CALIFORNIA — All Mick Fennell wanted to do for the California (Pa.) University baseball program was start as a freshman.

He figured everything else would fall into place.

And it has.

Fennell hit .322 his freshman season and his average has climbed with each subsequent season. Now a senior center fielder and pitcher for the Vulcans, the Butler graduate is primed to break some school records and possibly get drafted by a major league organization in a few weeks.

“Playing professional baseball has been a dream of mine since I was three years old,” Fennell admitted. “It's not a dream I'm going to quit on easily.”

Fennell said he will spend the next couple of years pursuing every possible avenue of extending his playing career if he's not drafted in June. He is scheduled to graduate in May with a sports management degree.

“I've had a number of scouts talk to me and my coach, but no one can say how (the draft) is going to go,” Fennell said.

His collegiate career has gone just fine.

Entering play this weekend, Fennell is six runs short of tying the Vulcans' career record of 175 runs scored. He is eight shy of the school mark of 224 career hits. He already owns the school record of 25 career triples and needs three to tie the Division II national record of 28 set by Paul Bingham of Indiana (Pa.) University from 2007-10.

Fennell broke the school triples record with his first hit of his senior season.

“It was good to get that one out of the way early,” he said, smirking.

California has six regular season games remaining and will likely qualify for the PSAC Tournament at Kelly Automotive Park in May.

“Mick has everything it takes to succeed at the next level,” Vulcans coach Mike Conte said.

Fennell played the infield at California early in his collegiate career and moved from the bullpen into the team's starting pitching rotation this spring. He has played center field the past two seasons.

His power production has picked up this year as well. Fennell leads the Vulcans with eight home runs, and he's collected seven doubles and five triples to go with a .406 batting average.

“I've been working hard in the gym, lifting weights, for a long time now and my body has definitely gotten stronger,” Fennell said. “Balls I've hit in previous years that didn't carry over the fence ... Now they're going over the fence.”

Conte is not surprised Fennell has been a four-year starter at California.

“He came to us already fundamentally-sound and with a very high baseball IQ,” the coach said. “He knew how to make adjustments at the plate, when to take the extra base, what base to throw to, all of those things.

“As Mick's body matured, his game got that much better. He's improved every year he's been here. He is a joy to coach and I'm going to miss him when he's gone.”

Fennell plays the game with reckless abandon. He's stolen 19 bases in 20 attempts this season. He dives for balls in the outfield. He pitches once a week in the rotation.

Yet he has remained relatively injury-free.

“His durability goes back to his work ethic and preparation,” Conte said. “Playing 28 innings of baseball each weekend at this level is very taxing on the body.

“To put up the career numbers Mick has, it means he's played when he's hurt, he's played when he's sick. But he's kept his body in shape to play.”

Fennell has not committed an error all season. He has eight assists defensively. Offensively, he's struck out only five times in 128 at bats.

On the mound, Fennell was co-recipient of the eighth annual Bruce Dal Canton Award, given to a Vulcan pitcher who truly exemplifies greatness of character. Fennell is 5-1 with a 4.91 earned run average this season. He has 28 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.

“I can feel some pain in my elbow these days when I really reach back to throw,” Fennell admitted. “They decided to shut me down pitching for a while.”

“We're not going to mess with the bright future this kid has in baseball,” Conte insisted.

Fennell only hopes he's right.

He keeps looking back on the fall of his freshman season at Cal.

“I just remember Coach saying that playing time is earned on this team, whether you're a freshman or senior, the guys who earn the time will get the time,” Fennell said. “I've always been driven by that.

“My whole life, I've been around baseball. It's going to stay that way. I'll find a way to get into coaching if I can't play anymore.

“But I hope to be playing for a while longer yet,” he added.