The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
For Middletown’s Radziewicz, process leads him to Manhattan
Middletown star catcher finds good fit
When Jacob Radziewicz signed a National Letter of Intent last week to play baseball at Manhattan College, he said it was a time to exhale. Long process, this college thing. Lot of stress, too, and he was ready to get on with the final month of his senior year at Middletown High.
Only then did he reflect on how he got to the stage of Division I baseball, and that’s when he recalled two moments that led him to believe he could be a college student. And a catcher.
“It was the summer before my freshman year of high school. I was playing on a team and I did very good,” he said. “Then in my freshman year, about halfway through JV season, I got called up to varsity. It boosted my confidence, and I felt then like, ‘I could do something with this.’”
Middletown coach Josh Cofield readily remembered the day Radziewicz made his first varsity start and officially became a former member of the JV.
“I remember our varsity guy was struggling a bit at the time. Jake came in and caught and did a tremendous job,” Cofield said. “I think we had a lefty pitching, so there weren’t a lot of base-stealing attempts that day. Jake did a really good job. From there you really knew he was going to be a player.”
That Manhattan would be a good fit for him was an opportunity that almost didn’t materialize. Radziewicz attended a camp for college prospects last fall and said he was told by a recruiter there that Manhattan coach Mike Cole was looking for a catcher for the following year’s freshman class. The recruiter said Cole would be hosting a camp at Manhattan — in less than 24 hours — for prospective players.
“The camp was the next day, so I signed up quickly and emailed the coach that night and told him, ‘I know this is last minute, but I’d like to come.’ And I did. It was a great experience and I thought, ‘This is perfect for me.’”
Most would agree Radziewicz’s defensive game put him on a track to play at the next level. In addition to a laser arm, his effectiveness with keeping short pitches in front of him has forced opponents over the years to find other ways to advance runners.
“Jake does a really good job of receiving the baseball,” Cofield said. “He’s absolutely phenomenal at it. Lots of times our pitchers can just worry about pitching. And a lot of people see how strong Jake’s arm is and won’t attempt to steal. He does a really good job of holding runners. Straight steals are not common against him, so teams try to hit and run and do other things with Jake back there.”
Cofield’s point called to mind a moment early in the season when an opposing coach saw Radziewicz throw down to second during warm-ups. The coach turned to his assistant and said, “Did you see the hose on the catcher? Looks like we won’t be stealing any bases today.”
Radziewicz’s story can’t be fully told without mention of the instructional aspect of the relationship he has with his father, Paul, a baseball junkie who has
also coached local teams over the years. The countless hours spent polishing his game and maintaining good baseball habits, Jake said, is a big reason why he’ll be playing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference next year.
“I wouldn’t be going anywhere without (good habits), and I realize how important they are,” he said. “Baseball is what me and my dad talk about all the time. Every day I work
on something with him — hitting, throwing, catching, whatever it might be. We watch baseball on TV every night. He’s a coach, so he knows how to break it down. After games, he’ll work with me, too.
“There were times when I was younger, I didn’t want to listen. Then I realized he was looking out for me, and everything he’s taught me over all these years, how much it’s helped me,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed the game. I’ve had days where I didn’t want to work on this or that. But then when I did, I felt a lot better. There are days my dad and I would spend
hours together working, and I never minded it.”
As Middletown prepares for CIAC Class L tournament play next week and Radziewicz’s final days as a Blue Dragons player, Cofield called Radziewicz signing with Manhattan a big moment for the player and for the program.
“Behind the dish he’s definitely a Division I kid, a tremendous catcher,” the coach said. “The thing is, he really worked at it a lot to become what he is right now. He’s pushed himself and he’s pushed his teammates to be better, too. We’re proud of him.”