Fielding Dreams

Eskew wants pro baseball career

 

By CHASE DAVIS /Staff Writer

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008

With 205 pass completions, 3344 total passing yards, 32 touchdown passes, 809 yards rushing, 9 rushing touchdowns and first team All-State recognition, it is hard to believe football is not even Dustin Eskew's favorite sport.

His goal in life is to be a professional baseball player. And since scouts from the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees have already contacted him, his wish just might come true.

“I just feel like I could go farther in baseball than I could football,” Eskew, a senior, said. “I've wanted to play pro baseball forever.”

Or at least since he started playing baseball when he was four years old.

“My dad is the one who has been always working with me and pushing me to do better,” he said. “If I was not trying my hardest, he would push me and make me work harder.”

Eskew has spent so much time playing both sports that choosing baseball over football was not an easy decision.

“I have just decided to pursue baseball farther than this season,” Eskew said. “My main goal beyond this season is to play in college and then play professionally.”

Eskew says he is more interested in playing for a junior college at first, but he has hopes of being drafted. He is looking at several colleges, including McLennan, Cisco, Weatherford and Navarro.

The mindset that works for football also works for baseball.

“The main thing that goes through my mind in a game is just to stay confident and do not be intimidated,” he said. “If I don't do well, it happens. People get over it, and I get over it.”

Even though the baseball team has struggled for the past two years, Eskew remains optimistic.

“I am not that concerned about the past. I am just focused only on this year,” he said. However, he said he depends more on summer baseball for exposure and spends his summers pitching for the Waco Storm, a select team.

“Last summer we were third place in a 60-team tournament in Joplin, MO,” he said.

Eskew's fastball ranges from 88-92 miles per hour, but he says his goal is to get into the mid-90s by the end of the summer. He also uses a curve ball, a knuckle ball and a change-up when he pitches.

The road to the pros will not be easy, but Eskew is not intimidated.

“Playing on a farm team is not the greatest thing, but it's worth it if I can make it all the way,” he said. “The people who hang in and really, really want to do it will always have a better chance. And I really, really want to do it.”

Even though choosing between football and baseball was a hard decision, Eskew said baseball just feels right.

“I believe in myself just as much as everyone else does,” Dustin said. “ If I work hard at this I am pretty sure my dream to go pro in baseball will come true.”