We caught up with St. Augustine infielder Dominic Dempsey. Dempsey was part of a squad that was 4-2 at the break with big wins over upper division power Sahuaro and 2A Conference rival Bisbee. The Wolves were also 2-0 in power-ranking games.
Dempsey, like most seniors, will not be playing at the next level. His senior season consisted of six games with 16 at bats. His final season will still be filled with memories of teammates and coaches with lifelong learning experiences as he transitions from a high school student to an adult:
Q: What sports did you play growing up and when did you start playing baseball?
A: I’ve always been pretty athletic and loved everything sports I started playing soccer when I was three and played off and on until I was 12 on club teams and for my school. Then since 4th grade I played basketball and volleyball until 8th then somewhat played volleyball in high school. I’ve been playing baseball since I was three, played all throughout little league and skipped one summer and then started playing with Coach Dan Ramirez since 8th grade.
Who are your role models?
I have a quite a bit of role models. One being my dad and mom. My dad has made a lot of sacrifices for me and I really appreciate him and how he lives his life. He taught me how to play baseball and treat others with dignity and respect. My mom has always been there when I needed her and has shown me how to care for people. Two, would be Coach Dan and Coach David they have been there my whole high school career and I am so glad to have them as coaches they have really helped me in baseball and life. They have showed me how to play with respect and to lead and coach a team. Three, would be my grandpa. He’s the strongest person I know, he’s beat many illnesses including cancer and has been there at almost all home games cheering me on and giving me pointers. He’s also taught me how to work hard and be tough. My grandpa is also my role model religiously also, he is very devoted to God.
Tell us a bit about missing your senior season.
I am super sad about missing my senior year of baseball. We had a phenomenal team; they have worked really hard and we have become very close as a team. We were told by many people that “this is our year” and it was true we beat two teams in the very beginning of the season that we’ve never beat before and we had a great summer also. Missing this season is kinda hard because this might have been the last time I will ever play baseball again and I was looking forward to playing with my team.
What are your future plans?
I plan on going to college and majoring in some sort of business related major. I am planning on either going to NAU or Catholic University.
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News award winner and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
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