Swinging for the fences has landed Cochrane’s Brendan Hendriks in the middle of the action at the next level.
The University of San Francisco Diamond Don’s slugger was named a top-100 senior collegiate prospect Jan. 13 by the Perfect Game in the baseball website’s annual poll of top college baseball talent.
Hendriks, in his fourth year at USF, was an All-West Coast Conference honourable mention in his junior year with the Dons last season, hitting .287 with six home runs, three triples, a team-high 19 doubles and 39 RBI. The Dons open their National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Div. 1 baseball season next month at Texas Tech.
Selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 40th round of Major League Baseball’s 2011 amateur draft, Hendriks returned to the draft after opting to play collegiate ball at USF. He’s eligible for MLB’s June 10 draft this year. Making Perfect Game’s Top 100 (91st) college seniors list can only raise his profile.
“For sure. It’s an honour to get recognized for stuff like that,” Hendriks, 21, says from San Francisco. Before graduating from Alberta’s Vauxhall Academy in 2011, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound utility infielder with the big bat attended St. Timothy School in Cochrane.
“It’s nice to go about my business and do my work and have people notice it,” he continues.
“It’s a testament to the coaching staff at San Francisco. People noticing me is just a result of the work myself and other people have put in.”
The Dons are on the field now, preparing for the 2015 NCAA West Coast Conference season. Hendriks is confident USF can improve on last year’s 25-29 Div. 1 record.
“I think we’re a lot better. We’ve come together as a team a lot better this year. We’ve all bought into the same idea.”
As a senior who’s been named to the Perfect Game’s top-100, he’s hoping to lead the way for the Dons this season.
“Being a senior is kind of cool coming back and being one of the many leaders on our team to help turn things around and hopefully do things right this year.”
When the collegiate baseball season ends, baseball begins anew for Cochrane’s Brendan Hendriks.
As the lights dimmed on the 2014 National Collegiate Athletic Association Div. 1 season last spring, the University of San Francisco Diamond Dons slugger joined the boys of summer in the independent Cape Cod Baseball League.
Playing for the Cotuit Kettleers, Hendriks followed a productive USF junior collegiate season (.287 avg, 15 HR, 39 RBI) by finishing eighth in hitting for Cotuit, batting .298 with five doubles, a home run and 15 RBI in 94 plate appearances with the eastern U.S.-based minor-pro team.
“Basically, you play your season with your school and then they send you off to summer baseball,” the utility infielder who can play first and third base explains. “Then you play there. There are different leagues throughout Canada and the U.S. Cape Cod is known as the best summer league to play in.”
As a self-proclaimed “hitter,” Hendriks was glad to face consistent pitching on a nightly basis in the Cape Cod League. Catching up to live fastballs and ghastly sinkers is only going to improve your eye at the dish.
“Some of the top prospects, you’re seeing quality pitching – anything from 87-95 miles an hour every day. You get really good competition,” he says of his Cape Cod League experience. “I think it was an eye-opener for me going out there and seeing I’m able to keep up and play with those guys. I learned a lot from that for sure.
“I would say there are players like that you’ll see in (NCAA) Div. 1 baseball. But I think the Cape Cod is more consistent.
“Every single day you are seeing a really good pitcher. So I showed up at the yard and I never questioned what I was going to face because I knew it was going to be a really solid pitcher.”
Brendan Hendriks, 21
Senior, University of San Francisco Diamond Dons
6-foot-2, 200-pound Infielder
(1st and 3rd base)
Bats: left/right Throws: right
2014: .287 avg, 6 HR, 39 RBI
Vauxhall Academy, Class of 2011
