sizzlin’ start

As an eighth-round pick — and the third Mississippi product drafted — earlier this month, there might have been some expectations heaped upon Corey Dickerson in his debut season as a pro. Suffice to say, he has met them — and then some. The former Brookhaven Academy and Meridian Community College star is hitting .455 with three homers and 12 RBIs for the Casper Ghosts (no kidding) of the short-season Class A Pioneer League. Dickerson, who hit .459 with 21 homers as a sophomore at juco power MCC, was lured away from Mississippi State by the Colorado Rockies, who have to be thrilled with the left-handed hitting outfielder’s hot start. “I just want to put up big numbers and show that I’m worthy of where they drafted me,” Dickerson told the Casper Star-Tribune. “I just want to be the best player I can be every day.”
P.S. The Mississippi Braves had four players named to the Southern League All-Star Game: pitcher Brandon Beachy, catcher Orlando Mercado, outfielder Willie Cabrera and — surprise! — outfielder Cody Johnson. Johnson, hitting .210 and leading the league in strikeouts, made it on potential, one supposes. He is Atlanta’s No. 9 prospect, but he has a long way to go.