Arizona’s Kevin Newman is making news with his bat these days. Photo by David Kadlubowski/azcentral sports
Arizona Wildcats baseball coach Andy Lopez said late last season he was than a little surprised at how well shortstop Kevin Newman hit as a freshman.
And Newman hasn’t stopped.
Newman pulled off a rare accomplishment Friday night, going 6-for-6 for the Farmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League. That lifted his average to .364, tops in the prestigious wood-bat summer league for college players.
He hit six singles in an 18-3 victory Friday, scoring five times.
How rare is a six-hit effort in a nine-inning game? It’s been done in the majors only 14 times since 2000.
Newman has been just a little hot lately. He had five hits in a game on July 22, kicking off a current 10-game stretch in which he is batting .500 (19 of 38).
Newman, who was selected a Cape Cod League All-Star along with Arizona rising junior pitcher Mathew Troupe, is 56-for-154 in 38 games and is fourth in the league with 15 stolen bases. The regular-season ends Sunday.
Newman last season stepped into the big shoes of Alex Mejia, who was the 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Newman hit .336, starting all 55 games in an All-Pac-12 season and earning Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors.