Meet All-Star minor league closer Jason Dominguez. After being drafted 951st overall by the Houston Astros in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft, Dominguez impressed in his first professional baseball action. The Pepperdine product was 2-0, tallying 10 saves with a 1.35 ERA (earned run average) in Class A Short-Season. Dominguez will be writing blogs for Davis Sports Deli.com so you will have the opportunity to get to know him and live vicarously through him. I caught up with Jason and talked baseball...

Joshua Fischman: You won city titles in three of your four years in high school. You were 35-1 as a pitcher during that span. Do you expect victory every time you go out there? If so, how does that give you a competitive edge?

Jason Dominguez: I do expect victory every time I step on the field and when that doesn't happen, I take it pretty hard. That was one of the biggest challenges coming out of high school. At Chatsworth we won virtually every game and that just doesn't happen in college and pro ball. So I don't dig on losing a whole lot.

JF: How is life in the minor leagues different from college for you?

JD: The hours are a lot different. In college we would show up to the field a couple of hours before the game and be ready to go. But in pro ball oftentimes we have workouts and practices before the game. Also, at Pepperdine, we did not have lights on the field, so we played all day games. In pro ball every stadium has lights and virtually all the games are at night. I like it a lot better that way.

JF: Down the line, do you see yourself as a closer or possibly returning to the starting rotation?

JD: As of now I would say that I would probably stay as a closer. I have to develop a more consistent third pitch in order to even be considered for the starting rotation. So, until then, bullpen it is.

JF: What is your mentality coming into games as a closer?

JD: Throw strikes, let the defense behind me do the work and get off the field as soon as possible.

JF: Eric Gagne had "Welcome to the Jungle". What song would you love to close games to?

JD: I really like Metallica intros, so I think that "Master of Puppets" is a great song. But I have also taken a liking to the song "Passage in Time" by a band named Authority Zero.

JF: What role has baseball played in your relationship with your brother Matt (the 2007 first round pick of the Florida Marlins)?

JD: Ever since we were little my two brothers and I have been playing baseball. Whether that was in the backyard, living room or the field. We have always been able to play ball with one another. Matt and I have only been on one team together and that was my senior (his freshman) year in high school. WE went undefeated and he was national freshman of the year. Playing at Dodger Stadium that year with him at third was one of the best memories in baseball that I have ever had.

JF: How special was it dominating hitters in the NYPL (New York-Penn League) and making the All-Star [team] in your first season of professional baseball?

JD: Being named to the All-Star team was a tremendous honor. However, I really do have to give all the credit to my teammates. They made all the plays behind me and made me look good at times I was bad. So, without your teammates, nobody makes any All-Star team[s].

JF: What have you been doing in the off-season; both in preparation for next season and, also, away from baseball?

JD: Currently I am back at Pepperdine getting a semester of schooling done. I'll have one more semester after this to finish my degree and that is something I am very proud of. On the baseball side, I just recently started throwing again. But I have been lifting virtually since day one.

JF: Where do you expect to start the season?

JD: I expect to start either in Lexington or Salem. Most likely I am expecting to be in Lexington. However, call it wishful thinking, I would like to end up in Salem.