Blinn College sophomore Robbie Dickey is in elite company.

The Buccaneers' right-handed pitcher was named the No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation by Perfect Game USA, a baseball scouting organization.

 In its release, Perfect Game USA said of Dickey:

"A relative unknown in 2013 after posting a modest 6-6, 3.82 record with 63 strikeouts in 73 innings as a freshman at Blinn, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Dickey became a marked man among Texas-based scouts this fall when the velocity on his fastball, typically in the 89-91 mph range last spring, spiked to the mid-90s. With greater arm speed in a loose, easy delivery, his secondary pitches also became much sharper. Dickey is projected to become a second- or third-round pick in next year's draft…."

See Perfect Game USA's complete list here. 

Dickey joins Kendall Korbal from the Bucs' 2009 team as the only two Buccaneers named the No. 1 prospects in the country.

"It's really special when there's only one of you," coach Harvey McIntyre said. "I couldn't be happier for him, he's accomplished a great deal. I'll tell you one thing, it'll be fun watching him from our side of the fence rather than the other."

Dickey sat down with www.buccaneersports.com on Monday and discussed what the honor means to him. (See the video interview here.)

BUCCANEER SPORTS: First off, congratulations. What was your first thought when you realized you were named not just the No. 1 junior college pitcher in the nation, but the No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation?

ROBBIE DICKEY: I met the guy with Perfect Game the weekend prior and I've met him once before, he added me on Twitter, and he tagged me in the link to the story. The link said "Top 100 Prospects," and I thought I'd be in the top 20 –– I knew my name was pretty high up –– and I clicked on it and saw my picture on the top of the page and I thought, "Oh, wow." I scrolled down a little bit and saw a caption that said, "Blinn's Dickey holds No. 1 spot," and I read the whole article and all I could think was, "wow."

It didn't really sink in until I called my brother –– he's my older brother, 24. He's really been pushing me, and talking with him on the phone is when it really hit me, that all this hard work is finally paying off.

I guess it wasn't much of a satisfying feeling –– yeah, it's cool –– but we still have our No. 1 goal as a team, and that's getting to Grand Junction, Colo., for the junior college world series.

BS: Coach McIntyre has mention on multiple occasions about the improvements you've made this offseason. Besides adding some heat to your fastball and developing your secondary pitches, what other improvements have you made?

RD: I've always really gotten after it in the weight room –– that's a big part of it –– but I've had a couple of things tweaked with my mechanics, which has led to better consistency. I'm finally getting my mechanics right and that's why my improvements have been so great, that's why I've been locating my pitches so well.

I've been able to locate my fastball at the bottom of the strike zone, below the knees and hit the outside corner. I developed a changeup this year, which last year I had a slow fastball as a changeup, and this year I have a changeup that moves. Last year, coach McIntyre told me that I needed a changeup –– I needed a pitch to get the lefties out. This summer, I really worked on developing a changeup, getting a nice grip and being able to throw it. It's coming around pretty well, but there's always a need to develop it more.

BS: You got a lot of innings freshman year and had a fairly successful season. What did you learn last year that will help you improve this season?

RD: Knowing that from high school to college all nine hitters in the lineup can hit the ball. In high school, you had the 1-3, 1-4 hitters in the lineup who could hit and who you were trying to spot up a little more, and the bottom half of the order you throw nothing but fastballs. Now, you get to the ninth guy and he can turn on your fastball or wait on a pitch or sit on a curveball.

The thing I really learned most was to actually pitch. Coach McIntyre has –– I have so much respect for him. He's really taken me under his wing and taught me more than just pitching. It's having a mindset of knowing what you're doing on the mound and having a plan of attack. Just being able to go out with a plan and not backing away from it is what I've learned the most.

BS: So coming into college you've had to focus a lot more on developing secondary pitches?

RD: I've had a good jump on my fastball this offseason –– I've been using it a lot more than last year. But when you go up each level, a 95 mph fastball looks 85 to a professional. You definitely have to develop more pitches and keep developing them, and I think I have so far.

BS: When the season starts is the thought of being the No. 1 JUCO prospect going to cross your mind?

RD: I realize what's going on. There are going to be a lot of guys (scouts) at my games watching. But I just take it and go with it –– I'm a very go-with-the-flow kind of guy. When I step onto the field, just like at practice surrounded by the guys, it's easy to forget about everything else and just focus on baseball, because everybody loves to win.

Our coaches and leaders of the team, the sophomores and captains have done a good job of instilling the idea of winning and getting to Grand Junction, and I think that's played a huge role, because we have 22 freshmen on the team, and they're all really hungry and ready to get after it.

BS: Do you feel any pressure going into this season?

RD: Being the No. 1 JUCO prospect that gives me a huge target on my back. Our volleyball team was No. 1 in the nation, and every team that played against them had a different level of intensity because of that. I feel like people knowing I had the honor of being the No. 1 prospect they're going to come in with the same mindset.

I like that pressure and everything that comes with it. I think it really helps me thrive. I just like having that chip on my shoulder that everyone is going to be coming after me.