Junior pitcher Peyton Dickens pitches during a game this season for Whiteland.
Submitted photo | Whiteland Beat Sports Network
Peyton Dickens remembers the first time his coach hit grounders to him prior to the start of a game.
Considering the Whiteland right fielder is a junior, one’s first guess of this taking place is likely to be two seasons ago.
Wrong, by a lot.
The correct answer is during the moments leading up to the Warriors’ 2014 regional opener against Jeffersonville between the century-old walls of historic Bosse Field in Evansville.
Yes, 2014. Even then, Warriors coach Scott Sherry couldn’t help but have one eye on the future.
“Ten years ago, I was hitting ground balls to him, and I knew he was a good athlete,” said Sherry, recalling that Dickens’ brother Dillon was part of that Whiteland squad as a junior outfielder.
“I actually had Peyton in elementary P.E. class, too.”
These days, Peyton Dickens is a 6-foot-5, 185-pound snapshot of unlimited baseball potential. His focused demeanor extends all the way to his no-nonsense handshakes.
Batting second, Dickens ranks in the top three on the team in such offensive categories as batting average (.443), on-base percentage (.489), hits (35), doubles (10), triples (5) and stolen bases (19).
A combination of power and speed has allowed Dickens to excel at different spots in the lineup over his varsity career. Being in the on-deck circle while speedy junior leadoff hitter Maalik Perkins, a Ball State commit, is at the plate offers its own set of challenges.
“I think it’s the ability of putting the bat on the ball,” Dickens said. “Being able to drive in runs and letting your swing do the work without thinking too much.”
Dickens, who bats left-handed and throws right, is also part of Whiteland’s pitching rotation. He is 3-1 with a 2.88 earned-run average, striking out 45 batters in 24 1/3 innings leading into the Warriors’ sectional game against East Central.
He’s been a presence on Sherry’s team since the early pitches of the 2022 campaign.
“We knew Peyton was very talented as a freshman, and, actually, by game one or two, we used him to pinch run and he stole a couple bases,” Sherry said. “He just had some real baseball instincts. From then on, he was just with us, he made the starting lineup, and he’s been in the starting lineup ever since.
“Peyton is very versatile with his speed, and with his power, he can hit anywhere in the lineup, really.”
As a freshman, Dickens batted .324, drove in 11 runs and scored 10. He upped those numbers to .320, 21 and 12 last season, and continues to get better.
“This offseason, I worked a lot with (former Indiana University player) Cooper Trinkle, who is my hitting coach,” Dickens said. “He helped me develop my swing; it wasn’t the best my first two years of high school. He’s been a big factor in helping my game offensively.
“I think I’ve also matured as a player. I’ve had a more mature approach at the plate, and I think that’s helped a lot, too. Whenever Maalik gets on, he’s basically getting to second, so I’ve got to have the approach to drive him in.”
The two work well together in the outfield as well, with both players able to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time.
Dickens credits his brother, himself a former Warriors’ right fielder, with instilling his passion for baseball.
“He’s been a big role model for me ever since I was a little kid,” said Peyton Dickens, who picked up the sport as a kindergartener. “Whenever I saw him on the baseball field, I wanted to be like him.”
SCOUTING THE SECTIONALS
Class 4A Bloomington North Sectional
Players to watch: Bloomington North — Joe Burton, Caden McCoy; Bloomington South — Connor Osborne, Lucas Waldron; Center Grove — A.J. Beggs, Carson Bush, Kobe Cherry, Noah Coy, Gannon Grant, Easton Smith; Greenwood — Jagger Bray, Logan Connor, Ethan King, Landen Smith, Micah Vessely; Martinsville — Alex Kush, Rhys Wolf; Mooresville — Hogan Denny, Kaleb Kestler
Outlook: The pairings certainly favor a showdown between top-ranked Center Grove and No. 3 Mooresville in the championship game, but nothing is guaranteed this time of year. The Pioneers open against Greenwood, a squad they defeated by scores of 10-3 and 9-6 during the regular season. Coach Keith Hatfield’s team, the 2023 state runner-up, drew a bye straight into a semifinal berth against Bloomington South. Center Grove entered the weekend averaging 9.7 runs per outing, while Mooresville (24-2), the Mid-State Conference champion, rides a 23-game win streak into the postseason.
