ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Noah Dickerson

Winter Garden resident and University of Arkansas at Little Rock student Noah Dickerson is currently playing summer ball with The Winter Garden Squeeze. Dickerson currently leads the team with a .333 batting average, 15 RBIs and three homers. During his last year at TNXL in 2019, Dickerson grabbed the attention of the Cincinnati Reds, which offered him a contract. However, he decided to pursue college instead. This year, he is eligible for the draft and already has been in conversations with several MLB teams. 

When did you start playing baseball? 
I lived in Dr. Phillips as a young kid and moved (to Winter Garden) when I was in sixth or seventh grade. When I was at Dr. Phillips, all the kids that were my age and all my friends played soccer, so that’s the sport that I played. And then, when I moved here, all the kids in my classes, and in my neighborhood, played baseball, so I started playing baseball. 

How was the transition from soccer to baseball? 
It definitely was a big one. I was really bad at baseball for a while, because I was always undersized, so I was always the kid (who) would hit last, and bunt and play second base. My first good year was my senior year of high school, which was the first year I played varsity. 

How did you become better? 
I worked with my dad a lot. (Whenever) we’d have a free time on the weekends and after school, we would come over to the field and get some work in. (Also), a lot of it I credit to the academy that I transferred to, the coaches there were a big help in getting me to where I am today. 

Did you play other positions besides outfield?
When I first started playing I was an infielder, I was really short though, really short and really skinny. And then when I hit my growth spurt, I started playing outfield, because I was too tall to play second, and I wasn’t good enough to play short. I played a little bit on first base but I’m definitely more of an outfielder now. 

Hitting or fielding? 
Definitely hitting — 100%. I like outfield to an extent … because you don’t get nearly as much action as anybody else. … In outfield, you get maybe one or two balls a game. I love playing outfield, but it’s definitely more fun to play infielder. I like to throw; that’s one of my favorite parts of playing outfield. 

Tell us about the recruiting process. 
I committed in my senior year to Stetson University. It was in January, it was really late, because like I say, I was a really small kid a really late bloomer, and I didn’t play. I didn’t start at varsity until my senior year. My senior year of high school, there was a player in my team (who) was really good. He was projected to be drafted in the first few rounds, so every time that we would play a game, there would always be a bunch of professional scouts there. He hit third, and I hit second, so like they’d be there to watch him, and if I performed well, they would see that, too. I ended up performing really well that year, and I think that the Reds particularly … were like, “Hey we’ll give this kid a shot.” 

How did you make the decision to pursue college instead of the MLB?
It was a decision that me and my family took, because I was really set on getting a degree, because baseball obviously ends at some point — no matter how good you are. … And it comes to an end sooner for some guys than it does for others, so say I end up playing professionally, give it a try — I get hurt, or something happens, they end up releasing me, I end up with no college degree, no back-up plan, nothing. So we decided that it was the smarter route to get the college degree first, and if I wanted to pursue baseball afterwards, then I can pursue it for as long as I want.

How are you feeling about entering the draft this year? 
The conference that I played in was really good this year and, I had a really good year. I’ve talked to a couple of teams here and there, so I guess right now is just sit and wait, and watch and pray.

What’s your favorite movie? 
I might want to say “Moneyball,” because I am a huge fan of baseball statistics, so that movie kind of plays right into everything I love about baseball. I’m also a big Marvel guy, but I can’t pick one of the Marvel movie to say I have a favorite. 

What series are you watching right now that you would recommend to others? 
I just started watching Stranger Things. I had heard that it is a really good show for a while but I’d never given it a shot. … Every single day before I come to the game and after I get home from the game all I do is watch Stranger Things, because they just released the newest season so I have to catch my way up.  

Who is your favorite superhero?
I like Spiderman, because he’s a smart guy that’s kind of unassuming, but obviously he’s Spiderman so I kind of like him and the character that he is. 

Three top things on your bucket list? 
I want to go to every major league stadium in the country and see a game. I’ve been to a couple but there’s still some like St. Louis I’ve never been to which is beautiful, all the ones in California— The Dodgers, The Giants, I’ve never been to any of those. Skydiving, that’s another thing I’ve always wanted to try. Go to Japan— I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. I want to go eat, I’m a huge fan of the way they make the steak. … I would love to go over there and eat all the food that they have to offer. 

Favorite book? 
I don’t have anything that I’m reading right now, it’s been a little while since I’ve found a series to read. But, when I find something I enjoy reading, … If there’s a series of five books, I start reading the first one and I really enjoy it, I’ll be done with it in four or five days. ... I was a huge Harry Potter guy…  So, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and there was this series, it’s called Warriors, it was really strange but I really loved it. It was a book about cats... There were 20 or 25 books to that series, and I zoomed through that series.  

Favorite thing to do during the summer? 
I like going out on the lake. ... Me and my little brother go out and tube or wakeboard or something. My dad really likes doing it too.

Favorite type of music? 
Literally everything. When I’m driving, no matter where I’m driving, I can’t even pull my car into reverse to pull out of the parking spot until there’s music on. I always drive with my windows down no matter how hot or cold it is outside and I have a playlist of like probably a thousand songs that I play and it’d be country, rap, Latin, it just bounces all over the place. 

If you could have a superpower, which one would it be? 
I want to be able to fly, I think that would be really cool, because you can go anywhere you want, see anything you want.

Three things you would take with you to a deserted island? 
My phone, my dog and I’d probably bring my Nook, that’d be a great way to pass time, read books.

What’s your favorite food?
Fettuccine Alfredo. 

Coffee or tea? 
I don’t drink either. I’ve never had coffee. I’ve had tea before, but I’ve never been a big fan.