2 outs, bottom of the 9th inning, the game is on the line, and the ball is hit to you or you’re at the plate. That’s a scenario that every kid dreams of from the time they pick up a ball or a bat, and it’s also a scenario that Elijah Hainline, a short-stop prospect in the Dodgers organization has been in many times.

And it’s also when he seemingly is always at his best.

Click to watch Hainline hit a game tying Home Run

Hainline loves the big moments, like his walk-off at Washington State to beat Santa Clara or his opposite-field home runs with Oregon State, one to tie Cal in a regular season game, and the other to get his team back in the game during Regionals against UC Irvine.

Click to watch Hainline Make a Game Saving Play

Or, the game-saving plays he made this summer after he got drafted and was sent directly to Rancho Cucamonga. In fact, he had two game-saving plays, and neither were anywhere close to routine.

Just ask Evan Shaw who was the pitcher on both occasions, like I did when I interviewed him and he went out of his way to show appreciation for Hainline and his clutch play.

When the game in on the line, and you need something to happen, that’s when you want Elijah Hainline the most.

Background

Hainline grew up in Spokane, Washington playing baseball all throughout the Northwest and was part of a 14U Baseball Championship, 2 different Babe Ruth World Series, and a Perfect Game World Series as well. He was also a standout at Hare High School in Spokane and had a great experience playing for the Spokane Expos each Summer as well.

I had some great opportunities and loved them all. The championships were just different teams around the Northwest, kind of like their showcases. You make a team and then they send you off to tournaments. So, like, the Perfect Game tournaments were through Baseball Northwest and the National Team that they have where they get a team together and we go play guys from all over the place.
We went down to Florida & Arizona, so those are really cool opportunities to play against guys from all around and see different experiences and play against better players, and see where you stack up.

Coach Hare came in the same time I did and he was there for all 4 of my years, so we had a great relationship. He gave me a chance as a Freshman to play Varsity and a lot of kids don’t get that kind of chance, so he gave me an opportunity and I ran with it.
I think I played for the Spokane Expos since I was 11 or 12, and played with them all the way through 19U until College, and I even played with them right before I went to College, so I was going back and forth between checking out WSU and their facilities and playing tournaments with the Expos. I loved my experience with both.

College

Despite growing up in Spokane and just a hop, skip and a jump from the Campus of Gonzaga, Hainline always dreamed of going to Washington State, which is what he did coming out of High School. He was recruited by the Head Coach at the time Marty Lees, who left right before his first year of College. Washington State then hired Brian Green, and Coach Green honored the commitment to Hainline, so the talented Spokane native made his way to the Palouse.

But, after a couple of good years as a Cougar, Green left for Wichita State, and Hainline decided to transfer out, which is very typical when you lose the coach who’s always had your back. Hainline chose to take his talents to Oregon State and had a great last year of College, one that was just a few plays here or there from ending in Omaha.

I loved Washington State. It was my first opportunity, and growing up it was always the school I wanted to play for, and even now Washington State has a great place in my heart, and I could never say anything bad about that place.

Coach Green had left and kind of shocked us all we hadn’t made the Pac 12 Tournament in the last couple of years, and I kind of just wanted to play postseason baseball, and I didn’t know what the new environment would be like so I went into the portal. I got a call from Canham at Oregon State and they were super amazing and it was a great opportunity to go there. We ended up just short of Omaha, but that was the first time I got to play post-season baseball in College so it was a great experience.

To the Dodgers

After finishing a good career in College, Hainline was drafted in the 7th round last Summer (2024) and got sent immediately to Rancho. In doing so he bypassed the Complex all together, which, goes to show how advanced his experience and skills were coming into the system and how that was viewed by the Dodgers organization.

One thing that sticks out about Hainline is the way he is able to impact the ball. He hits the ball very hard and also does so while using the middle of the field very well. He also has the ability to get the ball in the air, so there is definite home run potential inside of a good hitter.

He’s also a very good athlete, and can cover a lot of ground from his shortstop position, and, as mentioned earlier, loves the big moments. He had some big hits both at Washington State and Oregon State, then made multiple game-saving playing with Rancho, none of which were routine.

First Full Year

Next year is going to be the first full professional season for Hainline, and I really think he’s gonna turn heads with his athletic ability, his ability to impact the baseball, and just the way that he embraces the big moments of the game. Hainline has several years of experience playing against the best competition his age level has to offer, so he’s used to being around players and opponents who are the best. For that reason, he’s gonna fit right into the pressures and grind of the Minor Leagues, and how to handle it.

Keep an eye out for this young shortstop prospect, we’ll have plenty of coverage.

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