CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Kevin Gausman has reached the top of the baseball ladder.
The Centennial native and former Grandview High School star is pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Dean Adams is loving every minute of it.
Adams was the head baseball coach at Grandview while Gausman was a player there from 2006 to 2010.
"I honestly thought Kevin had the potential to make it," Adams told Denver7's Lionel Bienvenu. "I knew Division I baseball. Did I think he would get drafted? Absolutely. I noticed that his freshman year when the first ball he threw in a game was 87 miles an hour. And by the end of his freshman year, he was up to 90. That doesn't happen very often."
Gausman pitched Game 2 of the World Series, a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Adams texted him after the game.
"I texted him and said, 'Whatever happens, enjoy the moment and relish it,'" Adams said. "He came back with a text that said, 'Thanks coach.' I'm just glad for the relationship I still have with Kevin and other players I've had the opportunity to coach."
Adams said seeing a player he coached in high school make it all the way to the World Series puts a smile on his face. While he's excited for Gausman and his family, Adams is also thrilled that Colorado is getting some national attention that it deserves.
"It's neat, not just for me but for lots of coaches that I still talk with," said Adams. "They have a sense of 'Oh man, this is so cool that a Colorado kid is throwing in the World Series.' So it goes beyond Grandview and myself to all the coaches that coached him, as well."
Adams and his family will be watching Game 6 on Friday when Gausman takes the mound again for Toronto.
"It's going to be really cool," Adams said. "It's going to be awesome on Friday night, and we'll be sitting right in front of that TV."
The Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 6-1 in Game 5 Wednesday and now have a 3-2 series lead. Gausman could help his team win it all on Friday.
