AquaSox notes: 19-year-old Newsome pitching with veteran poise

Published 6:45 pm Thursday, August 18, 2016

EVERETT — Ljay Newsome might be the youngest player on the Everett AquaSox roster, but he has pitched with a poise this season that belies his 19 years.

“It seems like nothing rattles him and that’s kind of his demeanor anyway,” Everett manager Rob Mummau said. “He’s a guy that doesn’t really get too high or too low.”

Most of the players in the Northwest League are post-college athletes who are at least 21-years-old. Newsome signed with the Mariners last season out of high school. After throwing four no-hit innings to pick up the win over Tri-City Wednesday, Newsome is now second in the league among eligible pitchers in ERA at 3.56, and tied for the league lead with six wins. He’s struck out 46 and walked only seven in 48 innings.

“I think his overall consistency to throw strikes time in and time out (is impressive),” Mummau said. “He’s throwing a little bit harder the last couple of times out and he’s been a little more effective. He’s not relying so much on his changeup.”

A NWL All-Star this season, Newsome has also twice been named the league’s Pitcher of the Week, including this week.

Bullpen comes up big Wednesday

The AquaSox bullpen has struggled at times this season, but that certainly was not the case in Wednesday’s come-from-behind 3-2 victory.

Jeffeson Medina, Elliot Surrey and Thomas Burrows combined for four scoreless innings after Newsome exited.

Burrows, the Seattle Mariners’ fourth-rounder in this year’s draft out of Alabama, struck out two as he picked up his fifth save. The former Crimson Tide closer now is now tied for fourth in the league in saves and has struck out 31 in 20 innings and has an ERA of 2.25.

So, will Burrows continue to be a closer as he works his way up the Mariners’ minor league system?

“It’s probably too early (to tell),” Mummau said. “Yes, that was his role in college. I can’t say we have a set, quote-unquote, closer here. We try to give everybody an opportunity late in the game. At some point in time they might be called on for that situation sometime in their career.”

Brito back in the lineup

Everett first baseman Kristian Brito returned to the lineup Thursday. The 6-foot-5 slugger hasn’t played since Aug. 10 while nursing a hand injury.

“(Brito is) a power presence right there in the middle of the order, so that’s nice,” Mummau said.

Despite playing in only 36 games this season, entering Thursday Brito was tied for fourth in the NWL with 31 RBI. He was hitting .265/.335/.397 with three homers and nine doubles in 136 at-bats.

Meanwhile, infielder Donnie Walton (arm) and David Greer (groin) remain out of the lineup and are day-to-day according to Mummau.

Filia continuing to hit

Everett outfielder Eric Filia is starting to separate himself in the race for the NWL batting crown. He was hitting .346 entering Thursday’s game, 15 points better than Salem-Keizer’s Heath Quinn. Filia was also first in on-base percentage (.444), tied for first in RBI (34), second in hits (64) and games (53), and fourth in slugging (.481), total bases (89) and walks (34).

Nick Zammarelli remained fifth in hitting at .311 after getting a day off Wednesday. Zammarelli was back in the lineup at third base on Thursday.

For the latest AquaSox news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessesgeleynse.