P1FCU Prep Athlete of the Week: Dominic Holden, Troy Baseball
TROY, ID- Troy baseball pitcher Dominic Holden has been incredibly consistent on the mound this season. He proved that on Monday, pitching five and a third innings, allowing just two runs as the Troy Trojans beat the Potlatch Loggers 4-2.
The game was scoreless up until the fourth inning, where Troy took advantage of some Potlatch miscues.
Then in the fifth, it was Potlatch that got on the board. His coach called a meeting on the mound, and sophomore Dominic Holden maintained his composure and got out of the inning
“ I just have to throw strikes, I walked two I think," Holden said. " I just have to trust the defense, try not to do too much, and yeah I came out of there scoreless.”
A big reason behind his success on the mound is his connection with his catcher.
“Oh it's fun, we hang out a lot, I trust him back there to make the plays, and he brings the bat too.”
The pitcher is no stranger to success, as he played a key role in securing Troy's state title last season.
“I pitched in the semis and the championship game. It’s nothing you’ll ever experience, it’s great. The energy there is crazy.”
One person who continues to bring the energy is first year head coach Tyler Strunk.
“You know we lost our coach last year, and so we got a new coach. He’s fun and he knows what he’s doing, and he always keeps us energetic," Holden said.
Between a new coach and his success on the mound his path to becoming a pitcher hasn't always come easy.
“I took some years off of baseball last year, because I just wasn’t enjoying it. My friends brought me back, and they said that they needed me, so having them with me along the way has been good to have."
Despite taking a hiatus from the sport, he's now in his second year on varsity and hasn't looked back.
"You have to enjoy the journey and not the results, so I just love being out here throwing the ball, nothing I'd rather do.”
