HPU Baseball’s Jacob Newberry Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 18th round of the 2013 MLB Draft

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior Jacob Newberry of the High Point University baseball team was selected in the 18th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, June 8. Newberry was a second-team All-Big South selection as a senior and led HPU in both innings pitched and strikeouts.

“It is very exciting to see Jacob Newberry get the opportunity to start his professional career with the Colorado Rockies,” HPU baseball head coach Craig Cozart said. “This is a testament to his hard work and dedication to pitching. We look forward to watching his progress through the Rockies organization.”

Newberry started 14 games as High Point’s Friday night starter and finished the season with a 4-3 record and a 3.07 ERA. He pitched 88 innings and struck out 78 batters. Newberry was seventh in the Big South in strikeouts and 12th in earned run average.

“I am very happy that the Colorado Rockies are giving me the opportunity to continue to play baseball,” Newberry said. “The Rockies are an outstanding organization and I am thrilled to be joining them. I am thankful to Coach Cozart and the coaching staff at High Point University for giving me the opportunity to play and achieve my dream. I also want to thank god and my family for all their support.”

The senior allowed three or less earned runs in 10 of his 14 starts including two games in which he did not allow a single run. Newberry allowed three runs on eight hits in an eight-inning complete game at Tulane. He also struck out a career-high 10 batters over eight innings in a 6-2 win over CCSU.

Newberry finishes his HPU career with an 8-10 record and a 3.79 ERA in two seasons. The senior struck out 129 batters in 166-1/3 innings. Newberry holds the HPU Div. I career record for ERA while also ranking among the top 10 in opposing batting average, strikeouts and wins.

Newberry is the second High Point baseball player selected in the 2013 MLB Draft. Redshirt-junior Jaime Schultz was selected in the 14th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. He is also the third-highest HPU player ever drafted following former HPU outfielder Nate Roberts, who was selected in the fifth round in 2010, and Schultz.