Dominic Rodriguez of Turlock High has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Fresno State University, giving the Bulldog senior a sense of stability in these uncertain times for high school athletes.

“It feels good. It’s like a dream come true for me to finally sign. I’ve been dreaming about it for many years now,” Rodriguez said. “I’m super excited and pumped and I can’t wait to finally be there later this year.”

Rodriguez, who initially committed to play at UC Berkeley as a freshman before de-committing as a sophomore, has been recruited to play first base and outfield for the Bulldogs.

“I just thought it was a better fit for me and it’s closer to home,” Rodriguez said of his decision to play for Fresno State.

As a sophomore on the 2019 Turlock High team, Rodriguez notched 24 RBIs – third on the team behind Tyler Soderstrom and Justine Hines – and finished the Central California Athletic League Championship season with a .333 batting average. Primed to improve on his sophomore showing in 2020, his junior year was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic with baseball season being cancelled after only five games.

“It was heartbreaking because we had the dream team that anybody could have imagined,” Rodriguez said. “We had five D1 guys and a first-rounder in the lineup and we thought we were going to go all the way.”

Like the rest of his potential 2021 Turlock High teammates, Rodriguez is hopeful athletics will be allowed in the spring so he can make the most of his senior year. If that’s not the case, he says the peace of mind knowing he has a home after high school is enough.

“If it’s there I’m happy, but right now my mindset is on Fresno at the moment,” Rodriguez said. “I’m going to focus on that and get ready to play college ball.”