Right-hander Alex Hermeling was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on July 28th, 2015. The 6’5”-230 lb native of Evanston, Illinois had previously been selected by the Dodgers in the 43rd round of the 2011 First year Player Draft out of Glenbrook North High School. At that time he chose not to sign a professional contract with the Dodgers instead but enroll in another career interest and play baseball with the Warhawks at the Monroe Campus of the University of Louisiana (ULM).

His freshman year ground to a halt after only 11 appearances and nine starts with an arm injury that ended in the now so common Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2012 season and red-shirted during the 2013 campaign to continue his rehabilitation and preserve one more year of college eligibility.

Alex-Hermeling
(Image courtesy of collegebaseballcentral.com)

Hermeling returned to action for the 2014 season and by then had an interesting way of getting around. Scheduled to pitch on the weekend in early April, as was team policy, he and pitching teammate Chad Miller were left behind during a Warhawks mid-week game with Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Head coach Bruce Peddie happened to look up into the stands during the game and there sat Alex Hermeling and Chad Miller. A perplexed coach Peddie couldn’t figure out how the two arrived at the park since they hadn’t been on the team bus. Peddie went on to say that ‘Herm’ had flown himself to the game.

Hermeling had his pilot’s license and indicated the flight would be, “the first of many if I choose a career in aviation.” His stated reasons for attending ULM were to study aviation and being a northern boy he wanted to play baseball in the south.

Alex Hermeling’s absolute favorite movie is Top Gun which was produced in 1986 – seven years before he was born. In his freshman year at ULM he was given the nickname “Mav” after Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from the action drama and played by Tom Cruise. Going one step further, Hermeling chose the movie’s theme song “Danger Zone,” performed by Kenny Loggins, as his walk-out song.

Hermeling says the 1986 classic Top Gun is his all-time favorite movie. Ironically, it came out seven years before he was even born.
(Image courtesy of dailymoviestvshow.com)

With two career choices the young right-hander knew aviation would always be there for him but baseball couldn’t wait. During the 2014 college season he made 17 appearances, 14 of them as a starter. During one stretch in the season over seven starts and 10 appearances he allowed two or fewer runs. The highlight of his season was a 125-pitch complete game win over the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

Hermeling’s 2015 season with the Warhawks was a bit of an up and down one in which he went 4-7 with a 4.14 ERA. Again he had a highlight that stood out with another complete game – a shutout – against the Sam Houston State Bearkats. He threw 99 pitches and was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Following his college season “Mav” Hermeling headed north to play with the Battle Creek entry in the Northwoods League and quickly became the top gun in the Bombers rotation. How fitting is it that he would play in Battle Creek with the Bombers after having played with the ULM Warhawks? The Northwoods League is a collegiate league located in the Upper Midwestern United States and Southern Canada. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility.

In nine appearances over eight starts before signing a professional contract with the Dodgers, Hermeling allowed just seven earned runs and 33 hits in 53 2-3 innings. He struck out 52 and walked just 12, while posting a Northwoods League best 1.17 ERA . He struck out 17 batters before issuing a walk over a 23 innings pitched. He topped the league with four complete games, including three in a row from late May to mid-June.

He was the lone member of the Battle Creek Bombers to be selected to the all-star team. The team is chosen by the the league coaches and the members of the media and the significance of the opportunity was not lost on Hermeling: “It’s something that you never really think you will have the chance to do since so few people get the opportunity,” Hermeling said. “I’m honored that I was able to get the opportunity and I’m looking forward to representing this city and the team and all the guys here.”

In the Northwoods League All-Star Game, the right-hander threw but eight pitches, all of which were strikes, while recording three quick outs against the North All-Stars.

Hermeling was passed over in the in the 2015 First Year Player Draft and was planning to use his last year of college eligibility to attend Ohio State. He explained his decision to play in the Northwoods League: “I wanted to get better in preparation for the transfer to Ohio State,” said Hermeling, who retained one more year in college after missing the 2013 season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

“The interest from pro teams was never initially in the plan,” Hermeling said of his decision to pitch in the Northwoods League, a league that uses wooden bats. “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better. Talking to Battle Creek pitching coach Matt Reed — obviously I had great pitching coaches at ULM — but it’s always nice to have another set of eyes and another brain to pick essentially. I came in and asked some questions and told him what I wanted to work on and he gave me pointers and it’s been a stress-free environment.”

Coach Reed agreed with Hermeling’s assessment: “Without question, especially the more I saw him throw,” Reed said. “He became so consistent every time out. He has the arm, the height, the body to play pro baseball, but it was his consistency that made me a believer.”

Great Lakes Loons right-hander Alex Hemeling

The Dodgers came calling a second time and this time Alex Hermeling took them up on their offer. After a long season in 2015 he reported to the Dodgers complex in Phoenix to begin his work as a professional baseball player.

He was assigned to the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League for the 2016 season. Thus far he has made two relief appearances over four innings striking out five while giving up three hits along with two walks.

Hermeling is intent on forging a career in MLB and he understands that the path is a difficult one to navigate. He does however, have aviation as a second option with an eventual career and the sky is the limit on that one.