CEDAR
RAPIDS, Iowa – As the Albany Dutchmen headed three hours east on
Wednesday afternoon, the team was in the midst of a two-day road
trip, recently finishing a 0-0 tie against the Victor RailRiders. With
a wide variety of talent on the Dutchmen roster, Dominic DiCaprio, an
18-year old from Coral Springs, Fla., is one of the youngest
prospects in the PGCBL looking to gain valuable experience before he
heads off to college this fall.
The
Rice University commit, DiCaprio is one of two incoming freshman on
the Albany roster. Following in the footsteps of Virginia’s College
World Series winning second baseman Ernie Clement, DiCaprio is a
first-year PGCBL star that has a strong-arm behind the plate and
major power potential offensively.
At
6-foot, 200-pounds, DiCaprio has seen a lot of action in his first
PGCBL season. With valuable collegiate experience in his back pocket,
DiCaprio is confident the PGCBL has prepared him to play collegiate
baseball at a high level.
“It’s
been a great experience so far,” DiCaprio said. “Traveling around
New York and getting a feel for what it’s like to play day in and
day out will pay huge diligence as I head off to school.”
With
leadership and guidance all around him, DiCaprio has been able to see
what it’s like to grind through the summer months, something he’ll
have to do in college and throughout his baseball career. As the game
continues to speed up, the Dutchmen catcher knows he will have to
compete for everything he gets.
“He’s
gaining valuable experience he can take with him into the future,”
Head Coach Nick Davey said. “He is here to make himself a better
player and compete at a high level, which we feel he has done and
will continue to do in college.”
While
DiCaprio has adapted well to this point in the season, Davey believes
it simply comes down to Dominic focusing on letting his abilities
shine, which the coach acknowledges the youngster has done up to this
point. As
an 18-year old behind the plate, DiCaprio has shown to be mature
above his years on and off the field. A strong arm accompanied by
great defensive tools and a great mind for the game have garnered the
rookie respect throughout the league.
“Part
of the reason I came here was to get up to speed with catching
college pitching,” DiCaprio stated on a bus ride home Wednesday
night. “I wanted to get myself ready to compete in the spring and
this is one way I could do that.”
As
his offensive abilities will continue to improve as well, Dominic is
confident that the collegiate talent he is playing with this summer
will also shed light on his future game.
“This
is a great league with a lot of tough pitching. It’s always going
to be a challenge, but having to make adjustments at the plate and in
the field are beneficial for what I’ll be seeing at the next
level.”
The future Rice Owl, DiCaprio will take his baseball talents to Houston three
weeks after the PGCBL season ends. A school that excels in many
different areas, DiCaprio is excited about his future in the lone
star state as a player and student.
“Rice
is a school with great baseball tradition and great academics,”
DiCaprio said. “I’m ready to get in there and compete on the
field while being a member of their community.”
While
DiCaprio’s journey has taken him through several peaks and valleys,
the soon-to-be college kid also gave thanks and praise to Perfect
Game.
Competing
in over 20 events throughout his high school career, including five
showcase events, DiCaprio excelled in Perfect Game tournaments and
showcases before becoming a 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention
All-American. He was named to four All-Tournament Teams playing for the nationally renowned South Florida-based Elite Squad program and also
participated at the 2014 Perfect Game National Showcase with and
against the top players from his class from across the nation.
With
great upside and a terrific mindset, DiCaprio was an outstanding
competitor that sold his game to numerous collegiate programs
throughout his PG career.
“Perfect
Game gave me the opportunity to travel around the country and get in
front of a lot of coaches and scouts,” DiCaprio said of his
experiences. “It was a great fit for me and something that helped
me get recruited in several ways.”
With
his high school years now behind him, DiCaprio has become a more
polished baseball player this summer in the PGCBL. As a youngster who
has used Perfect Game to his advantage once again, the Florida native
feels strongly he is headed in the right direction as the PGCBL
season winds down and his next stop in life creeps closer.
“I’m
excited to finish out the year here in New York and then I’ll focus
on college,” DiCaprio added. “We still have a lot of work to do
here in Albany and I owe it to our community and organization to give
it my all.”
With
the final stretch of the PGCBL regular season now upon them, the
Dutchmen will try to improve on an 11-16 record that places them
fourth in the West Division. As the team stays in high spirits, the
atmosphere around the club has never dipped.
“It’s
been a great ride,” DiCaprio stated. “I’m looking forward to
finishing strong and being around my teammates and coaches as much as
possible.”