SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 26, 2022

Tim Corbin

Dominic Keegan

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Vanderbilt Commodores

Postgame Press Conference

Tennessee 10, Vanderbilt 1

TIM CORBIN: Just give credit to Tennessee. They played a great ballgame offensively, on the mound, and defensively. They were very good. A lot of weapons, and we just couldn't stop them.

Q. What makes Tennessee's pitching so difficult to hit?

DOMINIC KEEGAN: They execute. They throw strikes. They keep us off balance.

Q. What do you think you guys need to do to bounce back from this and just prepare to face other really good teams going forward?

DOMINIC KEEGAN: I think let it set in tonight for an hour or two, and then move on. Especially with this tournament, the way it's playing out right now, the games turn over quick, so just got to be ready to go when we're called.

Q. What is it that has led to some of the struggles the pitching staff has had both today and last week against LSU against some really good offenses?

TIM CORBIN: I mean, I'm just looking at this game, I'm not thinking about what's in the past. This game was such where we created some situations for ourselves, and you can't do that to a team that is a good hitting team. They're very disciplined. They stay in at-bats for a long time, and they make you pay. They're strong kids.

But we threw a young kid who hasn't had a lot of experience in the conference, but he did the best he could. We did not play very good defense, and we extended innings.

But listen, they were the better team.

Q. Taking Futrell out in the middle of a batter, is he hurt or anything?

TIM CORBIN: He's not hurt.

Q. Seeing Carter Young hit a home run like that, despite the loss, was that good to see that for him?

TIM CORBIN: You know, anytime someone hits the ball hard, it's a good thing.

Q. Obviously you've seen a lot of very good baseball teams. You've coached a lot of very good baseball teams. Put this Tennessee team in perspective on what they've accomplished so far and what you've seen from them this season?

TIM CORBIN: Yeah, that's a good question. They're very good in all areas. Maybe where they might have an edge on -- it's tough for me to sit here and think about all the teams that I've seen in this conference. But as far as they're concerned, they play with a tremendous amount of confidence, they're older, they don't hurt themselves, and they can match up from a pitching standpoint in every area. They can go hard and soft, they're hard guys. They're very difficult because as Dominic said, they command the ball. They command the ball with several different pitches, and they're attacking. They're attacking from all areas; I'm not saying just offensively. They're attacking on the mound, they're attacking defensively, and they're attacking offensively.

Just one of the better teams that I've seen in the 20 years that I've been around, without question. Tony has done a good job with them. Their whole staff has.

Q. Some of those defensive issues tonight, were those a surprise to you or just one of those nights kind of thing?

TIM CORBIN: Yeah. I'm not going to say one of those nights. I think typically we make those plays defensively. One got underneath our legs and that's a kid that's pretty steady. Might have affected him on the last ball, I'm not sure, throwing a ball away on strike three. We haven't done that this year. And then the ball that went over the bag that was crossed with two infielders, I believe it was with Carter and Tate, maybe a tough ball. Yeah, just not a good night for us defensively.

But I don't want to take anything away from Tennessee now. That team offensively did some damage.

Q. Knowing that the pitching staff is really young and not all of them have that much experience, does playing teams like Tennessee and like LSU with this kind of offense that they have, does that help going into the postseason where you might see other teams like this?

TIM CORBIN: Yeah, you know, I'm not sure how to answer that. We've seen a lot of good offenses. This has to be at the top. But when you're a young kid and you're pitching against this offense, it's an experience, and you've got to learn from it. You understand that balls that sometimes you can get away with against different people are challenged at this level. The resistance is more, especially against this group. It's experiences for them. I'm not going to tell you whether they're pleasant. You're sitting there and watching it, it's tough. It's tough for them, though. The kids are playing the game, and they don't feel good about that.

But it's an experience.