'Happiest day of my life': Wakulla Christian senior Jace Estes signs to Florida State baseball
Jace Estes journey to Florida State baseball signee started when he was in middle school.
The now senior at Wakulla Christian School began his long journey with his head coach Buddy Montague in middle school. Montague coached Estes from sixth grade until now, and the Saints coach said he saw something special in Estes when he first saw him play in middle school.
"It's a great moment for me as a coach, to see him grow from the sixth grade into the ballplayer he is today is special," Montague said. "He's always had the great work ethic... he'll work his butt off, he never takes a play off, never takes a practice off. That's the type of kid that Florida State is getting."
Montague said that Florida State kept continued contact with him about Estes, and after Link Jarret was appointed as head coach of the Seminoles, the offer came soon after.
Estes remembers the day he was given the official offer, it was the same day that Wakulla Christian won its first baseball district title since 2019. The senior starred in the title game, going two for four with a run batted in and closing the game out on the mound, and then receiving a phone call he had dreamt of.
"The recruiter came to the game, and I knew he was coming, and when we ended up winning he called me after the game," Estes said. "I was already excited with my emotions high, and he laid out the scholarship. I called him back and told him that I would commit and it was probably the happiest day of my life."
Joining fellow Tallahassee area commit, Lincoln's Myles Bailey, Estes said the chance to stay home and represent the university he grew up around was too good to pass on.
Signing with the Seminoles was more than just committing to a university for Estes, it was a realization of a moment he had been working for since picking up a baseball bat for the first time.
"It was amazing, it is just a dream come true," Estes said. " It's always been my dream to play division one baseball, and I get to play division one baseball where everybody can come watch me, close to my hometown."
In his junior season, Estes posted a stat line of 0.472 avg, 100 pa, 72 ab, 35 r, 34 h, 18 rbi, 8 2b, 3 3b, 0 hr, and made the All-Big Bend First-Team. Throughout his journey, the senior said that the coaching staff, including Montague, and his family have helped him become the player he is.
From taking him to tournaments, teaching him different parts of the game of baseball and supporting him, Estes said being able to sign to Florida State in front of those who helped him on his journey made the signing moment special.
"They've done everything for me really, I wouldn't be here without my family, my teammates and my coaches," Estes said. "They really helped me become who I am today."
With his senior season ahead of him at Wakulla Christian ahead of him, Estes is focused on defending the district title for the Saints. Once his senior season is over, he'll pack his bags and head up Crawfordville road to dawn he Garnet and Gold.
"Words can't explain how happy I am to be there," Estes said.
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Signing to FSU a dream come true for Wakulla Christain's Jace Estes
