Biagini quite comfortable on the road less traveled

Confidence is not something Domenic Biagini lacks on the baseball field.

That’s why the former Hersey all-area player is confident in his decision that will land him at Azusa Pacific University, an NAIA power located just outside of Los Angeles. It will be a long way from his original destination of Western Illinois University and his current home at College of DuPage.

“You have to believe in yourself and I really do,” Biagini said. “I’m confident. Sometimes people take it wrong but I just love the game and it brings something out in me that’s hard to explain.”

Someone who can explain what makes Biagini so confident is former Elk Grove standout Eric Maleski, who pitched four seasons in the minor leagues and has been the pitching coach at College of DuPage for 10 years.

Biagini has worked for more than a decade with Maleski, who is also the Director of Training at Drive Performance, a baseball facility in Wheeling. While Maleski laughed at the left-handed hitting Biagini’s tendency to admire some of his home runs, he really admires what Biagini has done to be successful.

“What he does, and what most people don’t, is put in the time and work to believe in his ability,” Maleski said. “It’s not a false sense of confidence.

“His approach and understanding of his swing is off the charts for someone his age. It’s amazing how mature of a hitter he is.”

Biagini had to sit out his junior year at Hersey after surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder. An impressive summer led to his commitment to Western Illinois.

But Biagini said he didn’t have the same feeling about Western when he got there because head coach Stan Hyman had died of leukemia in September, 2009. After a semester, he saw COD as a good option because of his connection with Maleski.

“It’s one of those things that kind of clicked,” Maleski said. “We’re almost siblings because we’ve spent enough time together. He’s a talented kid but he’s always had the drive to be extremely good.”

It showed not only as Biagini hit .462 while using a wood bat, but he also didn’t feel he was hindered any longer from his arm injury. He used his ability to run more and also plans to show another dimension to his game by playing first base this spring at COD.

And when it came time to decide on his next step, Biagini talked with Tad Slowik, another former minor-league pitcher and current Houston Astros scout.

“My dream is to play baseball for a living regardless of how I get there,” Biagini said. “We agreed it’s to go where the best baseball is.”

For Biagini, that meant looking at schools in Florida and California. He put together a recruiting video with the help of Slowik and it got the attention of the coaches at Azusa Pacific .

Azusa Pacific made the last of its three NAIA World Series trips in 2007 and five players from its program have gone on to play in the major leagues.

“I couldn’t have been more excited,” Biagini said. “I didn’t know how it was going to go down because it’s California and it’s hard for these guys to get out and see you.

“The field is gorgeous and it’s right at the foot of the mountains. I’m really excited.”

Maleski believes it’s a step in the right direction for Biagini.

“It’s a very strategic move for him,” Maleski said. “There are some other schools that are probably more well-known to the average person that they would have thought were better to go to.

“He wanted to go to a warmer climate and it sounds like a great fit for him. It sounds like a really great baseball environment for him and he’s a baseball guy through and through. This will be a little taste of minor-league life.”

Maleski also thinks it will be a great fit for Azusa Pacific as well.

“Some of his baseball IQ is off the charts for his age,” Maleski said. “We saw glimpses of him getting 100 percent healthy and showing what he’s capable of doing.

“He’s an extremely hard worker in the cage and the weight room and he’s put himself in position to get back to 100 percent.

“He’s got a lot of tools. If his arm gets back to 100 percent you could be looking at a five-tool prospect for someone.”

Biagini hopes he might catch the eyes of scouts this spring since he would be draft eligible by playing at a junior college. But if the time for that to happen isn’t now then Biagini is confident it could be a little later after he goes out to Azusa.

After all, Slowik got his professional start after going to Rollins College, a Division II school in Orlando, Fla.

“It’s not the Roman numeral next to the letter ‘D’ that matters,” Biagini said. “The importan thing is being where you can be seen. It may end up being the best thing that ever happened to me.

“I feel very lucky. Lucky to sill be playing and have the chances Ido.”

Along with the confidence to make what some would see as a risky chance a rewarding one.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com