For as long as he can remember, Bradley Potter has shared a special relationship with his father, Rod, and the game of baseball. From playing catch in the backyard, to working at The Battery indoor training facility, to earning University Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week honors, the senior at Case Western Reserve always has his dad in the back of his mind.
“Baseball plays a huge role in my relationship with my dad,” Potter said. “He taught me to play, coached me when I was little and passed his love for the game to me. Making him proud is one of my biggest goals.”
As a young player learning to pitch, Potter took instruction at The Battery from coach John Tillinghast, getting lessons over the winter and working diligently to improve his mechanics. He was called up to the varsity team at Gates Chili midway through his freshman year and from that point on was primarily used as an outfielder, with a few appearances on the mound mixed in here and there. As a sophomore he was named first-team all county, book-ended by a second-team all county selection his senior year. When it came time to make a decision on where to go to college he was looking to continue his career on the mound.
“I was looking for a school where I could continue to play baseball while getting a good, solid education,” continued Potter. “Both my dad and mom (Diane Parker-Potter) are engineers, and Case Western has some great programs in that field. On the baseball side, it looked like coach was ready to take the program in the right direction.”
Judging from the team's improvement from 13-35 his freshman year to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA regional playoff last year, Potter's work ethic and determination is certainly having a positive effect on the environment surrounding the team. Head coach Matt Englander feels that just might be case with Potter and the three other senior pitchers on the roster.
“We have a saying around here, 'If you want to do something right, follow Brad around,'” said Englander. “He and the other seniors really set the tone for the team, and you will have a hard time finding a harder worker than Brad.”
Though not highly recruited, Potter joined the program near the beginning of Englander's tenure as head coach. Used sparingly as a reliever his first two years, he proactively sought instruction and showed a desire to improve.
For as long as he can remember, Bradley Potter has shared a special relationship with his father, Rod, and the game of baseball. From playing catch in the backyard, to working at The Battery indoor training facility, to earning University Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week honors, the senior at Case Western Reserve always has his dad in the back of his mind.
“Baseball plays a huge role in my relationship with my dad,” Potter said. “He taught me to play, coached me when I was little and passed his love for the game to me. Making him proud is one of my biggest goals.”
As a young player learning to pitch, Potter took instruction at The Battery from coach John Tillinghast, getting lessons over the winter and working diligently to improve his mechanics. He was called up to the varsity team at Gates Chili midway through his freshman year and from that point on was primarily used as an outfielder, with a few appearances on the mound mixed in here and there. As a sophomore he was named first-team all county, book-ended by a second-team all county selection his senior year. When it came time to make a decision on where to go to college he was looking to continue his career on the mound.
“I was looking for a school where I could continue to play baseball while getting a good, solid education,” continued Potter. “Both my dad and mom (Diane Parker-Potter) are engineers, and Case Western has some great programs in that field. On the baseball side, it looked like coach was ready to take the program in the right direction.”
Judging from the team's improvement from 13-35 his freshman year to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA regional playoff last year, Potter's work ethic and determination is certainly having a positive effect on the environment surrounding the team. Head coach Matt Englander feels that just might be case with Potter and the three other senior pitchers on the roster.
“We have a saying around here, 'If you want to do something right, follow Brad around,'” said Englander. “He and the other seniors really set the tone for the team, and you will have a hard time finding a harder worker than Brad.”
Though not highly recruited, Potter joined the program near the beginning of Englander's tenure as head coach. Used sparingly as a reliever his first two years, he proactively sought instruction and showed a desire to improve.
“Brad is a leader on this team, but he is not the type of guy who will get in your face and let you know if you did something wrong,” added Englander. “He has that ability to work in a positive way with everyone and his desire to work hard and improve rubs off on others. He is an asset to the team on the mound and in the locker room, and is a joy to be around.”
As a sophomore, Potter appeared in 13 games for Case Western, making three starts. He earned his first career win on March 13, 2010, with 2.1 innings of relief work against Washington (Mo.) University, and followed that up with his first complete game on April 6 at Bethany College. He was awarded the Case School of Engineering Outstanding Sophomore Award as well as earning UAA All-Academic honors.
His breakthrough performance on the mound came last season in the post season. In the team's third game of the NCAA tournament Potter lifted the Spartans to victory, as he scattered 10 hits over the final 7.2 innings to help his team advance. He again earned UAA All-Academic honors as the team finished 33-15, a 20-game turnaround from his freshmen year.
That outing spring-boarded Potter into 2012, where he began the season third in the rotation. He currently ranks second on the team in innings pitched (28), while sporting a 2-2 record and a 3.54 ERA, despite a recent blip on the radar during which he surrendered seven earned runs in just over one inning of work. He earned UAA Pitcher of the Week honors earlier in the month for his performance against Ohio Wesleyan, where he tossed a complete game six-hitter to lead his team to a 6-1 win.
“My time here has been great, both on the field and in the classroom,” added Potter, who holds a 4.0 GPA while seeking a double-major in chemical engineering and materials science engineering. “The program is moving in the right direction and coach has brought in a lot of talented guys. Everyone on the team has a real passion for the game and has shown a willingness to work hard.”
As Potter continues the final season at Case Western, he and the rest of the team eye a return trip to the post season. The team now sits at 13-8 as they battle through the heart of their conference schedule, and regardless of how they finish Potter will know he will be leaving a program that is heading in the right direction thanks in part to the work ethic he has helped instill. Just another thing for a dad to be proud of.
