SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

May 28, 2023

Tim Corbin

Troy Laneve

RJ Austin

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Vanderbilt Commodores

Postgame Press Conference

Vanderbilt 10, Texas A&M 4

TIM CORBIN: First, congratulations to Texas A&M on a great tournament. I know they had to play six games, and to get to this point after losing a game was certainly a great effort for them, and a tough team to beat. And then congratulations to our boys. They played hard, competitive, enthusiastic. Played for one another.

I know you throw out there, team effort, but it really speaks to everyone who was a participant inside this tournament, whether it was statistically or whether it was spiritually inside the bunker.

I'm just happy for them that they pulled it together. We played very good baseball. We played tough baseball and played when it mattered. Just glad we could get here, start here on Monday, end here today and see it through and enjoy what is America's best conference tournament.

Q. RJ, what was it that was kind of going well for you throughout this whole tournament?

RJ AUSTIN: Just being confident in myself and my teammates because if I counted on the guy behind me and counted on the guy in front of me to get on base, if I don't do well, if they can't knock in the person in that's on base. Going to try to continue that and everybody believes in one another. That's the biggest thing for us.

Q. Troy, between today, last week and last week against Arkansas, how have the last two weeks been for you, given how much work you've had to do to get back to this place and contribute like you have?

TROY LANEVE: It feels good. This whole year has been a good year. There's so many guys on this team, it's so easy to celebrate. Getting back on the field and being able to contribute a little bit definitely feels good but the approach has been the same the whole entire year.

Q. To follow up on that, going back to the Arkansas series before Game 1, you guys had lost four in a row and then after that, really seemed to turn a page. I know you said the approach doesn't change but if you could put your finger on something that maybe changed in that last week, what would it be?

TROY LANEVE: I'd say just connection with the offense. I think we did a really good job in those last two games at Arkansas, just kind of connecting, and everybody was contributing and in their own way and they were bringing out their personalities and it was really positive are for us in those last two games and like I said, the approach was the same. Nothing really changed but just kind of getting back in the groove of things was definitely a positive outcome.

Q. RJ, obviously it's your first year in college, so how did it feel for you to not only win the Tournament championship but to win the MVP as well?

RJ AUSTIN: I said this earlier but I'm really excited. It's the most fun I've ever had and just being with the older guys that have been here before, just celebrating with them, seeing how happy they are, it's just fun being here. Like I can't explain more. It's just so fun being here.

Q. This obviously wasn't the extent of your guys goals, this team's goals. How do you continue to build off this? How do you continue this momentum starting postseason next week for you is this?

TROY LANEVE: Obviously we still have a lot of baseball to play, and we have a job that and a goal that we want to accomplish. This was a big goal that we accomplished, and we are definitely going to enjoy this, and you know, celebrate this in the way that we do, and just move forward because next weekend is just another weekend.

RJ AUSTIN: First thing, going to get back on that bus and celebrate as a team and recover our bodies. Make sure our bodies are in shape because we have a big week coming up. Just working hard and don't take anything for granted and just keep going and keep believing in one another, and sky's the limit for us.

Q. Can you talk about the journey this week of going from the potential loser's bracket on Thursday to winning it all?

TROY LANEVE: I mean, yeah it was a long week. We planned to be here the entire week and just played good baseball. Game 2, Game 3, just coming back and bouncing back, like I said, the approach was the same, and we just went about our ways.

Q. Obviously from the skid a couple weeks ago to now being the SEC tournament champions, what has turned around?

TIM CORBIN: I have never used the word skid. Never used the word streak with the boys because it's just kind of the nature of the season. It happens. And whether you win or happen to lose, two, three in a row it's just part of what you do. And it's very fluid. I mean just because you win one particular weekend doesn't mean you're going to win the next and just because you lose doesn't mean you're going to continue losing. Just you have to refocus and move forward.

The boys have done that throughout the year. We played a very difficult schedule to even start off with before we got into the SEC so they have been surrounded by good competition and resistance. So this was just another step in this season that we have here.

Q. You mentioned the positive energy and enthusiasm you saw. To what extent did Troy's home run feel like a spark in that way?

TIM CORBIN: It did. Troy is a very celebrated young man because everyone understands what he's had to go through to get back on to the field again. If you know Troy at all, Troy, I mean, if he's not playing and working his way back, he's playing every pitch. I mean, this team and the games have tremendous meaning to him. So when he does get to the field and does feel healthy and does have these moments, the kids just -- it's just a great feeling because they know how hard he's worked to get himself on the field.

But you think of what he's done in the last two weeks for this program, and some of the hits that he's had, I mean, the three-run home run today, scored a fourth. I guess that position did well -- Troy has got some big, big hits. He's not new to that. He had some big hits in 2021 that really carried us.

Q. You came into this game knowing you would have to piece things together a little bit on the pitching staff. How did you approach that today deciding which pitchers to go with and when to make changes?

TIM CORBIN: Well, we had a script. We had seven guys that could have pitched, and I think it just became, we wanted to make sure that we did things deliberately and from a health standpoint that would put them in a good position to come back.

This game has a lot of meaning, and we wanted to win it but win it not at all costs from a health perspective from the kids. It was one of those things that if they were efficient, we would let them go.

I think Patrick was efficient. Sam gave us what he had for two innings. Patrick came in and gave us four strong innings. Bryce came in for a blank, Thomas grabbed the ball again on short rest and pitched very well and then Nick finishing up, and we had decided to go with Nick in that last inning if it was a one-run game. Then we put five on the scoreboard at that time.

I'm glad we got that double play at the end, because you do that, it's a bullet saver, and that was good for us.

Q. Can you talk about the performance of RJ over this entire tournament, please?

TIM CORBIN: It was tough. It was tough baseball. Really tough baseball. You know, last weekend on, what was it, Thursday, against Arkansas, he had a really tough night and he defensively and offensively -- and I just remember going into the back room and he was really, really upset with himself. He said he was letting the team down, and there were a couple players in there with him at the time and at that point right there, I just told him to regain himself and get back on the field; that we had tremendous belief who he was as a person.

Next game, he played better. Next game after that, he played better. Then he came into this tournament and played with great enthusiasm and great energy for his team and himself.

So I'm happy for him. I'm happy that a young kid gets those moments right now. Not everyone gets them; they are fleeting. And the fact that you can get them in your first year inside of a program; I know he respects that and he will honor that and understands these things are tough. I'm just happy he had that moment.

Q. Was Carter available this week?

TIM CORBIN: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, thanks for your time this week.