CASPER, Wy. — Brookhaven Academy product Corey Dickerson madenational headlines last week across the Pacific Northwest with hismammoth, 2-run, walk-off homer to give his Casper Ghosts a 5-4bottom-of the-ninth victory over the Billings (Mon.) Mustangs inPioneer League action. The clout traveled an estimated 435feet.

Dickerson, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound outfielder for the Ghosts, playsin the Colorado Rockies advanced rookie ball system. He currentlyleads the team in home runs (7) and RBIs (25). He is batting .338for the season and has 37 hits in the team’s first 27 games.

“I’m having fun,” said Dickerson. “It’s baseball. I love playingthis game.”

Drafted by the Rockies last month in the 8th round of the 2010 MLBDraft, Dickerson is already being mentioned as one of the Rockies’jewel prospects.

“Corey’s been pretty impressive,” said Casper Ghosts manager TonyDiaz. “He’s an aggressive hitter that can impact thebaseball.”

A 2008 BA graduate, Dickerson was an All-American at MeridianCommunity College the last two seasons. He batted .459 with 21 homeruns and 71 RBIs his sophomore season. His numbers were equallyimpressive as a freshman: .381, 15 homers and 54 RBIs.

The Rockies were intrigued by Dickerson last year, drafting him inthe 29th round of the 2009 draft. A year later they moved up 21spots to take him in the Top 10.

“My goal was to go in the Top 10 rounds,” said Dickerson, whoworked out for several teams in May. “The Rockies came back and gotme.”

Over the last few weeks, Dickerson has become a fan favorite in thePioneer League, which covers the Pacific Northwest region. Afterhis walk-off homer against Billings last week, his jersey sold for$400 during a charity auction that followed the game.

“I was surprised it went for that much,” added Dickerson. “That wasa big moment, because that was my day off to play. Coach Diaz askedme to hit. I got the pitch I was looking for and nailed it.”

Dickerson’s next stop could be Ashville, N.C., where the RockiesSingle-A club is located. He’s already been invited to Arizona forFall League camp with the Rockies in October. He admits thatplaying baseball on the pro level is more time consuming than itwas in college and high school.

“This is more of a job because you have to bring it every day andyou can’t take a day off or anything,” said Dickerson. “But I likeit. The coaches expect the best from you, and you have to prepareyourself for the ups and downs.”

And for Corey Dickerson, the sky is the limit.