The left-hander’s sharp pitching set the tone as the Hilltoppers beat Northern Kentucky 9-6 on Opening Day at Nick Denes Field.
Newell appeared in 17 games last season for WKU, starting eight. He posted a 0-4 record, a 6.40 ERA and more walks (27) than strikeouts (19) during a season where Toppers finished 21-31 and missed the Conference USA Tournament.
The offensive star Friday was right fielder Jake Sanford. The junior, a transfer from McCook (Neb.) Community College, is one of 20 newcomers to Pawlowski’s Hilltopper program this season.
Pawlowski is 62-100 in four years at WKU and 567-418 overall in his coaching career.