Cole's tribute symbolizes father-son relationship

Razorbacks right fielder Eric Cole celebrates with fans following Arkansas' 14-4 win over South Carolina Monday June 11, 2018 during the NCAA Super Regional at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

— The moment Matt Cronin’s 90-plus mph fastball left Jonah Bride’s bat, Eric Cole’s plan set into motion.

The junior camped under the well-hit fly ball near the warning track in right field and secured Arkansas’ ninth trip to the College World Series, sending a crowd of better than 11,200 into a fever pitch.

He then tucked the ball away in his back pocket. Next came the ever-euphoric team dog pile near the pitcher’s mound — a goal Arkansas set out to experience after last season’s regional loss to Missouri State — with teammates. The celebration included an eccentric and unfiltered Hunter Wilson.

But as it has throughout his Arkansas career, Cole’s attention soon turned toward the sea of fans lining the wall down the third base line at Baum Stadium. At last, he found a few familiar faces and shared an emotional embrace with his mother, Andrea, and his father, Terry.

Moments later, Cole reached into his back pocket and did only what he thought was right. He handed the ball to his dad.

“To share that moment together and see it be an emotional thing for him, it really touched me a lot,” Terry said. “That he would give me that as a gift was really special.”

A Philadelphia-area native now working for a Texas consulting company specializing in software implementation, Terry never really considered himself a baseball fan before Eric came along. His first love was hockey. In fact, it was the first sport Eric signed up for as a kid.

But through his only son, arguably the Razorbacks’ most valuable player this season, he gained an affinity for baseball. From imploring an 8-year-old Eric to give switch hitting a try to maintaining a constant line of communication the last three years to seeing his son’s name appear on draft day, the moment, in a nutshell, symbolized their father-son relationship.

“He’s been my biggest supporter throughout my career — high school and everything,” Eric said. “I’m sure it means as much, if not more, to him than anybody else on this team. I got to hug him after the game and see how proud he was and we started crying a little bit.

“It was a cool thing being able to give back to him for everything he’s done for me.”

Terry and Andrea traveled to Omaha on Thursday. On Friday, Eric’s sister, Megan, made arrangements to fly to Omaha from San Diego to join the family. Everyone being in the same place at the same time is a rare treat, Terry said.

Sunday will be a dream come true for the Coles as they watch Eric and Arkansas face off against longtime rival Texas in the College World Series at 1 p.m.

“How awesome will my Father’s Day be?” Terry said. “Not only will we be together, but we’ll be together in Omaha. It’s not something we would miss.”

Terry isn’t certain Eric has ever told him as much, but he is at least part of the reason Eric is the dynamic switch hitter he is today. At eight years old, Terry watched Eric take cuts at his Hit-A-Way for hours in the backyard. As curious kids often do, Eric, a natural right-hander, would position himself to swing left handed.

Terry saw an ability in Eric to swing from that side, and posed the question that would alter — and better — his baseball career.

“Do you think you’d like to try to do that?” he asked. Eric was in.

Eric then batted left handed in each at-bat that next fall season and added a valuable skill to his arsenal. Terry still remembers Eric stepping into the batter's box for his first plate appearance as a lefty. The first swing, he said, looked a bit awkward. The look on Eric’s face told him he knew it, too. But he stuck with it.

The first at-bat resulted in a base hit.

“Ever since then I feel like it’s been natural to me,” Eric said.

Terry and Andrea rarely miss an Arkansas baseball series. It pains his father to miss one, Eric said. Aside from Georgia and a few midweek sets, the two have made each series in 2018. They have been fortunate enough to be able to juggle the responsibilities of home, work and the financial side of travel.

The family made it a point to watch as much Arkansas baseball as possible this year knowing – as a draft-eligible prospect – Eric’s time at Arkansas was potentially coming to a close.

“He loves coming up and watching these games,” Eric said. “I’m sure he’ll keep coming even when I’m done here. I think Arkansas is a really special place in his heart, my heart and my family’s.

“It’s a big deal to him because he’s been here through the three years. He’s seen the struggles as a fan. That’s just who he is. He’s lived through it my whole career.”

His father’s support has been a mainstay throughout his baseball career, and Eric has leaned on those words of encouragement. Whether it’s a quick chat against the outfield wall after games, a phone call or text message, he’s appreciative.

Terry focused his advice on not fixating on the day-to-day results of baseball. Win or lose, good day or bad day, their backing was present. It aided Eric, then a freshman, through a challenging 2016 season in which Arkansas lost 13 consecutive games to close the year and missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2001.

Eric then battled through a rough stretch to begin his sophomore year. But his family’s backing never wavered. They continued to push consistency, working hard and being a premiere teammate first and foremost. Everything else would take care of itself.

“Those are the things that count,” Terry said. “And if you do those things regularly then hopefully at the end you’ll be rewarded with success and positive results. That’s shown to be the case for him.”

Just days prior to Arkansas punching its ticket to Omaha, Eric was selected in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. It was everything Terry and Andrea could have imagined it would be and, all in all, a whirlwind of a week.

“Sometimes when you allow yourself to have those dreams, last week was all of it,” Terry said. “To be recognized individually by getting drafted was amazing, then to have that be topped off by having the ultimate team achievement at the end of the week is all of our wildest dreams coming true.”

As for the baseball itself, it currently sits prominently displayed on the family’s kitchen counter in Texas. Terry hopes to eventually create the ideal display and incorporate the ball with a picture of the team's dog pile.

“It was a very special thing for him and the exclamation point making that last out,” Terry said. “Him giving it to me just kind of seems to tie everything together for me and all that we’ve got to experience over the years.

“We’ll definitely do something special with it. That’s for sure.”