‘He’s one tough dude:’ Redhawk baseball’s Caleb Corbin looking as good as new on the diamond

Southeast Missouri State third baseman Caleb Corbin faced a harsh reality last season – baseball can be a very unforgiving sport.

The senior suffered a fractured ankle against Morehead State during the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, marring what was a promising junior campaign.

While SEMO went on to turn in one of its finest postseasons in program history after knocking off then-No. 5 Arkansas to advance to an NCAA Regional final, Corbin’s absence was a severe blow to the Redhawks as he had been among the top offensive threats of the lineup.

Then, several months after recovering from the high-ankle injury, Corbin was snakebit in the fall after breaking the hamate bone in his hand during preseason training.

“This fall, I broke my hamate and had to get that removed,” Corbin said. “It was just four weeks of nothing. No lifting, no contact, no anything. After that, Coach Trev (Trevor Ezell) had a hitting plan for me of just dry swings, working up to hitting off a tee, front toss, and BP. Then, after about the second week of spring games and scrimmaging, I got back in there and started playing again.”

Since then, the Iowa native has looked as sharp as could be.

Through the first 17 games of the 2025 campaign, the hot-hitting Corbin boasts a .367 batting average (2nd on team), two home runs, seven RBIs, and a .475 on-base percentage (2nd on team) in just 12 appearances.

In SEMO’s previous two victories over Evansville and Saint Louis, Corbin blasted two home runs and four RBIs after going a combined 4-for-6 at the dish.

What ankle or hand problem?

“I felt pressure at the start,” Corbin said. “I was like, ‘I gotta get back out there, help my guys and do what I did last year.’ But then, honestly, just relaxing and realizing, ‘All right, I'm good. Just play baseball and have fun.’ That has really helped me to get back to where I was.”

SEMO senior Caleb Corbin fields the ball during pre-inning warmups against Evansville on Tuesday, Mar. 11, at Capaha Field.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Last season, Corbin was one of the conference’s top newcomers after blasting six home runs, 30 RBIs, and a team-high six triples behind a stout .310 batting average in just 42 games in his debut year as a Redhawk.

The offseason allowed Corbin, who transferred from Iowa Central Community College in 2023, to work on his game amid the injury woes – and he took full advantage of it. Assistant coach Trevor Ezell, who was an integral part of Corbin’s recruiting process, has been with him every step of the way since he joined the program.

“Caleb's interesting in the fact that he had a super successful freshman year in junior college,” said Ezell, who was a first-team All-OVC infielder for SEMO in 2018 before transferring to the University of Arkansas as a senior. “He hit like .380, walked 50 times… his numbers were incredible. And then he put a little pressure on himself and kind of lost his identity here. He’s the same height as me – 5-foot-8 – so he's not supposed to be hitting balls over the moon every day. I think he lost his identity a little bit, though. So, when he got here, he kind of just had to learn that a little bit. He was a little sped up. He was trying to be a guy that he wasn't, but once he realized who he was again, he was productive. Of course, he had the injury and has been working himself back into it, but I think he's finally getting more healthy to where he feels very comfortable and confident.”

As a hitter, Corbin said it took some time to fully adjust to Division I baseball. Along with the help of Ezell and teammates, such as his roommate and senior center fielder Michael Mugan, Corbin has been able to take a noticeable step forward in terms of mental approach, pitch recognition, and improving his swinging mechanics.

“I’ve just had to really refine my approach,” Corbin said. “It was a reality check. It became like, ‘Hey, this is Division I baseball. If you get something on the corner (of the plate), you’ve gotta practice hitting that. You’ve gotta get to it and just take your hits. There's no more middle, middle.’ It was time to take my hits, and eventually get my balls out of the yard.”

It’s a progression that has turned many heads, especially head coach Andy Sawyers, who said that Corbin is continuing to mold into the player he envisioned getting when the program brought him in two offseasons ago.

“I think he's had to learn how to be a professional hitter,” Sawyers said. “He played at a junior college that had a super short porch to left, and all they did was try to hit the ball in the air. And he's not big enough to do that. So, he's had to learn how to be a professional hitter and just hit in a bigger stadium and bigger yard against Division I pitching. It took him a while because he thought hitting was just trying to hit it as high in the air to left field as you possibly could, and most of those balls are out. So, he just had to adjust to a different style of play, which he has done very well.”

SEMO senior Caleb Corbin greets his teammates at home plate after mashing a home run against Evansville on Tuesday, Mar. 11, at Capaha Field.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

What also makes Corbin stand out from others is his toughness.

“He’s one tough dude,” Ezell said. “It's his background. He's from Iowa. He's a wrestler and I think he brings that mentality a little bit. He's just a tough kid. In the big moments, you don't really see him change that much. He has the same demeanor on his face. He doesn't get sped up and he just lets the game come to him more often than not.”

With a ton of returning production and a retooled roster, the Redhawks, who are currently on a four-game win streak, are continuing to set the bar for this season – they want to repeat as conference champions and get to Omaha for the College World Series.

Getting a healthier and better version of Corbin instantly improves their chances.

“It’s been a tough stretch, for sure,” Corbin said of his injury bugs. “But honestly, we’ve got a great group of guys and coaches that were there for me. There’s been some guys who have gone through it too and they've talked to me. Trev went through multiple surgeries, so he was just able to understand it. But it’s been a good start so far this year.”

What’s next for SEMO?

Corbin and SEMO return to the diamond on Friday, Mar. 14, for a three-game series against Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Alabama. Friday’s doubleheader will begin at 2:30 p.m. before being followed by Game 2 roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.