By Marc Anthony Martinez
Francisco “Paco” Dominguez, pitcher for the East Los Angeles College Baseball team helped lead the team to victory over Palomar College.
Dominguez plans to go to either California State University, Los Angeles, or California State University, Dominguez Hills where he will major in history to be a teacher.
He hasn’t decided if he will continue to play at the college he attends next fall.
He is going to take two weeks to think about it before he decides.
“It was a fun experience and a fun ride, I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Dominguez said about playing for the ELAC Baseball team.
While playing at ELAC this year he had seven complete games and one shutout game.
He struck out 66 batters.
Dominguez struggled in his last performance of the season against Los Angeles Valley College as he only pitched two innings and gave up eight runs.
While on the mound, he was calm and knew that it was a situation he had been in before as a pitcher.
Dominguez said his favorite player growing up and who he still watches videos of to this day is Pedro Martinez, because of how he was still a dominant pitcher in the steroid era and how Martinez carried himself and was confident. Something both pitchers share when on the mound.
Dominguez teammate, David Morales said Dominguez made others play well because of the effort he puts into the game.
“Paco was who the pitching staff at ELAC looked up to. He set the standard and tone every time he stepped foot on the mound,” said Morales.
Dominguez and Morales have talked about together a lot because of their performances against Palomar, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs who they were able to eliminate to advance to the Super Regional Playoffs.
“We shared a small moment after both of the games to show appreciation for each other and just take in what we just accomplished,” Morales said.
“It’s been an honor and pleasure playing with this group,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez said he has the utmost respect for his coaches.
“I’m honored for them to put that responsibility and trust that they stood with me through the ups and downs,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez said when he was on the mound and having a bad inning like how he did against LA Valley College, he took deep breaths and reminded himself that it isn’t a situation he hasn’t been in before.
He has the mentality of, if something bad happens in one pitch just continue to the next batter.
That’s how he approached every game he pitched this year.
Dominguez played for Bell High School and was 8-0 his junior year.
His senior year he played with a fractured thumb on his non-throwing hand with the goal of playing at Dodgers Stadium for the high school championship, but fell short in the end.
Dominguez showed what it was like to grind and be a good baseball player and how it pays to work hard on and off the field.
Even when they couldn’t play due to COVID-19 he was still practicing and finding ways to improve so that when he was able to get back on the mound, he would be ready.
ELAC were the underdogs with their backs against the wall one game of elimination, Dominguez showed dominance by throwing a complete game, striking out three and giving up only one run.