean to you? We'll see how he feels tomorrow. But he's on the roster. He's ready to jump in. TIM CORBIN: Well, it means a great deal. I didn't want to produce a uniform that was just gimmicky or different. I But I would only do it if it felt like he's not going to be wanted it to have meaning. Every single color on that hindered by it and he can help the team. uniform, that green uniform, has meaning. It has meaning for the country, it's representative of the country, it's Q. Do you have any left-handed pitchers on the representative of service in general, not just soldiers but roster? service in general. It's got the school colors on there. It's got the state colors on there. TIM CORBIN: Yeah, I think we brought some. We got Fisher, Owen, Berkwich. I think that's it. If I forgot one, It's a celebratory uniform because before they're Vanderbilt some parent is going to be upset. Won't be for the first University student-athletes they're American citizens from time, huh (laughter)? different parts of the country, from different ethnic backgrounds. Q. Have you noticed a change? Is there a change in demeanor with the team when you actually get to It's their ability to jump into a group and blend those Omaha or the same old focus? backgrounds into one another to formulate a stronger group. I just think that the uniform is very representative of TIM CORBIN: Yeah, I think they're not giddy, they're not that. We take a lot of time to explain it to them because I weird, they're not posturing or acting coming out of their don't want them to think it is a gimmick. It's not personality. We talk a lot about that anyway just in camouflage. We're not soldiers. I do think we're a good general.

108885-2-1001 2021-06-19 02:32:00 GMT Page 3 of 4 But, no, I think there's a celebratory piece of this, of coming to Omaha. There's an awe factor to it like I said the other day. You have to allow them to have that awe factor. It's like going to Disney World for the first time as a little kid. You go there and your eyes are wide open to what you see. After a few days, you start to settle in, and really enjoy the amusement park. Same case here.

Any special human event that any of us have, you want to go there and be able to take it in first. At a point in time you have to transition into that player piece, which we will. We'll do that. Did it today. We'll try to do it moving forward.

Doesn't guarantee anything. But I think there's a comfort level of getting here and indulging in the emotion of it before you can start playing. We do that.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you again for your time today and for joining us.

TIM CORBIN: My pleasure. Thank you all. I appreciate the questions.

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