NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Baseball gives Blake Dickerson everything he needs.
"It gives me a place where I can just relax and play with my friends and just overall compete," Dickerson said of the game. "I'm very competitive, regardless of what I do."
The Ocean Lakes senior gets it done at a high level on the diamond. He said he started to realize his potential when he was about 14 years old and found himself holding his own against older players. Dickerson's hard work has paid off as he's not only one of the best pitchers in the area, but one of the best in the country for his age group. He recently returned from Florida, where he was a member of Team USA competing in the U-18 Baseball World Cup.
"It meant a lot, being able to wear the red, white and blue and having USA across your chest," the Dolphin senior said of the experience. "It's something different you don't get all the time and not many people have that experience."
Getting to that stage is one thing, but Team USA did more than that, capturing the gold medal for the stars and stripes.
"Winning gold really was the goal," Dickerson recalled. "All of us wanted it so bad and we weren't there just to have fun and play around. We were there for a goal and we achieved it."
Now the left-handed hurler shifts his focus to achieve his goals during his senior year at Ocean Lakes. He'll look to channel his experience from Team USA to his high school squad. Dickerson says it all starts with the approach.
"I just want to bring the energy because that was our biggest thing down there was having the energy," he noted. "If we brought the energy every game, we were going to perform and trying to bring that to high school and try to have that same feel and be hype for every game and win."
The sky appears to be the limit for the Dolphin southpaw. He's committed to play college baseball at Virginia Tech and, sooner or later, sees himself on a major league mound.
"I think I can bring everything to the table and really put myself out there," said Dickerson. "If I keep working hard, anything can be possible for me."
Dickerson and Ocean Lakes advanced to the second round of the Region 6A Tournament in 2022.
If you have a nominee for Esprit Decor Student-Athlete of the Week, send an email to marc.davis@wtkr.com
