Jacob Esch attended Cretin-Durham Hall High School before committing to Georgia Tech in 2009. At G.T., Esch was a two-player and was an 11th round MLB Draft Pick in 2011 and made his major league debut in 2016.
Q and A with Jake Esch
How was the transition been from high school to college/pro ball? What was the biggest adjustment?
The hardest transition was the consistency in pitching and hitting. Everyone can command two pitches, and most starters can command three. The biggest thing is that pitchers hit their spots. Hitters are stronger and less likely to be fooled. Almost any hitter can barrel up almost any pitch that missed its spot to the middle of the plate.
What do you know now that you wish you would have known then in regards to playing for the Blizzard or being recruited or scouted?
There isn't anything now that I wish I would have known as it pertains to the Blizzard or college recruiting. Some advice to college recruiting is to ask all the tough questions. Ask anything that you feel is necessary. No question is a stupid question. The more you ask the more interested it makes you seem. Professional scouts tend to be good salesmen. They don't always tell the truth. More they will say what you may want to hear.
What was the college/pro experience like? Where were your roommates from? What were the dorms/apartments like? How’s the homework?
At Georgia Tech we had the Olympic Village from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games as our dorms. We had apartment style dorms with 4 total people in each apartment. This is in my opinion, the best way to live at school. We had a full kitchen, living area and two bathrooms. My roommates are a catcher, pitcher and outfielder. They were all good roommates. I was in the engineering program here and it was not easy. Freshman year is a year full of busy work. Most guys on the team were in the management program and some struggled. The issues tended to be a combination of not knowing how to manage their time and simply not going to class or paying attention. Go to class and the work will be easy.
How is practice in high school and college/pro ball different?
In pro ball, practices are much more laid back and relaxed compared to high school. In high school you have only a certain amount of time to get your work in because there are more teams than fields. Practices are longer though and include batting practice, individual position work, throwing, lifting and running. Baseball may not have a ton of running but lets face it, conditioning is important. Get used to running.
What were the most commonly questions asked by recruiters or scouts?
The most common question asked by both recruiters and scouts is do you want to go in the draft. Other common questions are injuries and anything that has to do with the heart.
How did the Minnesota Blizzard prepare you for pro ball.
Barta's sessions helped me develop a better understanding of the mechanical theory of hitting and pitching. One way doesn't guarantee a perfect player but what does is how that player understands the theory and how that player uses that knowledge to their advantage.
How did the instruction at Blizzard Baseball Academy helped you prepare for the next level?
The instruction at the Academy helped me learn how to do certain things that I didn't learn or understood before. There is a lot about baseball that you learn as you grow. It is like anything. When you think one thing is true, it changes and there's a better explanation. Blizzard helped me move ahead in my knowledge of the fundamentals of the game.
Who were the biggest influences on your baseball career? What did they specifically teach you?
The biggest influence on me in my baseball career were two of my former coaches. One was a coach when I was younger who always had the best advice and knew the game in and out. He was just a wealth of knowledge. The other was my high school coach, Jim O'Neill. He has coached and played with many fantastic baseball players. He knows how to coach and he knows how to play. He is a relaxed coach and just being around him and listening to him helped me learn how to be a good coach and how to approach the game as a gentleman.
Were you always the best player on your team? What kind of struggles did you have growing up either through high school baseball or even the Blizzard program?
No. I was not always the best player on my team. I always had playing time struggles growing up. When parents are coaches, they can control what happens. The best thing I can say is that when you are given an opportunity, take it and run with it. I was given the opportunity to try out my sophomore year for the varsity high school team and I never let down. I worked in the weight room, in the cage on the field, anything that would get me "caught up" to the abilities of the other guys trying out. One other thing I struggled with was failure: failure to meet my goals and failure to impress. The latter was my issue. Every baseball player fails. The great ones are the ones who learn how to deal with failure in the right way; calm, collected and hard-working.
When did you realize that playing baseball in college and/or professionally was going to be a reality?
I had always hoped that I could play college baseball or even in the pros. This did not become a realization until the summer after my junior year when the recruiting process exploded. It came and went extremely fast from both professional and college recruiters.
What is your single favorite or most memorable moment in baseball?
Hands down the most memorable moment to this point was winning the 2007 state title. It was sweet. At the beginning of the year we were written off by the papers as having a rebuilding year because we'd graduated 5 college baseball players. In our rebuilding year we went 25-4 and won our last 15 games, including Eden Prairie in the state championship. Facing such a great team and such a prestigious program with many fantastic athletes was a privilege.
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