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High School  | General  | 7/1/2021

From Worlds to Jr National, Dickerson Performs

Matthew Welsh     
Photo: Blake Dickerson (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- For most kids in high school, days are dictated by the math homework or English essay that you forgot to do the night before. But Blake Dickerson has never embodied the normal or average; he’s constructed a different path. As only a freshman, Dickerson firmly placed himself atop the largest youth, amateur baseball stage in the world. 
 
Last fall the lengthy lefty (Dickerson measures in at 6-foot-6) participated in the WWBA World Championship in Fort Myers, Fla., against athletes two grades above him. Not only did he prove his ability to compete amongst the nation’s best, but quite frankly dominated in his outing. Dickerson was awarded all-tournament team honors as a pitcher, a status given to only a select few performers at the event, for his scoreless five-inning outing in which he struck out eight and only walked one, his fastball topping out at 88 mph.
 
“Oh, of course it was amazing, especially knowing that as a freshman, and playing up with these juniors and seeing my name on there with a bunch of guys going to some big schools,” Dickerson said. “It was definitely a relief and knowing that I've made it where I wanted to go.”
 
But October wasn’t the first time Dickerson knew he could play. Since a young age, he developed both an innate ability to play the game and affinity for everything associated with the diamond. The only thing that may have changed since his adolescence: an application of his talents to an expanding 6-foot-6 frame. 
 
“I started out really young, I was around four years old,” Dickerson said relaying his youngest baseball memories. “It was fun. I got to play with friends, and it was just something to do, but as I started to grow a bit older, about eight or nine, I started to tell I was getting good, and I fell in love with the game.”
 
Baseball was constantly on his mind, whether it be playing, dreaming, or watching. It didn’t matter what team was on TV, Dickerson was there, taking in a game, he one day pictured himself playing in.
 
Even a few years after that, Dickerson was growing to become a dominant force in the game. Despite often being the youngest player on his team, he still vividly remembers a specific start that cemented this realization in his eyes and those of his parents. 
 
“It was 12u, and I was always the youngest on the team, and we played a team called the Horns, and I ended up throwing a perfect game,” Dickerson said. “And I said ‘Wow, I can't believe I did that’ and at such a young age, it's really hard to do. My mind was blown, and I knew this is what I wanted to do.”
 
Dickerson’s development within the ranks of America’s youth baseball elite has not gone unnoticed. Since emerging onto the scene as a high schooler, Dickerson has developed a fastball more than 20 mph faster than the class average and has shined in multiple Perfect Game headline events. But for the 2023 graduate, perhaps the largest shift witnessed in his game is a revived aura on the mound. 
 
He is as confident as ever, and now his game shows such. 
 
“I know I can compete with these high-level guys, even guys that could get drafted, too,” Dickerson said. “I'm just thankful for what I have, and I know I have a chance, so my confidence is up there. I’ve just come to keep my mind on knowing that when I go on the field, I'm the best player in the world. Nobody's better than me.”
 
That mindset, coupled with his on-field performance, has landed Dickerson not only a college commitment to Virginia Tech University, but also an invitation to this summer’s Junior National Showcase, which took place a few weeks ago in Atlanta. As one of Perfect Game’s largest summer events, the showcase gave Dickerson yet another opportunity to show the world what he is capable of. 
 


Alongside a slew of future first round draft picks, he inserted himself against top talents throughout the weekend, a welcomed challenge for a young pitcher eager to prove his worth. Dickerson’s fastball flirted with 90 mph, accompanied by a slider and curveball, both of which rested in the upper-70s. 
 
“I went in there in my head, knowing what I want to do,” Dickerson said. “I want to stand out from everybody else. I want to have something different than everyone else out there, because all those guys are good, I mean there are some guys out there that are better than me, but I wanted to keep that in my mind, I'm still better than them.”
 
For the future Hokie, even with a college commitment, a pedigree of high-level performances and a cloud of growing national attention, complacency is unacceptable. Dickerson is eyeing specialized improvements to his already capable game.
 
It’s no secret that with such a gifted body type, Dickerson’s left arm still holds an untapped level of velocity. And as he and his team approach larger events which contain even more talented hitters, that improvement may prove vital for his advancement. 
 
But it’s up to him to unleash all that his stature has to offer. 
 
“My goal is to definitely get stronger because knowing not many guys are 6-foot-6 and left-handed, I want to take advantage of that,” Dickerson said. “I want get a lot stronger especially in my legs more than I have been, and in being able to throw harder, I can definitely use my pitches a lot more.”
 
Dickerson has already seen a bump since his performance at the Jr. National. He's leaped up more than 50 spots in the class of 2023 prospect rankings, from No. 218 before the event to sitting at No. 161 now. Looking forward, he's excited to contribute to his team in any way he can. And on an already experienced arm, he is confident in his ability to perform even under the highest of pressures.
 
For Dickerson, it’s more just a matter of proving what he has known all-along: that he belongs on this stage. 
 
“I am super competitive, I don't like losing at all, and I want to do the best I can,” Dickerson said. “I'm very strong on my mental side, and I can get my team hyped up and ready to go, I can do well with zoning out the other team trash talking everything. I just stick to myself and stay true to what I know how to do.”
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