Chris Dominguez was promoted to head coach of the Bellarmine University baseball team in June of 2022. The 2025 campaign will mark his third as the leader of the program.
In 2024, Dominguez's second season as the skipper, first baseman Casey Sorg and outfielder Will Aubel earned All-ASUN accolades. In ASUN play, the Knights swept North Florida and notched another series win over Queens.
The 19th head coach in Bellarmine program history, Dominguez first joined the staff as an assistant in 2020 and was also an assistant in 2022. He bookended those seasons around a one-year stint as an assistant at the University of Miami.Â
With Dominguez on board as an assistant in 2020, Bellarmine's final year in Division II before transitioning to Division I and the ASUN Conference, the Knights were ranked No. 17 in the preseason by the NCBWA and finished 10-4 overall and 3-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference when the remainder of the season was canceled due to the pandemic. Junior right-hander Brandon Pfaadt became the second-highest MLB draft selection in program history after being picked in the fifth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Following a season at Miami, Dominguez was back at Bellarmine as an assistant in 2022, a campaign highlighted by Matt Higgins becoming the program's first-ever ASUN Player of the Year and its first-ever D1 All-American.
In 2021, Dominguez helped lead Miami to the NCAA Tournament. He was the infield coach and assisted with hitters as the Hurricanes went 33-21 overall and 20-15 in the ACC. Catcher Adrian Del Castillo (second round, Arizona Diamondbacks), right-handed pitcher Jake Smith (sixth round, LA Angels) and catcher Anthony Vilar (15th round, San Diego Padres) were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft.Â
Following a standout career at the University of Louisville in which he was a two-time All-American, Dominguez carved out an 11-year career (2009-19) in the professional ranks, including stints with the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds. The Miami native was a member of the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A affiliate of the Reds, for much of 2015.
In his pro career, Dominguez played in over 1,000 minor league games and totaled 134 home runs, 210 doubles, 20 triples and 592 RBIs while hitting .263. In 2010, his first full season in pro ball, he cranked 21 homers, 32 doubles and four triples while amassing 101 RBIs with the Augusta GreenJackets, the Class-A affiliate of the Giants. In 2014, Dominguez hit 21 homers and stole 21 bases for the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.
Dominguez had a phenomenal collegiate career at Louisville. As a redshirt junior in 2009, his final season with the Cardinals, the third baseman was named Big East Player of the Year and a first-team All-American by Baseball America, Louisville Slugger and PING! Baseball after batting .345 with 25 home runs and 82 RBIs.
Dominguez was the Big East co-Player of the Year in 2008 and earned third-team All-America plaudits from Baseball America, Louisville Slugger, PING! Baseball and the NCBWA after hitting .365 with 21 homers and 75 RBIs. That followed a 2007 campaign in which the infielder was named an honorable-mention Freshman All-American by PING! Baseball after swatting 15 home runs and 19 doubles while driving in 61 runs.
Dominguez played a central role in Louisville making its first-ever appearance in the College World Series in 2007. He was named MVP of the Columbia Regional after batting .421 and followed by launching three homers in the CWS.
Dominguez was an MLB draft pick on three separate occasions. He was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 17th round in 2005 out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) High School, by the Colorado Rockies in the fifth round in 2008 after his redshirt sophomore season at Louisville and by the San Francisco Giants in the third round in 2009 after his last season with the Cardinals.
Dominguez has a wife, Shannon, and son, Patrick.
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