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I would caution you about using Vandy's recent sweep of the Auburn Tigers to gauge their baseball team. Auburn is about as down as an SEC team can get this year and is expected to finish in the cellar of the SEC. Vanderbilt has a great reputation for academics and has had that reputation for as long as I can remember. However, warranted or not, the perception is Vanderbilt athletic programs suffer because of high academics requirements and the high cost to attend. I am pleasantly surprised that in recent years Vanderbilt has assembled quality teams while shackled by that cost and high academic requirements.
Not that it is a factor---- but ----- in the past I have seen some very good Vanderbilt baseball players hang up their cleats allowing them to focus more on academics ------ In my opinion a smart move when we look at the big picture.
Fungo
What does "smart" that have to do with anything? A true competitor can't accept being beaten by anyone. It makes no difference the level of his IQ or the balance in his check book. Back to what I said in my previous post. The UT/Vandy football series exemplifies what I make reference to. Vanderbilt football cannot recruit the same talent as a University of Tennessee because of their higher entrance requirements eliminating many great football players from playing at Vandy --- this is clearly evident by the record books. Tennessee football had won the last 20 meetings with Vanderbilt ---- that is up until last year when Vandy’s quarterback Jay Cutler beat UT while Vandy rolled up less than 50 yards rushing. I understand that baseball is different than football but even so the same differences in the entrance requirements exist between the two schools no matter what the sport eliminating some talented players. In my opinion baseball between Vandy and any other SEC school would be more evenly matched because baseball players tend to be more academically inclined than football players (from published graduation rates), therefore Vandy would have proportionally more academically eligible baseball players to recruit when compared to football. While I respect and admire Vanderbilt’s reputation as an academic powerhouse, the perception of Vanderbilt athletics is as I describe. At least it is in this part of Tennessee and I haven’t seen anything to make me think otherwise.
Fungo
Last edited by Fungo
Tim Corbin is exceptional as recruiter, coach, motivator. His attitude seems to be -- high standards and high cost of education shouldn't (absolutely) handicap the program. After all Stanford doesn't do to bad in the baseball category. As long as Corbin is at the helm, I see the Vandy program improving and becoming more than it has been relegated to be. Given time and support, Corbin will take the Vanderbilt program to the top of the SEC if someone else doesn't snatch him away, first.. All this being said by a Vanderbilt sceptic. He's the hottest recruiter the SEC or ACC have ever seen.
Yes they did...Corbin is an incredible coach. But remember, great leaders surround themselves with great people. Vanderbilt could not have recruited the number 1 class in American without Asst Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Erik Backich. If you've ever met this guy, you know why he was able to land that '06 class. Also, it doesn't hurt to have one of the best pitching coaches in the SouthEast in Derek Johnson.

I do disagree with Fungo to an extent. Although Auburn is down this year, anytime you win a series in the SEC, it's something to get excited about - especially when you're in the process of building an SEC baseball powerhouse. Vanderbilt is good, but very young. They're only going to get better.

Several good arms and a few bats coming in next year is going to help!
Tim Corbin, is by far one of the best if not the best college coaches/recruiter in college baseball.
He is responsible for recrutiing Clemson's Khalil Greene, and other current MLB players who never attended Clemson now playing in the major leagues. He has an uncanny ability to identify talent.
Despite Vandy's record, it is a great opportunity for anyone to be able to work under him.

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