Iowa’s Jake Adams Tries To Slug Way Into Top 10 Rounds

The Big Ten’s home run leader almost didn’t play in the conference this year. In fact, as of late—very late—in the recruiting period last spring, Jake Adams wasn’t sure where he’d play in 2017.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound righthanded slugger was committed to North Dakota after belting 42 homers in two years at Des Moines Area CC, including a school-record 25 in 2016.

Then, in the middle of last April, he heard that something might be amiss.

“It was about two weeks before the (Iowa Community College Athletic Conference) tournament when I heard one of the coaches talking about North Dakota,” Adams said. “But practice just went on, and I went to take batting practice and (righthander) Nick Belzer said, ‘Dude, did you hear what happened with North Dakota?’”

What happened was the school was cutting baseball—and men’s golf—because of expected “state revenue shortfalls, conference core sport sponsorship requirements, and Title IX compliance,” it announced.

Not much can shake the big South Dakota native, but the news floored him.

“Oh boy, my heart sank,” Adams said. “I was a little devastated. I went up to my room and I had numerous missed calls.

“I called (North Dakota) coach (Jeff) Dodson and he said, ‘Sorry man, we just got the news today. It blindsided us.’”

The bad news was compounded by the timing. College baseball coaches are limited by scholarships to begin with—just 11.7 for 35 roster spots—and by then, few had any money left.

Dodson asked Adams to be patient as he tried to get North Dakota to revive baseball, but after a couple of weeks, and numerous calls, Adams opened things back up.

“I heard from some big schools and some small. The Big Ten, (Kansas State), but a lot of them had just walk-on spots left. I thought, ‘aw, man.’ I felt like I was worth a little bit of money.”

Luckily for Adams, his hitting coach at Des Moines Area CC, Sean Moore, a former Hawkeye, had a connection.

“I had a dream to play in the Big Ten, and coach Moore knew that,” Adams said. “He said, ‘I’m going to make a call and tomorrow morning, you’re going to Iowa City.’

“I walked in and I loved it. I loved coach (Rick) Heller, loved everything about it.”

Being from Brandon, S.D., Adams didn’t mind the cold springs that accompany Big Ten baseball. In fact, he said he felt very much at home.

There still was a matter of scholarship money, but Heller and Iowa’s athletic department cobbled something together.

“Sean and I got back in the car, and the coach called and said, ‘We found some more money,’ and that was enough for me.”

Adams was not an unknown to Heller.

“We knew about Jake of course. He had hit so many homers at DEMACC,” Heller said. “We just didn’t have a spot on the roster (in the fall of 2015) and we didn’t have any money, and then he signs at North Dakota.

“But after all the things had shaken out, thank goodness we were able to get him.”

And Adams has fit right in, on and off the field, helped by Moore following him to Iowa as a volunteer hitting coach.

Even though Adams had thumped his way through junior college, he recognized he’d have to make adjustments heading into Division I ball.

“I had a long swing I had to calm down a bit, and coach Moore knew the kind of player I was,” Adams said. “I felt comfortable changing my swing a bit with him. The velo is about the same (in Division I as junior college), but a couple of guys throw harder and they locate better here.”

That hasn’t slowed the country-strong Adams down much. Through 43 games, he had 16 homers, tied for sixth in Division I, and was hitting .331/.408/.680. He has a shot at being just the fifth Iowa player to hit 20 homers and has John Knapp’s school record 22 in 1986 in his sights.

“He has plus power. I don’t know if it’s (80 grade on 20-80 scale), but he’s an eight for us,” Heller said. “You only get a guy like that one or two times in your lifetime as a coach.”

Adams had struck out 40 times in 172 at-bats, but the shorter swing has led to more contact.

Evaluators are mixed on Adams’ future. One said the slugger has played his way into the top 10 rounds of the draft. Another says Adams has both brute strength and outstanding bat speed, although his game will be about power at the next level. His swing is pull-heavy, the evaluator said, but he has a knack for the barrel.

On defense, Adams says Heller’s had the biggest influence there.

“He’s a defensive guy for sure. I hadn’t had anybody work with me on defense before,” said Adams, who even at 6-3, 225 in high school was a shortstop.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be a shortstop (in Division I), so I had to teach myself about first base. Everybody thinks first base is so easy; not at all. But coach showed me how to use my feet and hand speed over there.”

As far as his future, Adams is aware of the looming draft but doesn’t let it dominate.

“School’s big for me. I really want to get my degree,” he said when asked if he could return to Iowa if he doesn’t like his draft position. “But I’m ready to go to the next level. If it doesn’t happen, I’ve got to work that much harder.”