Rolling Meadows’ Hendricks picks Rollins

Matt Hendricks knows how to rake.

Hendricks spent a good part of Tuesday afternoon raking up 13 bags of leaves at his grandmother’s house in Arlington Heights.

But where Hendricks really enjoys raking is on the baseball field. In his second varsity baseball season at Rolling Meadows, Hendricks piled up all-area totals of .361 with 9 doubles, 3 homers and 35 RBI.

The combination of his success at third base, on the pitcher’s mound and in the classroom gave Hendricks the opportunity to leave the Midwest behind for his college baseball future. Hendricks made a verbal commitment Saturday to Division II Rollins College in Orlando, Fla.

“From the start I always wanted to go to a good college that always has good baseball,” said Hendricks, who played for Arlington’s American Legion team this summer. “The best part is the warmer climate.”

But Hendricks has more in mind than how the warm Florida climate could enhance his baseball skills. Hendricks plans to study pre-med and was impressed that Rollins received a No. 1 ranking for southern schools for a seventh straight year from U.S. News & World Report magazine.

Hendricks is ranked 14th in his class of 494 with a grade-point average of 4.84 on a 5.0 scale. He scored a near-perfect 35 on the ACT.

“That stuck out,” Hendricks said of Rollins’ rankings. “That was probably the biggest thing.”

Hendricks said he also had interest from Yale, Harvard, Columbia and Davidson. Rollins coaches saw Hendricks at a couple of showcases and he also works out with Houston Astros scout and former professional pitcher Tad Slowik, who was drafted out of Rollins by the Cubs in 1983.

The most notable of nine major-leaguers from Rollins is John Castino. The former New Trier East star was the 1979 American League Rookie of the Year with the Twins.

“Especially after talking to Tad, the level is not that big of a deal if you want to play at the next level after college,” Hendricks said. “Whether it’s Division III or Division I, it’s based on how much you want to put into it.”

Hendricks will join a Rollins program that was 27-26 last year and has had only one losing season six years under Jim Sjogren. The 2010 team finished 41-19, took second in the Sunshine State Conference and reached the NCAA Division II postseason.

Hendricks said he’ll get a chance to play third and pitch. Last year he was 4-7 on the mound with a 3.11 ERA in 69⅔ innings.

“The first year I’ll start with that,” Hendricks said, “and they’ll decide which one I have a better future in and I can concentrate on that.”

Guido to Oakton: Elk Grove senior right-handed pitcher Dan Guido, a Daily Herald All-Area pick last year, has decided to play at Oakton College. The right-hander was 8-5 and had a 2.44 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 20 walks in 59 innings.