Not much time has passed since Dominic Rodriguez was playing for the Turlock Yankees, where he both pitched and caught for his team. Little League season is over now, just as summer will soon be, but Rodriguez is far from finished playing baseball.

A “baseball nerd” as his dad Corey puts it, Rodriguez is a year round player who can also be found playing for Nor Cal Valley Baseball. But soon, the 11-year-old Turlocker will find himself far away from Northern California and closer to the game he loves than ever before.

After impressing coaches at the three-day National Team Identification Series Tournament in Manteca, Rodriguez was chosen — one of 16 from California — for final selection for the 2014 11U National team.

“I was pretty surprised,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of talented players on the ball field.”

Rodriguez, who was selected to play catcher, earned his spot for the Aug. 28 national try out after excelling in individual tests which included pitching, hitting, fielding, and catching. He will compete against peers from 12 different regions of the United States, all of whom will be vying for a roster spot and chance to play against the likes of China and the Dominican Republic.

“It would be an honor,” Rodriguez said.

The NTIS consists of five age groups — 17U, 16U, 14U, 13U, and 11U — with events being held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex and Thomas Brooks Park in North Carolina. The final rosters will be announced in the first week of September.