Fresh off a second straight conference championship and berth in the NCAA Division II Softball World Series, Eric Newell begins his first season at Troy’s head coach in 2023. Newell led Auburn-Montgomery to back-to-back No. 3 national rankings the past two seasons as the Warhawks were among the final six teams remaining in the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball World Series after AUM won both its Regional and Super Regional matchups. In 16 seasons as a head coach, Newell’s teams have dominated on the field, posting a combined .727 winning percentage between his eight years at Williams Baptist (254-121) and eight seasons at AUM (302-88). Newell-coached teams have won eight conference titles and appeared in six NCAA or NAIA postseason tournaments with four World Series appearances. Newell’s aggressive style of play led AUM to ranking in the top 14 nationally in scoring his final four seasons with the program. Additionally, the Warhawks stole more than 100 bases in each of his final four full seasons, including 179 in 2019, the third-most in the country. AUM’s 2.82 stolen bases per game in 2018 were the fifth-most nationally. AUM’s dominance also translated to the circle, where Warhawk pitchers combined for a 1.97 ERA with 66 complete games and 54 shutouts from 2019 to 2022. This past season, Newell guided the Warhawks to 49 wins, their most ever since moving to the Division II level in 2017 and most since Newell’s 2016 NAIA World Series squad won 53 games. AUM was electric on the field, stealing 105 bases in 62 games, all while belting 54 home runs, 71 doubles, 20 triples and posting an .852 team OPS. Additionally, the Warhawks averaged 6.3 runs per game and finished ninth nationally in runs scored. AUM pitchers tossed 31 complete games and 12 shutouts with the Warhawks’ top two pitchers both finishing with sub 1.70 ERAs on the year.
Year in Review
Newell and the Warhawks were rewarded for their outstanding play, with Gia Martin earning All-America distinction, Newell taking home Gulf South Coach of the Year honors, three Warhawks earning all-region awards and five taking home all-conference recognition.
2021 - 2022
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AUM’s 2022 season was a perfect bookend for Newell’s career in the Capital City after he began his tenure leading the Warhawks to the 2015 NAIA National Championship. AUM rolled through the Southern States Athletic Conference with a 24-2 record and didn’t allow a run in the AUM Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round. The Warhawks finished the year with a school record 46 wins as they won their four games in the World Series by a combined 31-1 score. He was named the SSAC and NAIA Coach of the Year, while he and assistant coach Scottie Wilkes were named the NAIA Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA. Individually, Cassie Jones was named the 2015 NAIA National Player of the Year, NAIA All-American and the SSAC Pitcher of the Year. Newell led AUM in its transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II prior to the 2017 season, and it didn’t take long for the Warhawks to adjust to their elevated level of competition. Newell led AUM to a 43-12 record in 2019, including a 20-9 mark in the Gulf South Conference, and had the Warhawks rolling in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. AUM had won seven games in a row and nine of its last 10 when the season was halted.
