By Andrew Krumme
Louisville athletics has come into its own over the past couple of years. Rick Pitino guided the basketball team to the Final Four last year. Bobby Petrino and the football team capped off the year with the Cards’ biggest bowl bid since the ’91 Fiesta Bowl. Even women’s volleyball gained some attention by making it to the Sweet Sixteen.
Now, fans are hoping it’s time for Coach Lelo Prado and the Louisville baseball team to make its mark. Freshman Chris Dominguez should play a big part in boosting the team’s fortunes.
Dominguez was Prado and company’s gem of this year’s freshman class. The 19-year-old third baseman comes into his first year of college ball as the highest-rated college baseball player ever to step foot in the state of Kentucky. Dominguez was ranked as the top high school third base prospect in the country by Baseball America. Hailing from Gulliver Prep in Miami, Fla., he was also considered by many to be one of the top 20 players in the country, so he’ll undoubtedly be in the starting lineup when the Cards open the season next month.
The journey that eventually led the highly touted 6-foot-4, 230-pound infielder from the sunny beaches of Miami to Louisville began when Dominguez picked up the bat and glove at age five. He attributes his success to his father, who played himself in high school.
Dominguez grew up idolizing the great Jackie Robinson.
“I love playing like Jackie Robinson and really admired the way he played the game, especially considering the times he came up in,” he said.
And like Branch Rickey believed in Jackie, the U of L coaching staff believes in Dominguez. “I picked U of L because the coaches believed in me, and I believed I could help out this program,” he said. With the likes of Arizona State, Stanford and the Tony Gwyn-led San Diego State also gunning for him, the Cardinal coaching staff successfully convinced Dominguez that Louisville is the place for him. Sophomore first baseman Jorge Castillo, who played with Dominguez at Gulliver Prep, also played a big part in the decision.
Dominguez batted .400 with five home runs and 35 RBIs in his senior season. He played in the 2004 East Coast Baseball Showcase and the 2004 North/South all-star game.
While Dominguez signed his letter of intent almost a year and a half ago in November of 2004, he was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 17th round of the 2005 draft and had to decide whether or not to play pro ball or honor the commitment he made to Coach Prado.
“Yeah, they [the Rangers] were interested in me, but the money wasn’t enough and I thought the best thing to do was come to college,” he said.
With the season about to start, Dominguez has one goal in mind: “I want to win a World Series for U of L.”
Clearly, Coach Prado and the entire Louisville athletic department are excited about having such a high caliber of player on campus and cannot wait to see what he does on the field.
“Chris will make an immediate impact, and is the type of player who can really elevate a program. He is one of the top players in the country and is a legitimate five-tool threat,” Prado said. With Louisville’s first baseball season in the Big East on the horizon, not to mention a great new facility to play at, the future looks bright with Chris Dominguez in the picture.
