Proving Them Wrong : Division I Schools Originally Passed on David Newhan, and Most Regret It

Esperanza High School baseball Coach Mike Curran was walking out to his field last December when, off in the distance, he noticed a smallish figure of a left-handed hitter ripping and rattling balls around the batting cage.

“I turned to my assistant and said, ‘Man, is that one of our lower-level guys?’ ” Curran said. “ ‘Who is this guy? He has a great swing.’ Then as I got closer, I saw who it was and said, ‘Ah, darn, it’s David.’ ”

That would be David Newhan, Esperanza Class of ‘91, the workaholic in a junior varsity-sized body and a Division I uniform, the kid with no more high school eligibility, much to Curran’s chagrin.

From afar, Newhan, 5 feet 10, 175 pounds, could pass for a high school sophomore. But move closer and notice the upper-body definition, strong forearms and that swing, the smooth, powerful stroke--it’s distinctly Division I, and at work for Georgia Tech, the nation’s top-ranked team.

“He generates a lot of power with his swing,” Curran said. “Since he left high school, he really put it together as far as hitting the ball deep. He wasn’t that way in high school.”

Newhan, son of Times baseball writer Ross Newhan, was a very good player on an exceptional high school team in 1991. The second baseman batted .421 with four homers, 28 runs batted in, 32 runs and 19 stolen bases for the Aztecs, who were ranked No. 1 in the nation for about a month that season.

But when college coaches and professional scouts descended upon Esperanza for their annual spring scholarship/draft bazaar, Newhan felt a little like a plaid sports coat on the sale rack.

No Division I offers.

No pro interest.

“He was a top-notch player, but we had Rich Hills, Keith McDonald, John Pitts . . . you take the fourth best guy off a team like that, and sometimes he’s a really good player,” Curran said. “But people don’t want to hear that. They don’t want the fourth guy. They want the best guy.”

Among those who wanted the fourth-best guy were Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Chapman University, all fine programs, but all Division II.

Newhan thought he was one Roman numeral better.

“I definitely felt I could play Division I,” Newhan said. “I didn’t want to sell myself short.”

Newhan turned down the Division II offers, figuring the best way to major college baseball was the community college route. He thrived in the year-round program of Cypress College Coach Scott Pickler, bulking up in the weight room and sharpening his eye in the batting cage.

By the time he put the finishing touches on a 1992 season--in which he hit .382 with seven homers, 11 doubles, 39 RBIs, and earned All-Orange Empire and All-Southern California honors--Newhan was being heavily recruited by Arizona, USC and Cal State Fullerton. The Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 49th round.

Newhan planned to return to Cypress for his sophomore year, but in July, 1992, while playing in a Connie Mack tournament in Las Vegas, Georgia Tech assistant Rick Jones was so impressed with Newhan that he offered him a scholarship on the spot.

“We were looking for a hitter, and he could definitely hit,” Georgia Tech Coach Jim Morris said.

Newhan took a recruiting trip to Atlanta. He liked the school, the baseball facilities and the fact that two members of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, catcher Jason Varitek and shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, would be returning to Georgia Tech in 1993.

The Yellow Jacket fit, so Newhan wore it.

“That was as tough a decision an 18-year-old has to make,” Newhan said. “It’s pretty much your life right there, which school you go to. Up to then, I was just playing ball, I didn’t have anything come up. Then I’m at a point where I had to make a decision.

“It was a tough one to make, but I think it was the right decision. We have a chance to go to Omaha (for the College World Series), and not many teams can say that at this point.”

It has been a bit of a rocky season for Newhan, a sophomore who was told last summer that he’d be playing second base but has played first all season.

He started out hot, going eight for 15 in four games of the season-opening Olive Garden Classic and winning most valuable player honors of the tournament. But then he missed 10 games in late February and early March because of a back injury.

Two games of a three-game series against Maryland were snowed out in March, and then Georgia Tech went on spring break, so in a five-week span, Newhan had only two at-bats.

“That crushed me because I was in a groove,” Newhan said. “You’re not in the game much when you’re watching your teammates play, and you lose the edge. But I think I’m finally at a point where I’m getting it back.”

Newhan hit another upswing this past month, closing the regular season with an 18-for-48 (.375) streak to help Georgia Tech win the ACC championship. He enters NCAA tournament play with a .301 average, seven homers, 12 doubles, 50 runs, 34 RBIs, 36 walks and a .421 on-base percentage.

The Yellow Jackets (45-12) rode Newhan’s three-run home run to a 6-0 victory over Maryland in the opening round of the ACC tournament but were upset by Clemson Monday and Florida State Tuesday and were eliminated.

Still, Georgia Tech will play host to one of eight NCAA regionals beginning next weekend. Pairings for the tournament will be announced Monday.

Newhan would prefer to play second, but Georgia Tech junior Scott McIntyre probably plays better defense at the position, and the Yellow Jackets have been doing well, so Morris isn’t about to shake things up.

“That bothered me a bit, but you’ve got to think what’s best for the team,” said Newhan, who has a .442 on-base percentage. “You can’t have any gripes when you’re No. 1 in the nation.”

Newhan has the rare distinction of playing for high school and Division I college teams that have been ranked No. 1 nationally. Not bad for a kid who wasn’t projected as a top prospect out of high school.

“I think David is a classic example of a kid who really worked hard, had his mind set that he wanted to be a ballplayer, and wouldn’t let anyone tell him he couldn’t play,” Curran said.

“When he came to Esperanza, he didn’t appear to have above-average talent, but when he left, he had real good talent. He just needed to mature and grow into it. When I look at him from his freshman to senior year, it’s astounding. He’s a real success story and has just kept accelerating.”