Adams at home wearing purple

Brian Estridge: Voice of the Frogs

T he season is over for the nationally ranked and Mountain West Champion TCU baseball team, but there’s a story that sticks with me.

Do you know senior outfielder Austin Adams? He’s No. 44 in your program. He should be No. 1 in your purple-loving heart.

Coming out of Henderson, Austin followed his family tree to Fort Worth and the campus of TCU. It all made perfect sense until a sudden coaching resignation threw a bucket of cold water in his face. Unnerved by the move, Austin headed for Waco. Yes, Austin turned in his purple jersey for a green one.

Don’t get me wrong. Baylor University has a beautiful campus and you can’t help but love a city that boasts the Dr Pepper Museum and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. But after a few weeks as a walk-on quarterback for the Bears, our hero knew his rightful place was due north on I-35.

Adams returned to Frog Nation with renewed passion and the results speak for themselves. He snagged the final roster spot and became a staple in the middle of the Frogs’ potent lineup.

Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle calls him the ultimate teammate, devoted to his faith, family and his team. He is a foundation guy for the program. A quiet leader who leads by example and listens more than he talks. Fortunately for TCU, he was listening when his heart called him home.

Oh, and one more thing about this 6-foot-5-inch multi-sport, all-academic Superman: He’ll have a year of football eligibility left after baseball season ends. Hmmm, think a certain head football coach might want his cell phone number? By the way, Frog Football opens its season at home against Baylor on Sept. 1.

Brian Estridge is the play-by-play voice of the Horned Frogs. Write to him at b.estridge@tcu.edu.

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