Class 4A Shelbyville Sectional
Players to watch: Columbus East — Jackson Watkins, Carson Williams; Columbus North — Connor Hensley, Dillon James; East Central — Joel Richter, Brayden Rouse; Franklin — Landen Basey, Carsten Bland, Braeden Burton, Brooks McNicholas, Nash Netter; Shelbyville — Dalton Jones, Aiden Smith; Whiteland — Peyton Dickens, Drew Helton, Jordan Palmer, Maalik Perkins, Blake Riddle
Outlook: The host Golden Bears, already proven to be a formidable opponent during the regular season, could be poised to pick up their first sectional title since 2005. Shelbyville drew a bye into the semifinal round against Columbus East, a team it has yet to face this spring, though the Olympians have struggled much of the year. The other semi could match county rivals Franklin and Whiteland for a third time — they split in the regular season — though both have serious work to do to get past two quality first-round opponents in Columbus North and East Central, respectively.
Class 3A Edgewood Sectional
Players to watch: Edgewood — Andrew Good, Isaac Lawson; Indian Creek — Brock Bragg, Nolan Harden, Carter Modlin, Talan Steinway, Bryce Turner; Northview — Cam Green, Jackson Kirby; Owen Valley — Calvin Dean, Rhet Heckman; South Vermillion — Bryson Lemmons, Parker Weir; West Vigo — Garrett Pugh, Gabe Skelton
Outlook: Indian Creek has waited all season for this opportunity, and now it’s finally here, starting with an opening-round test against Owen Valley. Earlier this month, the Braves pounded out a 17-1 victory against the Patriots, a game that included five Indian Creek players producing two or more hits. A potential semifinal battle against either Northview or West Vigo looms; the Braves were a combined 2-0 against these teams in the regular season, prevailing by a single run each time.
Class A Morristown Sectional
Players to watch: Edinburgh – Gabe Bennett, Austin Brockman, Milas Burkman, Jared Myers, Avynn Whitaker; Greenwood Christian — Caden Camden, Colton Flint, Cole Muhlhauser, Charlie Overton, Will Simons; Indianapolis Lutheran — Dax Lockliear, Hudson Mills
Outlook: Greenwood Christian and Edinburgh are in opposite semifinal brackets courtesy of a gracious draw. Should they advance to the final, it would be a rematch of a game played in April that saw the Cougars win, 15-5. Fourteen-time sectional champion Lutheran will be a prohibitive favorite against the host Yellow Jackets in the lone first-round matchup, the winner to face the Lancers for the right to go to the championship game. Both GCA and Edinburgh are seeking a fifth sectional title.
IF YOU GO
Class 4A Bloomington North Sectional
Wednesday
Greenwood vs. Mooresville, 6 p.m.
Martinsville vs. Bloomington North, 8 p.m.
May 27
Wednesday’s winners, 10 a.m.
Center Grove vs. Bloomington South, noon
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 4A Shelbyville Sectional
Wednesday
Franklin vs. Columbus North, 6 p.m.
East Central vs. Whiteland, 8 p.m.
Friday
Wednesday’s winners, 6 p.m.
Columbus East vs. Shelbyville, 8 p.m.
May 27
Championship, noon
Class 3A Edgewood Sectional
Wednesday
West Vigo vs. Northview, 5:30 p.m.
Indian Creek vs. Owen Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Wednesday’s winners, 5:30 p.m.
Edgewood vs. South Vermillion, 7:30 p.m.
May 27
Championship, noon
Class A Morristown Sectional
Wednesday
Indianapolis Lutheran vs. Morristown, 6 p.m.
May 25
Greenwood Christian vs. Indianapolis Metropolitan, 10 a.m.
Edinburgh vs. Wednesday’s winner, 1 p.m.
May 27
Championship, 10 a.m.
Admission: $7 per session; $15 all sessions (children 5 and under admitted free); all tickets digital
