Jake Adams makes his minor-league début after crushing the school homerun record and leading the NCAA with 29 homeruns. Even though he has played in many baseball games, he surely won’t forget this one.
By Jess Westendorf
After a tremendous season on the Iowa baseball team, earning numerous in-season and postseason honors and becoming one of the highest Iowa players to go in the MLB Draft, former first baseman Jake Adams isn’t stopping there.
The Houston Astros drafted Adams in the sixth round as the 181st pick on
June 13.
The junior had just completed a successful season with the Hawkeyes, even though it might not have ended the way he and his team had wanted.
But after being eliminated by Texas A&M at the NCAA Regional in Houston, Adams probably wouldn’t have guessed that he would return to represent the Astros organization in the minor leagues and one day, hopefully, the majors.
Like most other newly drafted players, Adams was sent to the short-season minor leagues, Houston’s Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League.
But that is just one more stage in which he can showcase his power, strength, and hitting abilities to fans and coaches.
On June 23, Adams walked up to the plate at Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York, for the first time, hoping he would make a grand entrance.
In his new home for the time being, Adams sent a towering 425-foot home run into deep centerfield.
You could call that a grand entrance.
The ValleyCats were not able to pull out the victory, falling, 7-2, to the Lowell Spinners, but Adams received plenty of attention.
In an interview with the media, Adams said, “We were out at practice, and Coach Morgan said, ‘There is nothing better than your pro-day début to be a leadoff bomb.’ ”
It seems like once he got to the plate, he knew what he wanted.
“I was getting up there, and I knew I was looking for a fastball,” Adams said to the media. “I knew I was going to get one, and I left one over the plate, getting a good swing off on it, and it was one of the best feelings I have ever had.”
The home run is just one of many, but I have a feeling this one tops them all.
During his lone season at Iowa, Adams broke the school record for home runs and also led the NCAA with 29.
He nabbed seven All-America honors in the last part of the season while leading the Hawkeyes to its first ever Big Ten Tournament Championship and its second trip to the NCAA regionals in the last three seasons.
“It’s one of the most memorable home runs that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Adams told the media. “I have hit many of home runs, but that one just kind of tops them all.”
