Knoch graduate Dominick Bucko has had a winding baseball journey that has taken him from Ohio to Florida to Ohio again and now to the Butler BlueSox, where he is batting .500 early in his stint in the Prospect League.

PENN TWP — Dominick Bucko knows he took a gamble, but it just may pay off for the 2017 Knoch graduate and current Butler BlueSox player.

Bucko had a full scholarship to play baseball at Kent State University in his back pocket, but never played for the Golden Flashes.

“I was talking to a few pro scouts and they urged me to go to a (junior college),” Bucko said. “That way, I can be drafted after any of my college seasons. If you go to a four-year school, you can be drafted no sooner than at the end of your junior season.”

Bucko took the advice and headed south to St. Petersburg Community College in Florida.

“It was a big change and I got home-sick,” he said. “It was too much at once.”

After one semester, Bucko transferred to a school much closer to home, Cuyahoga Community College near Cleveland. He wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers this spring, batting .358 with six home runs, 46 RBI, 58 runs scored and a league-leading 28 stolen bases.

“I started the season hitting leadoff, but by the end, I was batting No. 3,” Bucko said. “I played mostly center field, but also pitched a bit as a reliever.”

Up until recently, Bucko was playing summer ball for Cranberry Township in the Eagle County League. Now he is one of the hottest hitters in the Prospect League as the No. 2 hitter for the BlueSox, who signed him last week.

After Wednesday's game against Chillicothe, Bucko is batting .500 (12-for-24) with six RBI and seven runs scored. His ability to bat from both sides of the plate makes him even more effective.

“I think I hit with more power from the left side, but lately, I've been hitting better from the right,” he said. “I knew the pitching would be a lot better in the Prospect League, but I've been seeing the ball really well. No matter what level I've played at, I've always been able to adapt.”

Bucko is also very capable in the field. His ability to throw runners out was on display from right field Sunday when he gunned down Champion City's Gehrig Anglin at home plate in the Sox' 11-4 win.

Bucko's hopes of playing professionally recently received an encouraging sign. His first game with the BlueSox yielded a 3-for-5 effort at Chillicothe last Thursday. One person in particular took notice.

“A scout for the Boston Red Sox was there,” said Bucko. “After the game, he called my college coach and was pretty interested in me.”

Right now, Bucko is planning on heading back to Cuyahoga C.C. in August, but he's open to other possibilities.

“Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to play pro baseball,” he said. “Things are working out right now and I will continue to give 110 percent.”