Four Jonesville senior baseball players are heading to the collegiate level to continue their athletic careers. The four Comets were a part of Jonesville’s second-straight district championship run, which saw them eventually play a competitive regional championship game against the eventual state champion team from Watervliet. One of those players who had a key impact the past two years for the varsity Comet baseball team was Damon Newell.
Newell will take his baseball talents to the College of St. Scholastica, a private college in Duluth, Minnesota, that plays in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in NCAA Division III.
Choosing St. Scholastica
Newell has dreamed of playing collegiate baseball since he was eight years old, but an injury this past fall football season for the Comets.
“I broke my wrist and had surgery during football about two weeks in,” Newell said. “I went on my visit two days after my surgery and it was my throwing wrist, and he (my recruiter) was just like, ‘Hey man, it doesn’t matter. I still want you on my team’.”
Newell met with the players and was impressed with the Saints’ facilities, including Wade Stadium. Wade Stadium has been the home of Saints baseball since 1941, which was recently renovated with an artificial turf field.
“I mean, the school and everything, it’s a great atmosphere. And especially after I hurt my wrist and (them) still wanting me, it just made me believe that dude, that was my spot that I want to play the next for years.”
Back-to-back district titles
Newell played DH last season for the Comets, earning all-area dream team honorable mention honors, in addition to athlete of the week honors, for his efforts as one of the top sluggers in Hillsdale County. Newell had multiple home runs that season, including a two-homer night to end the regular season and six RBIs in the same game.
He followed it up with one hit and one run in the district championship game against Homer that resulted in the Comets’ first title of their back-to-back run. Newell helped the team earn a 25-11 overall record, including a share of the Big 8 conference title in their final season in that league.
Newell was one of six seniors this season who led the team into a new era of Jonesville baseball, starting their first year in the tough-as-nails Cascades conference. Newell helped lead the team to a 20-13 overall record this spring.
This included their run at their second-straight district title, which included 10-2 (over Bronson) and 5-1 (over Union City) wins over former Big 8 rivals to earn the trophy. He had three hits, two RBIs and two runs in the district playoffs. He had one double.
The team then broke their regional title appearance drought, battling adversity after making two long bus rides out to Parchment High School for the regional semifinals.
The team defeated Kalamazoo Christian 3-1 to earn their shot at a regional title on MHSAA Super Regional weekend.
The team would eventually lose to Watervliet in the championship game 8-2. Watervliet went on to win the MHSAA D3 state title. Newell had the biggest play of the game for the Comets, a triple that drove in Jonesville's two runs.
Newell finished his senior year with a .396 slugging percentage, 24 hits, seven doubles, one triple, the team’s lone home run on the season and 23 RBIs. He made his way around the bases 18 times and had eight stolen bases on those trips. He had a final on-base percentage of .350. In his limited on-the-mound appearances, he had 13 strikeouts.
Newell was a part of a talented fielding team for the Jonesville varsity baseball program. HE had a .889 fielding percentage with 41 putouts and seven assists, with only six errors.
Newell would finish his prep baseball career playing with his teammates in the first annual Hillsdale County baseball all-star game. As an all-star honoree this season, he also earned honorable mention dream team honors for the 2023-24 season.
Newell, whose baseball career took him through travel ball all the way to a regional championship high school game, had many people to thank for his career trajectory.
“(I want to thank) my dad (and) my coaches for the travel ball and high school ball. Coach (Corey) Rogers, coach Ben (Stevens) and my teammates always pushed me to be the person I am. It’s a lot of work, but at the end of the day it’s definitely worth it.”
Newell thanked his family, including parents Corey and Jessie Newell, who joined him at his signing day.
In addition to his baseball career, Newell plans to explore studies in athletic training at the St. Scholastica. Newell was an Academic All-Conference athlete during his athletic career, which also included three seasons of varsity football. He was a member of the varsity baseball team since 2022. His senior teammates, Wade Sommers and Micah Calligan, signed with Lansing Community College baseball.
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