Dreyer, Gouaux sign with Sterling College

While Sterling College’s baseball coaches were showing former Patterson High School standout Blake Dreyer around the Kansas school, and bragging a bit, Dreyer tooted the horn of St. Mary Parish talent and that of his best friend.
After offering Dreyer a scholarship and doing some research, Sterling’s coaches offered Dreyer’s PHS teammate and longtime friend Brennan Gouaux a scholarship as well.
“One of my summer league coaches recommended me to the Sterling coaches and one week later they called and started recruiting me.”
The second-team All-District catcher signed after a visit last week.
“Blake is one the hardest workers I ever coached,” Patterson baseball Coach Ryan Jensen said. “He wanted to get better and put in the time and effort to improve each season.”
Dreyer has been behind the plate since his youth baseball days through his final game at Patterson in 2016.
“I like being in charge of the whole field,” he said. “I’m like the captain of the defense.”
Jensen also lauded Dreyer’s defensive prowess.
“Blake was very good for us defensively and being able to show up to the field everyday knowing that you had a stable presence behind the plate makes a coach a little better every night,” Jensen said. “He is a great kid that we are excited to see get an opportunity to play on the next level.”
Sterling College is a private, Christian, four-year liberal arts school that competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
The Warriors finished last season as the No. 5 team in the postseason NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Sterling’s record-breaking season included a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, a National Opening Round Championship and a trip back to the 2016 Avista-NAIA World Series. The Warriors went 52-16 to break the school record for wins.
Gouaux, also a 2016 graduate, got a call from Dreyer saying that the Sterling College coaching staff was also interested in signing him, too.
“I didn’t believe him at first but an hour later he called back with the coach on the line,” Gouaux said. “The coaches had checked out my stats and stuff and they ended up offering me.
“Just knowing you’re going to have your best friend with you throughout the process and we’re going to live together, too, makes going 13 hours away from home 10 times easier.”
Gouaux played several positions as a senior and spent a lot of time on the mound for the Lumberjacks. He was a first-team All-District selection at shortstop his first three seasons before being bumped to the second-team last season.
“Brennan is a really good athlete that filled so many roles for us in his four years,” Jensen said. “His consistency and competitiveness were valuable assets that will allow him an opportunity to succeed at the next level.”
“I think I’m going to play outfield there but I don’t care, I just want to play,” Gouaux said. “I’ve always been the pitcher and Blake the catcher but we can make knew memories now.”
Dreyer and Gouaux leave for Kansas in January.