Potters submarine reliever surfaces seeking scholarship

Lincoln, California, is a long way from the plains of Gretna, Nebraska, but that doesn't mean Dawson Radik doesn't feel right at home. The foothills in Lincoln may not be the green grasslands of eastern Nebraska, and there may not be a Cornhusker fan or a runza as far as the eye can see, but a baseball diamond is the same on the West Coast as it is on the great plains. Radik, a relief pitcher who's looking for a new home to play out his final year of college eligibility after graduating from Concordia-Irvine, says he has enjoyed his summer stint in Lincoln with the Potters. He has emerged as one of the top bullpen arms early in the season, boasting a 1.35 ERA through five appearances. Radik says he didn't know what to expect when he was assigned to Lincoln for the summer but talked to a few teammates who were familiar with the area before reporting. They told him the environment at McBean Stadium is unmatched, and Radik says that checks out. "I heard last summer from other NorCal guys that this place is electric when you play here," said Radik. "So far in these two weeks, the crowd has been amazing. They've been behind us and it's been more than I could imagine. The support here is unbelievable. It feels like home, even though 50,000 people here is a small town. But I like seeing a bunch of cattle driving on the back roads." Radik has captured the attention of the crowd due to his unique submarine pitching style. He started as a sidearm pitcher but made the transition to submarine in his senior year of high school. He has gotten lower and lower in his release over the years until reaching his current delivery. "There's always coaches that might not like it, but I know it works and I've kind of embraced that role," says Radik. "I know what type of guy I am when I throw, and I've stuck with it for the last couple years. It's really been paying off." The biggest change Radik has made to his approach on the mound, however, has been transitioning from a strikeout pitcher to a contact one. He says it was hard to train himself to try to force bad contact but believes his pitching has improved since making the change. "I'm not trying to miss bats anymore, I'm trying to just pitch to contact and get that weak contact and a ground ball," said Radik. "I'm not trying to hit corners or anything. I'm just trying to throw it down the middle and make them miss their barrels." When Radik first transitioned into a submarine pitcher, there were plenty of growing pains. He struggled to find the strike zone and missed spots, but he stuck with it. He's now fighting a new struggle, returning to baseball after a gap year, but believes this summer will help him find a spot on a college roster next spring. Said Radik, "I'm gonna become a grad student for my last year and I've been talking to a few schools here or there, but I haven't played in a year, so I'm just trying to get that film right now. I feel like I picked up where I left off, if not even just a little better. I'm even hungrier than before because I haven't played in a year, so I feel like I just took a step forward."