From the Baseball Diamond to 'The Bachelorette'

From the Baseball Diamond to 'The Bachelorette'

By Rybeccah Jahraus

CSUSM alumnus Austin Ott, with Jenn Tran, was a participant in the latest season of ABC's "The Bachelorette." Photo by Disney/John Fleenor

Austin Ott had never watched an episode of "The Bachelorette" when he received a DM on Instagram from the show encouraging him to apply.

Ott immediately sent it to his mom, who is a huge fan of the show, and she quickly became his No. 1 supporter to try out.

Ott later received news that he would travel to Los Angeles and begin filming for the 21^st season of the hit ABC series, a reality TV dating show where a single woman meets a group of 25 romantic interests in hopes of finding her future husband.

The contestants were introduced in the first episode, which premiered July 8. Each participant made a grand entrance where they met this season's bachelorette, Jenn Tran, for the first time.

"The limo entrance was crazy," Ott said. "You can always have it in your head of how it'll look, but until it smacks you in the face, you have no idea what that feeling is like. No one can prepare you for that."

However, Ott felt prepared when it came to having an audience. His communication and media studies degree from Cal State San Marcos gave him a foundation to build on. Ott's first speech in COMM 100 gave him an idea of what being in the public eye might look like.

"I think that after you can do that as a freshman, an 18-year-old in college, you're prepared for anything," Ott said. "It helped me block out the negative and be myself."

Ott owes his experience at Cal State San Marcos to the late Dennis Pugh, the university's first baseball coach, who recruited him for the team in 2014.

"My time at Cal State San Marcos was probably the best years of my life," said Ott, who graduated in 2019. "There's nothing better than playing the game you love and being around your best friends."

Even though Ott's time on the field ended, he never left his baseball roots. His mullet haircut and love for wearing hats is still part of his everyday life.

"I don't know if it's the baseball player in me, but ever since I was a little kid, I have always worn a hat everywhere I go, other than when I'm working," he said. "I probably have 60 to 70 hats in my closet. It's ridiculous."

Ott's love for his mullet only grew once he flew to Melbourne, Australia, with the cast to film "The Bachelorette's" third episode.

"I kind of fit in a little bit because that's the big haircut in Australia," Ott said.

Austin Ott, who played four seasons for the CSUSM baseball team, was recently a participant on the hit reality TV show "The Bachelorette."

Once in Melbourne, Ott and three other contestants went on a group date in a high-speed race-car competition. The winner of the race had the chance to spend some time alone with Tran.

"Despite the combination of trying to drive stick, which I don't know how to, and being on the right side, I somehow won it," Ott said. "That was such a crazy experience. Getting to ride in that car and win the race ended up with me having some extra time with Jenn."

Ott wasn't sure what would be shown once the episodes began airing, and watching it for the first time with his family and friends was a memorable experience.

A scene of "Truth or Dare" was a rather hard watch for Ott.

"I had to run around the mansion in my underwear," Ott said. "When that happened, I had to look away."

While it was awkward for him to watch, Ott shared laughs among family and friends.

Ott even made new friendships during filming.

"I went there for romance and I left with bromance," he said.

Ott voluntarily left the show in episode five, saying his connection with Tran was not at the same level as the other participants.

Ott returned to his job as an account executive with FAIRWAYiQ, a golf course operation technology company in San Diego. He plans to continue his sales career but would love to expand his social media presence.

"If there is a little side quest in social media, if I get that opportunity, I would love to do that," Ott said. "I think I would flourish in it."

Returning home from the show, he was shocked at the love he had received on social media. While he made connections on the show, he made even more through various social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Before the show, Ott had a small following on TikTok where he shared lifestyle videos showing his life in San Diego. Since being on the show, his TikTok account has grown to more than 100,000 followers. Being noticed in public was never an everyday occurrence until now.

"I think that's the craziest switch," Ott said. "Sometimes when I go to the grocery store or the gym, someone will come up and be like, 'Hey Austin!' "

Being on reality television has changed Ott's life.

"It was something I never envisioned for myself, never pictured," Ott said. "I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity."

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