In 2013, LSU head coach Paul Mainieri and pitching coach Alan Dunn were two seasons beyond the Matty Ott era as the closer for the Tigers. Ott earned 16 saves in his freshman campaign in 2009 and 33 for his career, both of which are LSU school records.
Mainieri and Dunn decided to pass the torch to Chris Cotton, who tied Ott’s single-season saves record in 2013. Next season will mark the beginning of a new era in Mainieri’s impressive streak of premium bullpen arms. Similar to the problems of replacing Ott and Cotton, Mainieri and his staff will have their hands full next year in filling the void left by their latest bullpen masterpiece, senior right-hander Hunter Newman.
If there is one trait that a successful pitcher at any level must have, it’s consistency. Especially as a relief pitcher, coaches and teammates are relying on the pitcher’s ability to fill up the zone with strikes to hold the lead or to keep the team within striking distance of the opponent.
Mainieri got a taste of the consistency that Newman could provide in his first season with the Tigers in 2013. Newman held his opponents to a .160 batting average with a 2.55 ERA over a span of 24.2 innings of work.
After excellent performances as a freshman, Newman’s tenure at LSU was off to a promising start. However, bone spurs in his throwing shoulder kept him off the field for the entire 2014 season. A medical redshirt was granted to Newman, allowing him to maintain his final three years of eligibility.
“It was one the hardest parts of my life. I had never had surgery before, so I had no clue of what to expect,” Newman said about his injury-plagued 2014 campaign.
Upon his return, Newman embraced a reliever role for the first time in his career. Dunn’s ability to build a level of trust with pitchers was essential in Newman’s seamless transition.
“The coaches here are phenomenal, we’re like a family,” Newman said. “Coach Dunn is like the dad to our pitching staff. He takes you under his wing if you need help.”
The feeling is mutual for Dunn, as he spoke highly of his most recent ace reliever.
“He’s a leader by example,” Dunn noted. “Our guys see how he goes about his business everyday. They see him go in the game and manage situations. That’s a leader, because he doesn’t have to say anything, he can just go out there and show them.”
Newman’s work ethic proved evident in his rehabilitation efforts as he came back stronger than ever for the 2015 season. He concluded his sophomore season with an unblemished 3-0 record, and a 0.49 ERA over 36.2 innings of work. The Tigers played 43 games that season before he gave up his first earned run.
Newman also proved his dependability through his lead-by-example approach with his performances in the postseason. In the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament combined, he pitched 6.1 scoreless innings through six appearances.
After his clutch performances as a sophomore, Newman was promoted to full-time closer going into his junior season. Continuing right where he left off, he posted the lowest ERA (2.13), last season, led the Tigers in saves (8) and tied for the team lead in appearances (28).
Newman again proved vital in crunch time, earning two one-inning saves to propel the Tigers to another NCAA Super Regional appearance.
Now in his fifth year on the team, Newman’s experience is vital to LSU’s bullpen, and he embraces what it means to be relied upon late in games.
“I know I just need to go out there and throw strikes,” Newman explained. “Coming in for the ninth inning is the hardest three outs you can get. If you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, it’ll be tough for you to get those three outs because those hitters will never quit until the game ends. I know I need to have full command of all of my pitches in order to get outs.”
Newman came to Baton Rouge with large shoes to fill, following relievers like Ott and Cotton, but similar to his predecessors, Newman will be remembered as a trustworthy, dependable back-end arm that leaves the tank empty after every outing.
“He’s been a real anchor in our bullpen for the years that he has been here,” Dunn said. “He’s a guy you feel really confident about in giving him the ball. You know what you’re going to get. He’s going to throw strikes with at least two pitches, and he knows who he is. He knows his strengths, and that’s all you can ask from a guy.”