Super Dinzeo!

By Brandon Wright, Features Writer

VALRICO – Vinny Dinzeo Jr. led Bloomingdale in home runs and RBI last season and with those numbers, was expected to slot squarely in the middle of the Bulls lineup this year.

But coach Kris Wilken had other plans.

Looking at a team that graduated 10 seniors from its region champion and state semifinalist 2025 squad, Wilken decided to move his slugging catcher to the top of the order, a spot typically reserved for speedy contact hitters, not power bats.

“He never complained about it and actually embraced it,” Wilken said. “Now he tells me he likes hitting up top.”

The move was sure to cut into his RBI numbers but talk with Dinzeo for a few minutes and it’s clear the senior backstop plays for the school on the front of his jersey far more than the name on the back.

“He’s a special kid,” Wilken said. “I mean, he’s got two RBIs. But I wanted him to get a few extra at bats and like he always does, he stepped right up. No questions asked.”

And that’s been Dinzeo’s approach all season – leading from the front. With only two seniors on this year’s roster – Hayden Porter being the other – Dinzeo has learned to handle the multiple fickle personalities of a bunch of teenage boys.

“I had to learn the right approach with different guys,” Dinzeo said. “Some need to be yelled at. Some need a hug.”

Wilken said Dinzeo’s presence is not limited to the dugout.

“There are so many aspects to leadership and when it happens,” Wilken said. “But you can see it in him whether it’s the weight room or the field. He does all of it.”

Dinzeo said the evolution of his role began to blossom last year.

“It really happened pretty organically,” he said. “It’s about commanding respect and having that mutually going both ways with the guys. I just remember being a freshman and talking to the seniors and how much they helped me. It’s my turn.”

What kind of impression has Dinzeo had on his team and the Bulls’ 18-year veteran coach?

“I’ve had a lot of catchers come through,” Wilken said. “Vinny is the best leader out of all of them.”

And that trust hasn’t been lost on Dinzeo.

“Having that trust from your head coach means everything to me,” he said. “It means I’m doing my job and that he has the confidence in me to run the defense and pitching staff.”

Wilken said Dinzeo’s approach is a mix of leading vocally and by example.

“He knows how to push the right buttons,” Wilken said. “He set the standard early on. There would be expectations to hold up. And both him and Hayden expect the same of themselves.”

Leadership aside, Dinzeo’s other signature characteristic lies in a thick mustache that draws sharp comparison to the iconic video game character Super Mario.

“I love (the comparison),” Dinzeo, recently named Prom King, said with a chuckle. “I dressed up for him at our School Spirit week.”

The resemblance is uncanny – so much so that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see gold coins leap from his bat on every swing.

“He’s been growing that thing since he was like 12,” Wilken said. “He shaved it once and I was like what the heck? That’s like from the Bible when Samson cut his hair.”

Don’t worry coach, Dinzeo grew it back right away. And with a little luck and some power-up strength, Dinzeo said he believes 20-3 Bloomingdale, winners of 10 straight, can eventually knock out Bowser as the state playoffs loom.

“If this isn’t (a state championship caliber team), I don’t know what is,” he said. “We can make a run.”

 

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