Grossmont College’s baseball team has an incredible 1-2 punch in corner infielders Nico Newhan and MJ Sweeney.
Third baseman Newhan bats second in the Griffins’ order. The redshirt freshman out of Maranatha Christian High School is hitting .391 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs in 38 games. He has a .508 on-base percentage and a .788 slugging percentage for a 1.297 OPS.
After a slow start, first baseman Sweeney has raised his batting average to .283 while hitting directly behind Newhan. The sophomore out of St. Augustine High School has 13 home runs and 43 RBIs in 39 games with a .403 on-base percentage and a .602 slugging percentage for a 1.005 OPS.
But their connections go beyond being teammates at Grossmont College.
Both Grossmont standouts are sons of former Major League players. David Newhan played eight seasons in the Major Leagues, including time with the Padres. A career .253 hitter, Newhan later served as a batting coach and bench coach in the major leagues.
Mike Sweeney hit .297 with 215 home runs over a 16-season Major League career.
Their sons have been friends for years and played together on club teams before going to different high schools.
“There’s no question that being the son of a former Major League player is a bonus,” Nico Newhan said earlier this week. “Our dads have been a big influence on both of us. When I’m struggling, my dad can see it before I do.”
There’s an added bonus. Nico Newhan is a right-handed hitter. His father David hit from the left side. MJ Sweeney is a left-handed hitter. His father Mike hit from the right side.
“Because we’re both left-handed, Nico’s dad has helped me at times with some things on my swing,” said MJ Sweeney. “And I know my dad has talked to Nico.”
Grossmont coach Randy Abshier said it’s a “big plus” having both Newhan and Sweeney on the team.
“Not only are they excellent players,” he said, “they know the game and can share what they’ve seen and learned.”
With Newhan and Sweeney anchoring a strong lineup and a deep corps of pitchers emerging, Grossmont College (29-10 overall) finished second to Palomar College in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference this season. The Griffins open the state playoffs on Friday with a best-of-three series against Los Angeles Pierce College.
Abshier believes his team has a good shot at making a deep run in the state championships. His 2017 Griffins were the first baseball team from San Diego County to win a state title.
“We’re pretty well set up for short series,” said the coach. “We can score, have three starters we can count on and a deep bullpen.”
Grossmont College is hitting .310 as a team with 51 home runs, a .496 slugging percentage and a .918 OPS. The Griffins average 8.8 runs a game. The staff earned run average is 4.93.
And while both Sweeney (Texas) and Newhan (Arizona) returned from four-year university programs, the Griffins’ roster has its roots firmly planted in the East County.
“I love going with kids from local high schools,” said Abshier. “Most of our players have known each other for years. I think that makes it special for them and us as a program.
Leading off for Grossmont College is right fielder Noah Libed, an Eastlake grad who is hitting .345 with a .415 on-base percentage and a .922 OPS.
Newhan hits second, followed by Sweeney, who is the only sophomore in the Griffin batting order.
Then comes center fielder Jacob Embleton, a Granite Hills graduate who is hitting .321 with six home runs, 30 RBIs and a .923 OPS. Fifth in the order is shortstop Logan Aguilar, a Patrick Henry product who is batting .371 with three home runs, 30 RBIs and a 1.009 OPS.
Left fielder Noah Tenbrook (Cathedral Catholic), designated hitter Talon Tucker (Granite Hills), second baseman Noah Manasan (Canyon Hills) and either Owen Rodgers (Granite Hills) or Anthony Thomas (Fallbrook) round out the batting order. Rodgers and Thomas split time at catcher.
Sophomore right-hander Johnny Nuanez (Point Loma) is the Griffins’ No. 1 starter. He is 6-2 in nine starts with a 4.25 earned run average and 53 strikeouts in 55 innings. Freshman right-hander Joshua Swikard, a converted catcher from Westview, is 3-1 in 10 starts with a 3.56 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 43 innings. Sophomore right-hander Xavier Franco, a St. Augustine product who transferred from UC San Diego, is 5-0 in six starts with a 6.62 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.
The all-sophomore bullpen is led by right-handers Trevor Morgan (Helix), Ryan Ellis (Patrick Henry, Santa Clara) and Issac Cota (Helix). Left-hander Marland Jorgensen (Madison) is 2-1 with two saves.
Sweeney, who has committed to Wichita State, dropped to .170 early in the season while recovering from a knee injury he suffered last summer.
“I was trying to protect my knee and started lunging,” said Sweeney. “I worked through it with help from my dad. I just reset my mind and stopped looking at the average. I’ve been able to keep my head still and seeing the ball better.”
Although he is a right-handed hitter, Newhan likes driving the ball to right.
“It’s more of a Miguel Cabrera approach,” said Newhan. “Don’t pull the outside pitch. And it’s an inside-out approach.”
“It’s a pretty cool connection Nico and I have,” said Sweeney.
Every week, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the field. To nominate a team, email [email protected].
