CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Cleveland High School pitcher and third baseman Dustin Lawson signed scholarship papers Friday to continue his baseball career nearby at Lee University. He plans just to pitch for the Flames, who have become an NAIA power, currently ranked sixth in the nation.
“I have a real big family, and I wanted to stay close to home,” Lawson said. “Lee had everything I was looking for.”
Cleveland coach Ted Carson described the right-hander as a “great kid” and added that he “has worked very hard. Dustin has improved tremendously, but the big thing is he’s not even close to where he can be as a pitcher. He’s tall, has a loose arm and good movement on his fastball. He just needs to be a little more consistent with his breaking ball and his changeup.”
Lawson has had games with 18 and 17 strikeouts this season and has totaled 81 with only 20 walks in 45 innings. His earned run average is 2.60.
“Dustin has been on our radar since the fall,” Lee coach Mark Brew said. “His improvement from the fall to the spring is what increased our interest. He has added 4 to 6 miles per hour to his fastball, and his curveball is already a solid college-level pitch.”