Durham, North Carolina – USA Baseball announced today that Tim Corbin of Vanderbilt University will serve as head coach of the 2006 USA Baseball National Team that will represent the United States this summer.
“We couldn’t be happier with the opportunity to have Coach Corbin guide our National Team to the 2006 World Championships,” said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball General Manager, National Teams. “Tim’s experience with our program in the past gives us a solid foundation to build upon, as we look to select the top amateur players in the nation this coming summer.”
This will be Corbin’s second tour of duty with USA Baseball, but his first as a head coach. Corbin served as an Assistant under Mike Gillespie (USC) on the 2000 USA Baseball National Team that posted an overall record of 27-3-1 and included such players as Mark Teixeira, Mark Prior, Bobby Crosby, Ryan Howard, Xavier Nady, Chris Burke, Dewon Brazelton, and Kirk Saarloos.
“To represent the USA in any capacity is certainly an honor, and to represent this country in baseball is an extreme privilege and one that I am very grateful for,” said Corbin. “This is especially so in a year where USA Baseball lost one of it’s most gracious and best ambassadors in Coach Rod Dedeaux.”
In addition, it was also announced that current Vanderbilt Baseball SID Thomas Samuel will serve as the 2006 USA Baseball National Team Press Officer. The assistant coaching staff and trainer will be announced at a later date.
In June, USA Baseball will invite 36 of the nation’s top freshman and sophomore collegiate players to the USA Baseball National Team Trials. After the team is selected, Corbin will direct Team USA in a pair of domestic series – the 35th annual USA vs Japan Collegiate All-Star Series & a Friendship Series vs Chinese Taipei, before traveling to Cuba for the FISU Championships in August.
With the exact schedule still to be determined, the 2006 USA Baseball National Team will play a total of seven exhibition games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park – their 4th summer of play here in the Triangle.
In three seasons at the helm of Vanderbilt baseball, Corbin has put the Commodore program into the national spotlight and heightened expectations with the team’s success on the diamond. Last season, Corbin directed the squad to its second consecutive 30-win season, an achievement that had not been done in over 15 years. Thus far, he has amassed 106-68 record at Vanderbilt, the best mark in school history through three seasons.
USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The organization selects and trains the USA Baseball Olympic Team, the USA Baseball National Team (Collegiate), the USA Baseball Junior National Team (18-under), and the USA Baseball Youth National Team (16-under) which participate in various international competitions each year. The USA Baseball headquarters are based in Durham, North Carolina with future training facilities in Cary, North Carolina.
Media contact: Rod Williamson, (615) 322-4051
rod.williamson@vanderbilt.edu
