Dreyke Mendiola, ready to attack the day. (Photos courtesy Veronica Repperger-Mendiola)
Dreyke Mendiola is on the move.
The Coupeville Middle School sixth grader, the youngest of eight kids in his family, is described by mom Veronica as “He’s always been energetic, a sports-driven, big-hearted boy.”
And her son lives up to that description, juggling multiple athletic activities while still finding time to act at the Whidbey Playhouse — he’s been Tiny Tim twice in “A Christmas Carol” — and attend school.
Dreyke played three seasons with the Oak Harbor Football and Cheer League, before stepping away this year to devote his full time to baseball and basketball.
He’s set to make his middle school hoops debut Thursday, when CMS travels to Sultan for the season-opener.
That follows on the heels of successful stints with Coupeville’s youth rec program, and then as a SWISH player where “he really developed his skills, court awareness, and competitiveness.”
Putting in time on the hardwood.
But it’s baseball where Dreyke may be making his biggest surge.
The family moved to Coupeville when he was two years old, and he played little league ball from ages 4-8, before trying out for and making the Oak Harbor Warhawks travel ball squad.
“That team pushed him to grow, learn travel tournaments, higher level of coaching, and real competition that made him fall in love with baseball even more,” Veronica said.
Now, his love of the diamond will take Dreyke and his parents to Hawaii in late December, where the hardball wizard is set to play with New Level Baseball in the Holiday Baseball Bash.
That’s a 12U tourney organized by Perfect Game, one of the top youth baseball organizations in the country.
“Being able to play in a Perfect Game tournament is a big deal,” Veronica said. “Their events are where elite programs, competitive travel teams, and even future college scouts look for standout players.
“And one thing that makes it even more significant is that every athlete who competes in a Perfect Game event must have an official player profile.
“Only players recognized, verified, and rostered through their system are eligible to play; it’s not something any kid can just sign up for.”
Every swing gets him a step closer to his dreams.
Getting the chance to play in spotlight games has come thanks to a lot of hard work put in by Dreyke, who juggles practice for CMS hoops and PNW Rain Basketball with off-season baseball training in Anacortes and Mount Vernon.
Working with Anacortes High School head coach Ty Saunders and Eric Ruben from Farm Baseball, the young Wolf gets “pitching sessions, cage work, defensive reps, strength and body control, and a lot of focus on building his baseball IQ.”
“He takes it seriously,” Veronica said. “Shows up early, wants to stay late, asks questions, and wants to get better every single time.”
When he’s not working on his hardwood or diamond game, Dreyke likes to golf and take time to pursue other interests, such as his stage work.
“Even though his schedule stays packed, he does make time to slow down,” Veronica said. “It’s his time to reflect, decompress, and recharge away from the fast pace of everything else.”
While Dreyke’s busy schedule keeps things hopping around the house, the family is enjoying every action-packed moment.
“We are beyond excited, happy, proud, and impressed with Dreyke and his passion to be a better version of himself,” Veronica said.
“He is the last one left in the home, and he’s definitely keeping his dad and I busy and active too.”
Read Full Post »
Coupeville Sports 