LOCAL NOTES : Newhan Leaves Ga. Tech to Play for Pepperdine

Former Esperanza High School and Cypress College infielder David Newhan has committed to playing his junior season at Pepperdine after requesting and receiving a scholarship release from Georgia Tech.

Newhan played first base for the Yellow Jackets last season, batting .303 with nine home runs and 44 runs batted in.

But Newhan, who said Georgia Tech coaches promised that he would play second base when he signed with the Yellow Jackets, was not happy about the prospects of playing another season at first.

“It wasn’t the best situation for the development of my career,” Newhan said Monday from Cape Cod, Mass., where he is playing summer baseball.

Pepperdine Coach Andy Lopez didn’t guarantee him the starting second base job for next season. “But he said I’ll have a legitimate shot at playing there,” Newhan said.