In late September 2021, beneath the scrutinizing eyes of college baseball recruiters, senior Lucas Dennis stood on the pitcher’s mound of the Peoria Sports Complex Stadium in Arizona. He felt pressure to showcase his best stuff at the Arizona Junior Fall Classic, while at the same time tending to overanalyze his performance during the game.
He called it a “nerve wracking experience,” but it turned out better than he could have hoped for.
At the Arizona Junior Fall Classic, Dennis was selected for the Arizona Fall Classic Junior-All Academic Game. The game ended up being his ticket to playing Division III baseball at the Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. The recruiting coordinator sent him an email last February letting him know they were considering him for recruitment. After Dennis got to know the school and they exchanged further information, he was offered a spot on the team in mid-June. Dennis officially committed the early decision process at Pomona College on Sept. 9.
Dennis said he felt reassured after a lot of uncertainty, especially given how the pandemic made it more difficult to be recruited — limited roster spots for high schoolers and new transfer rules contributed to an overall “changing college baseball landscape,” he said. Specifically, the stress amounting up to and during his junior year was extremely intense; for athletes, that period of time is essential for both recruiters and themselves.
Other institutions had reached out to Dennis as well, including Brown University, Columbia University and Yale University. Dennis is happy he committed to Pomona-Pitzer due to its academic reputation, its beautiful campus — including a new athletic facility — and its proximity to beaches and downtown Los Angeles. In addition, he feels at ease because he will not have to declare a major until his sophomore year, allowing for some time for him to understand what he wants to pursue academically.
Dennis’ baseball career has seen notable achievements, both for club and school teams. As a junior, he threw two consecutive no-hitters during the spring season, earning him second place for the Bay Area News Group Athlete of the Week and then first place the following week. Dennis was named to the First Team All-SCVAL El Camino Division and was the team’s MVP. In addition, he won Cal-Hi NorCal Baseball Player of the Week and was named a Cal-Hi Sports All-State Baseball Team Nominee.
With his club team, the Zoots Baseball Club — the top club team in Northern California and ranked top 5 in the state — Dennis was selected for the 2022 NorCal World Series at the University of the Pacific and won third out of a hundred teams at the 2022 U.S. Baseball National Team Championships in Arizona.
At 6-4 and weighing 165 pounds, Dennis has a body type coaches often like to see in pitchers, and he has the ability to add strength in the years ahead.
As a pitcher, Dennis describes himself as “similar to a boxer.” He is “intense, confident and even a little arrogant,” a mentality that makes him feel like the best player on the field, he mentioned. He usually throws around 87 mph, maxing out at 88 mph, and estimates that he should be throwing 91 mph by the spring season. He mainly pitches fastballs, sliders and change-ups.
“Pitching and hitting are both very one of one parts of the sport,” he said. “It’s you or the other guy, and as the pitcher, you’re the aggressor — you choose what you throw.”
Above all, Dennis is grateful to know that he will continue to play baseball in college.
“As relieved as I am to have prolonged my baseball career for another four years, there’s a long way to go before I even come close to meeting my next goal,” he said.
Dennis said he knew he wanted to “play baseball for a living” after going to his first San Francisco Giants game. In middle school, he created a tangible plan to help him achieve his goal: first, becoming a four-year starter on the varsity baseball team, then playing college baseball and finally being drafted into the major league upon graduation.
His love for baseball started young: He often went to see Giants play at then-AT&T Park with his father, and he first started playing little league baseball at age 6. Dennis quickly grew to love Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, who became his role model and favorite player.
“I used to want to be him,” Dennis said. “He made his big league debut and started playing with the Giants right when I started watching baseball. He’s kind of at the end of his career now, and I’m about to leave high school.”
His talent and passion for baseball developing early led to his drive to continue the sport. Dennis spent high school summers playing baseball in tournaments across California and Arizona, waking up early in the morning to play before the afternoon’s intense heat. This past summer before his senior year was spent entirely on tryouts and college camps. He said that during the school year, he plays between seven and 18 hours of baseball a week, depending on whether he is playing for school teams.
“This has been my dream since I went to my first Giants game,” Dennis said. “I’m so happy it’s finally starting to materialize.”