Austin Peay Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team concluded its fall signing period by adding Brett Newberg, of Moline, Illinois, to its trio of early signees.
Newberg is a 6-1, 220-pound left-handed pitcher and first baseman at Moline High School under head coach Craig Schimmel.
On the mound, Newberg posted a 5-4 record and 3.07 earned-run average with 73 strikeouts in 59.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .282 with six home runs and 34 RBI finishing with a .573 slugging percentage.
“The thing Brett brings to the table is he’s a competitor, he’s played in a lot of big games,” said Governors head coach Gary McClure. “Brett can throw his fast ball in the upper 80s and has a great curve ball and changeup. He’s a true two-way guy, who can really swing the bat. I can see him and (Govs signee Parker) Phillips in the middle of our lineup, maybe sooner than later.”
After his junior year, Newberg was selected to play for Team Illinois in the Midwest Future Games. He also was invited to the Black and Silver Showcase and Area Code Game Tryouts. In addition, Newberg played summer baseball with Top Tier Baseball under coach Matt Plante.
Newberg rounds out a three-man recruiting class that includes left-handed pitcher Austin Higginbotham and infielder Parker Phillips. The admittedly small recruiting class does not bother McClure who believes the Govs have signed quality players to fill key needs in the 2016 season.
“The thing about this class is that all the kids are baseball players – they’ll all get after it and get dirty,” said McClure. “All three of them play for some of the best travel teams in the country. They’re all from high-profile programs and have played the best in the country and that’s a good thing for us.”
Video – Derrick Dunbar
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrDP2SCn1w4[/youtube]
