YOUNGSTOWN — Dom Bucko is definitely on the college baseball radar — and perhaps beyond.

The Knoch graduate and Youngstown State University senior right fielder is listed among the Top Players to Watch in the Horizon League by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper in its 2021 preview edition.

Four of his YSU teammates — including three pitchers — made the list as well. And that's from a program that hasn't won 20 games in a season since 2008.

Before finishing 7-7 in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, the Penguins were a combined 108 games below .500 in their previous five seasons.

They are picked to finish third in the Horizon League this spring. Their season is scheduled to begin Feb. 19, though the Penguins' official schedule has not been released.

“I feel like we can win the league and go farther than expected, maybe to the Super Regional,” Bucko said. “We've got a better team than people think.”

A center fielder most of his baseball life, Bucko plays right field for YSU because the Penguins have an all-league, four-year starter in center in Lucas Nasonti.

“Dom is very capable of playing center field for us if we need him to,” YSU coach Dan Bertolini said.

The 6-foot-0, 205-pound Bucko is capable of a lot of things.

He played 10 games for YSU last year, hitting .281 with a home run, four RBI, a pair of doubles and a .378 on-base percentage, the latter figure good for second on the team.

“He was heating up, just starting to break through when the season ended,” Bertolini said. “Dom's got all the tools.”

Bucko excelled in his two years at Cuyahoga Community College, hitting .358 with six homers, 46 RBI and 28 stolen bases his freshman year, .386 with 14 homers, 58 RBI and 14 stolen bases as a sophomore before transferring to Youngstown State.

Now he's looking for a breakout 2021 season to put himself in position for Major League Baseball's amateur draft in June.

“Since I was a little kid, that's been my aim,” Bucko said.

Bertolini is among the believers he can get there.

“He's on pace for it,” the coach said. “But with high expectations comes high responsibility. As long as he keeps working hard every day, he can get there.

“Dom can hit for power, hit for average, has great speed, covers a lot of ground in the outfield, has an excellent arm ... he's got it all.

“He's been a No. 1 or No. 2 hitter most of his life. He's hit No. 5 or 6 for us, but will move up in the order now. He's gotten so much stronger,” Bertolini added.

Bucko said he continues to work hard on his hitting because “that's the toughest part of the game. Getting a jump on balls in the outfield, running, that all comes natural.

“Hitting is so up and down. Everybody gets into slumps. I'm going to try hard not to get frustrated when I strike out and stay on an even keel.”

Another thing in Bucko's corner concerning his quest for pro ball is the quality of his team.

“I've told my teammates that I played on a state championship team my sophomore year at Knoch,” he said. “As a result of that, a lot of guys went on to college ball off that team who never would have thought of doing that otherwise.

“The same type of thing can happen here. When you win, more scouts do come around to the games. It can open up opportunities for guys.”

Bucko has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining as all players received an extra year because of the shortened 2020 season.

“Everyone's a year older, but it's like getting a re-do,” Bertolini said. “Guys like Dom now know what the program's like, what our structure is ... He can take advantage of that.”

If he isn't drafted in June, Bucko said he may explore professional baseball opportunities overseas — or he may return to YSU for one more season.

“I'll weigh those options as they come,” he said. “For now, I'm working hard in the classroom. I've got my (grade point) average up to 3.4 and I'm pretty proud of that.”