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A Kid In Center Field

Corbin 1

by Corbin Cyphers (age 8)

Hi, my name is Corbin and I love baseball, especially Vandy Boys baseball. My Mom is a big Vandy fan and that made me want to be a Vandy fan. I remember when they won the National Championship in 2014 when I was only four years old! We started to go to some games at Vanderbilt’s Hawkins Field. Those games were a lot of fun. Then I started playing baseball and I want to be a Vandy Boy one day.

This year was special because my family had season tickets, our first time ever to have them for baseball. We sat in the front row in center field. I liked sitting out there a lot because I could talk to the players when they warmed up and during the game.  Sometimes I got lucky and Pat DeMarco, the center fielder, would throw me a baseball.

Things got even more exciting when the regionals and super regionals came to Vanderbilt. There was more “buzz” in the stadium and more TV cameras. I really like to get the crowd excited when I would be on the jumbotron. I got to see Kumar Rocker throw his no-hitter. The place went nuts and it was AMAZING! I also got a Philip Clark homerun ball during the super regionals.  That was awesome and even more awesome when he signed it for me when they beat Duke to go to Omaha!

Corbin and his brother Garrett with Jeff Pack, The Vandy Whistler.

My parents told my brother and I that if the Vandy Boys made it to the championship series in Omaha, we would get to go! I watched every game they played hoping that we would get to pack our bags and watch them play. During the game against Louisville I was nervous until the top of the ninth inning when the Vandy Boys rallied and held Louisville scoreless to win go to the championship series. I was so excited! My Mom and Dad said, “We’re going to OMAHA!!” I couldn’t believe it. We were actually going to get to go see my favorite team play for the National Championship.

First, I need to let you know that it takes FOREVER to drive to Omaha. I didn’t think we would ever get there. When we got into town, we met up with some friends at the team hotel for the pre-game send off. I got to high-five all of the players and even Coach Corbin! Then we got to the game and we had great seats right behind Vandy’s dugout. I got to get my picture taken with Mr. C and The Whistler!!! How cool is that?!?! However, I was bummed because Michigan won Game One. Some nice ladies sitting next to me told me to keep cheering because they knew Vandy was going to win.

Team-signed ball that Corbin got the players to autograph during his trip to Omaha.

The next day we got to the ballpark early so we could walk around and see all the cool stuff going on at the Fanfest. I got to hit in a batting cage that showed me how far my balls were going. That was cool. My mom bought me a College World Series t-shirt and some other Vandy gear. Then it was time for Game Two. This time, Vandy won!! It was fun and Kumar Rocker had another great game. I really like him. I had a camera man give me a ball and after the game a few players signed it!

On Wednesday, we went back to the team hotel for the send off. Today was different than the other days. The Vandy Boys seemed different. They were more confident and I could tell they were going to win it all, I just knew it. I made my Dad take me to the stadium right when the gates opened because I wanted to see Vandy take BP. I also used this time to get more signatures on my baseball. I got so many that I’m not sure there is any room left on it! I even got to talk to Coach Corbin and told him I was coming to his camp next week and he said, “I’ll see you there.”

When the game started I stood up and cheered and didn’t stop cheering until the fireworks were going off and the Vandy Boys were National Champs!  I was very excited and it was fun to be there in person to see it all happen. My Pawpaw and Nanny went with us on the road trip and got to see it with me too. Pawpaw may have been even more excited than I was. That was a FUN night!

The coolest part of the entire season was seeing it all happen from beginning to end. Even though I’m just a kid, I felt like I was part of the team because I had been there with them through it all. I can’t wait to do it all again next year, but my Dad says he won’t be the one driving to Omaha next time! 

#AnchorDown

FEATURED IMAGE:
June 24, 2019 – TD Ameritrade Park
College World Series, Game 1
courtesy of Hunter Long Photo


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