The majority of high school athletes know the amount of work it takes to get to the highest level of performance. The majority of high school athletes have a hope of saying “I committed to a division one school” or some version of that statement. I had the honor of speaking to three high school baseball players that know exactly what it’s like to have that dream come true. Dylan Bowen, from St. John, Indiana committed to Oklahoma State, Cory Les from Tinley Park, Illinois, committed to Louisville, and Dominic Santarelli, from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, committed to LSU. I was able to talk to these guys about their journeys so far, and what they hope to accomplish in the future. I asked them initially about their work ethic and what allowed them to get to be a division 1 baseball commit. Let me give you a little bit of insight on these guys and then share their responses.
Dylan Bowen (MIF) – Bowen is a versatile defender who can play anywhere in the infield, but his quick hands give him an edge in the middle. His power comes from solid usage of his core and legs, producing a good amount of power for his size (5’11, 190ish) and a good deal of putting the baseball anywhere on the field. In conversations with Bowen, I learned from him what his work ethic has been to become a division 1 commit. “It’s been a lot of work. Whether it’s in the gym, cages, or fielding. To get there, you have to focus on yourself and accomplish your goals. You have to be serious about what you want to be or do.”
Cory Les (INF/OF) – Les is a product out of St. Laurence High School, a 2025 state champion. Les is a grinder. He’s a two sport athlete, both baseball and football and I’d argue that he could play D1 at either sport. Les brings a strong left handed bat to a team, both with his quick hands and ability to cover the whole plate, but his defensive prowess stands above the pack. His arm strength is in the upper percentile, his range is wider than most high school infielders, and his knowledge of the game is unparalleled. With his speed and arm strength, I can see him being a prime utility guy early at Louisville. Les told me “Being able to go to a high school that understands where I want to be was extremely important to where (I’ve been) able to go. They understand my goals and work with me to make sure I get the best possible development at school and with my Travel Program.”
Dom Santarelli (1B/OF) – Santarelli is a highly touted prospect with round 1 draft potential. His bat is unmatched, hitting 11 homers in his junior year (leading all Wisconsin high schoolers), a hard hit percentage of 90%, and an exit velocity that caps at 109mph. The average exit velocity at the Major League Baseball level in 2025 was between 88-90mph. Santarelli clears that already. Paired with his ability to play the outfield and first base, Santarelli puts in work in all aspects of his game. He told me, “The work balance is tough and takes a lot of sacrifices to be made, but to be where I am you have to be both mentally and physically tough and be willing to make those sacrifices knowing your dreams and aspirations.”
Once I heard about their work ethics, I really wanted to understand what their recruiting process was like and what stood out about their respective schools. I asked “What was different about the school you chose, and what drove you to choose that school?”
Bowen (OK State) – “Obviously the coaching staff is awesome. Coach Holliday has been amazing and it’s awesome seeing all of the Holliday’s walk around the facilities. They have a lot of technology as well that you can use for everything whether it’s just hitting mechanics or explosiveness stuff.”
The technology in college baseball has taken leaps forward in recent years and it’s exciting to see. In top of that, the coaching staff includes a few great names. Coach Holliday meaning Head Coach Josh Holliday, who was an MLB draft pick, and older brother of Assistant Coach Matt Holliday (former MLB pro and father of Jackson Holliday and Ethan Holliday, current MLB and MiLB players).
Les (Louisville) – “The culture at Louisville stood out the most. Their drive to win and the level of competition they play stood out to me.” I know a few guys who went to Louisville and I can confirm the culture is amazing there. That team is full of grinders and workhorses, so Les will fit right in.
Santarelli (LSU) – “What stood out to me the most about LSU is competing and playing alongside the best players in the country. I also hate losing, and going to THE powerhouse of college baseball fits me perfectly because all LSU does is win and that’s all I want to do. Another thing that stood out to me was the coaching staff. All of the coaches care so much about their players and knowing that I will be far away from home, I wanted to go to a school that made me feel at home.” LSU is definitely getting a gamer in Santarelli. His passion to win is fantastic, which will make him a fan favorite in Baton Rouge.
All of these guys brought up the coaching staff at their respective schools. I wanted to hear about their relationships, as they’ve built up strong relationships with most of their recruiters. So, what was the driving factor to choose their school over other schools’ coaching staffs.
Bowen – “The coaches have been really good to me. Coach Holliday made it feel like home as soon as I stepped on campus and treated me like I was the only person there. I saw the way the coaches talked and coached the players and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
Les – “I have an amazing relationship with the staff at Louisville. Coach Snider, McDonnell and Vrabel are amazing. They did an amazing job getting to know me throughout the entire process and we have a great connection.”
Santarelli – “My relationship with the coaching staff is great. I know I can pick up the phone and call and text one of them whenever I want and they will answer. At least one coach checks in with me every week which shows how much they care about their players.”
Clearly something that coaches at the highest levels do, is get to know their recruits. They take time to get to know them and keep track of them. That’s a really cool aspect to see, and something most fans don’t get to see. The next question I asked these guys were about what they wanted to accomplish at the collegiate level, let’s see what they said!
Bowen – “I am hoping to become the best player I can be and of course make it to the next level.” I honestly am surprised Bowen hasn’t gotten more attention from Major League Baseball scouts. He’s still growing as a senior in high school, can put on more strength, but has a very, very solid batting stance and fielding ability. His fundamentals are sound and can make non-routine plays, look routine. His hitting is simple and smooth. I have no doubt in my mind he can make it to the next level.
Les – “I am hoping to develop and play at the highest level. I have an amazing opportunity to play in the ACC and I hope I can compete and excel against the best in the country.” Knowing who Cory Les is, I have no doubt he will be able to compete at and excel at, this level of competition. His work ethic will drive him far!
Santarelli – “I want to win a national championship every year I’m in college. That’s my only goal for myself in college. All I want to do is win.” You know that saying, he has that dawg in him? Santarelli has that dawg in him. Absolute gamer. LSU fans… keep an eye on this kid.
My last question to these guys were about their previous coaches and anyone who had an impact on them. I asked, are the any coaches that you would like to shoutout for helping you get here?
Bowen – “Dale Meyer has been a big part. He was my coach when I was younger and has stayed to help me ever since I was young.”
Les – “I would like to shoutout my Dad (Tom Les), Coach Pete Lotus, Mark Doran, and Mike Sisti for my development to this point in my career.”
Santarelli – “The biggest shout out I want to give is to my Dad. My Dad will throw me bp whenever I want. He will throw to me for hours no matter the time of day. Although he’s not my coach anymore, he is the “coach” I go to everything about and helps me with every aspect of my game. Two other shout outs I want to make are to Matt Gifford my sports performance coach, and RJ Fergus the former owner of Hitters Baseball.”
Anyone who has played any sport at the collegiate level knows that they couldn’t do it alone. I’ve heard it said that it takes a village to raise a child, and to build a successful athlete, it can seem the same.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed by now or not, but these three young men are some of the most humble and kind guys on the planet. They took time out of their senior years to talk with me, and for that I’m grateful and thankful. No matter what school you root for, I hope you keep these guys on your radar and root for them, too, because they’re nothing but champions in my book. I’d also like to take a second to thank all of the coaches, parents, and others that have led these young men to become who they are today. Not just on the field, but off the field as well. It’s been an honor getting to know these guys and cover their recruitment process. I can’t wait to see them play this season and watch them grow from high school ball, to college ball, and one day, to professional ball.
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Ian M. Ryan is a journalist from Oak Forest, Illinois. He follows high school, college, and professional sports.