The latest guest on the New England Baseball Journal Podcast is one of the most accomplished D1 college coaches in the country. Wolfeboro, N.H., native Tim Corbin helped lift Vanderbilt to national championships in 2014 and 2019.
Over his 20-year career at Vanderbilt, Corbin has led his teams to a record of 802-377-1 – good for a winning percentage of .680. His Commodores have made four trips to the College World Series in the last eight seasons.
Even as Corbin has planted roots in Nashville, Tenn., he continues to treat New England as a recruiting hotbed, adding more players to his roster from the region than any other coach in the SEC. The current Vanderbilt roster includes three players from New England — catcher Dom Keegan (Methuen, Mass.), outfielder Calvin Hewett (Greenland, N.H.) and pitcher Hunter Owen (South Portland, Maine).
“I just think it’s more of a personality fit,” Corbin said. “Academically, I think a lot of the New England players can fit the school first. Then, secondly, it’s just their personality traits. It takes a different kid to play baseball in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The weather for four or five months during the course of the year isn’t always favorable. The snow and ice in that climate, it makes it difficult during those winter months.”