By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Every Bears fan remembers. Jeremy Eierman does not.
It would take something drastic to unseat a complete game shutout from Matt Hall in the 2015 NCAA Super Regional as the top Missouri State baseball moment at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., but Eierman did his best in the postseason opener last spring.
Trailing Oklahoma State 5-4 and in jeopardy of being the final out, Eierman lofted a shot to right field that carried over the wall. The two-run walk-off home run delivered a 6-5 win, and the image of Eierman raising his fist as he rounded second base became an instant classic.
“I remember watching it go out and I blacked out, to be honest,” he said at the time.
Jeremy Eierman… WOWOWOWOW!!! ????
WALK. OFF. ????#RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/W94or00P7a
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 2, 2017
Eierman had matured throughout his sophomore campaign since sliding into the heart of the order in the absence of Spencer Johnson. He took to it instantly, chasing the national home run lead for much of the season. He blossomed into the most exciting MSU player in the 2017 postseason, belting three home runs and notching six RBIs in the Bears’ NCAA Regional Championship run.
He drew first blood in the Super Regional as well, launching the first home run of the year off TCU All-American pitcher Jared Janczak.
It was a star-making postseason and a big reason why Eierman’s offseason resembled that of Jake Burger’s a year ago.
“I have had power my whole life,” said Eierman. “It started to come around the second half of my freshman year. I had eight or nine home runs just in conference play. Going to the Cape Cod League over that summer, I played against some of the best talent in the country. I think it all just paid off for me last year.”
Eierman and Burger will forever be linked in discussions about the Missouri State program. They roomed together, fielded together, hit in the lineup together and were stars-in-the-making together. They formed the “Dirty Left Side” at shortstop and third base, and now it seems that unit will have featured two First Round MLB Draft picks.
Burger was taken 11th overall by the Chicago White Sox last summer to become the inaugural first round pick in Bears program history. Like Burger, Eierman has landed on virtually every preseason watch list and is ranked No. 13 overall on the MLB Top College Prospect list.
The two are best friends and keep up often. Burger is good for some frequent ribbing, comparing Eierman’s hair to that of Dustin Henderson from Stranger Things on Twitter.
They share more practical advice, of course, like what Burger learned from his own hype in 2017.
“Focus on your team. The rest of it will take care of itself,” said Burger. “Embrace your guys. Ultimately, (Eierman) will get to go to places that not a lot of people get to go. Enjoy these last couple months and keep the white noise out of your head.”
Eierman’s calm demeanor makes him well-suited for that task. His future possibilities did not sneak up on him. He was born into a baseball family, having been coached by his father at Warsaw High School and watched his brother, Johnny, get drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
His own potential didn’t catch many by surprise either. Some teammates noticed it in his athleticism from the day he stepped on campus.
“I saw him make some incredible plays last season that come big leaguers can’t even make,” said Burger.
His defensive prowess alone made him a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, given annually to the top shortstop in the nation. He also led MSU with 23 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .675 slugging percentage.
He was a camp invite for the USA Baseball College National Team this summer and got to play the likes of Japan and Cuba. The talent level was nothing that caught him off guard, but reminded him there are new heights he can take his game.
“When you’re hot, you’re not taking all the extra swings and reps early in the morning,” Eierman said. “When you’re cold, every day you’re trying to figure out what you can do to get better. It comes down to the level of focus and not just how you’re doing in the moment.”
The All-American brings that same focus into his junior campaign. As a freshman, he pressed too much as the nine-hole hitter but since has evolved into a 6-foot-1, 205-pound man and the most feared stick on campus. He believes the Bears are being overlooked based on the amount of talent they lost from last year.
He will heed his friend’s advice and enjoy what could be his last season in Springfield, knowing full well the future he has trained for could be out there.
“It is a much bigger picture than just the draft. It is the first step to a possible big league career. (My family) said to not put all my work towards the draft. We are working past that.”
