Trey Dombroski loves to cook. He likes experimenting with ingredients and seasonings to create his own culinary masterpieces.

One could say Dombroski is cooking on the baseball diamond as well. Professional scouts think he has all the ingredients to develop into a Major League talent. The 6′ 5″ left-hander is projected to be an early-round draft pick come July. Following a sensational season in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, where he was named the Cape’s 2021 BFC Whitehouse Pitcher of the Year, Dombroski is poised to become the latest Monmouth baseball player to join the professional ranks. But he’s not letting that distract him.

“I owe the program and my teammates my complete focus and best effort every day,” says Dombroski, a junior. “Things will happen the way they’re supposed to happen, but if this is my last season with Monmouth, I want to make it the best year possible. These guys are my best friends. We’re like a family.”

Monmouth has always provided a family-like atmosphere for Dombroski. His older brother, Regan ’21, was a fellow pitcher and former teammate with the Hawks. Dombroski grew up in nearby Manasquan, New Jersey, so his mom and dad are staple spectators at home games. But it took an experience outside of his comfort zone for Dombroski to realize his potential.

After a superb sophomore season, he was invited to play in the prestigious Cape Cod league, where top baseball prospects compete each summer. Dombroski made an early impression on the Harwich Mariners coaching staff while pitching out of the bullpen. He was quickly promoted to starter, and by season’s end led the league in ERA (0.85) and was tied for the league lead in strikeouts (45).

“What it really came down to was trusting myself and throwing every pitch with conviction,” says Dombroski. “I was facing great hitters but needed to pitch to my strengths. I respected those guys but went after them with confidence. It’s the only way to succeed.”

Command is perhaps Dombroski’s greatest strength. He throws four pitches—fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup—and can throw each where he wants, when he wants. His slider is his best pitch, and considering his height and length, it’s a pitch that haunts both left-handed and right-handed hitters.

“Upside” is a common term used for projecting talent, and Dombroski has plenty of it. His velocity ranged in the low-to-mid 80s in high school and has increased steadily under Hawks Head Coach Dean Ehehalt and Pitching Coach Sean Thompson. Dombroski has plenty of room to fill out, and if he continues his training regimen (along with his artistry in the kitchen), scouts are predicting he’ll throw all of his pitches with increased speed and sharpness.

“The talk about me being drafted in the early rounds has given me confidence and motivates me,” says Dombroski, who is a huge Clayton Kershaw fan. “It makes me want to work harder, but I’m not getting caught up in the attention. The dream is to be a first-round pick by doing what got me here and by being exactly who I am. There’s no pressure in being myself.”