source: L Eggleston 8/25/2017
Austin Eggleston (KHS 2015) is living the dream of junior college athletes, signing with a DI college program, in this case the Tech Texas Red Raiders baseball team. {{more: Read more …}}
It may be a late signing, but it is Austin’s dream come true and well worth the wait. Austin “Eggs” Eggleston, the 2015 Kennedale graduate, who was playing for Vernon Junior College, will be playing baseball with Texas Tech this fall.
There were some tough losses at Vernon College last year which can be expected when you play in one of the toughest Junior College regions in the country. Austin saw one game slip away at Grayson College after pitching 8 scoreless innings, but that was a game that changed his future because their head coach had many connections and started making calls.
Although Texas Tech plans to make Austin a set up guy and ultimately a closer, Vernon was forced to use him as a starting pitcher last season after some key injuries plagued the pitching staff. Not really the role a submarine pitcher should fill, but he stepped up and got some wins.
Several major universities approached Austin (Abilene Christian, Pitt, UTA, and University of Arkansas Ft Smith) but when Texas Tech sent him a text last semester, he thought it was too good to be true. In fact, he looked around his Chemistry classroom to see who was “messing” with him.
He knew his 3-0 start to the season would get some looks but Texas Tech? Really? He quickly confirmed that it was actually the recruiting coach at Tech and he immediately got the ball rolling with one of the highest ranked teams in the country.
When he went on his visit, Texas Tech Head Coach Tim Tadlock invited Austin to watch a game with him and then the other coaches took him on the tour. It was very exciting and the campus is like no other. It is large and spread out over the west Texas plains.
Eggleston was an all-district performers at pitcher three straight years for Kennedale
Austin has a few pieces of advice for student athletes.
- You never know who is watching. Several of the universities approached Austin after an opposing coach saw a great performance and made some calls on his behalf.
- Be the big fish in a little pond / go where you will play. Several other universities contacted Austin after he was voted Vernon College’s Pitcher of the Year.
- Make good grades!! That is always the first question a coach asks a potential recruit. And the big schools require higher grades than the smaller ones.
- Follow your dream. Make it big and follow it even if it seems risky.
It may not work out, but at least you will never have to ask yourself, “What could have been if I had only tried?”Austin has some mighty big shoes to fill since Corey Taylor did so well for the Red Raiders. He hopes to continue the Kennedale Baseball legacy at Tech and make everyone proud of him.
At Kennedale, playing under Head Coach Jet Teague and later under Head Coach Paul Trantham, Eggleston was 2nd team All-district as sophomore, All-District Co-Pitcher of the year his junior year and All-District First Team Pitcher his senior year.
