CLEBURNE, Texas - The Jets opened up the season in Texas for the third time in the last four years. This was Newman's second year in a row taking part in the 4-HIM Classic put on by Colorado Christian in Cleburne. 

The Jets opened up the 2020 campaign against Wayne State in Head Coach Drew Maus' inaugural game at the helm. Newman would fall behind early as WSC would put up a run in each of the first two innings. The Jets would strike for 5 runs in the fourth inning, but the wildcats would answer back in the bottom half of the fourth with 2 runs of their own to cut the Jets lead to 5-4. Neither team would score until the bottom of the seventh when Wayne State would tack on two more taking the lead back. Newman would score 1 run in the top of the ninth to tie the game up at six. WSC would get a one-out double followed up by a walk-off homerun to take down the Jets 8-6. 

Will Jordan finished the game going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's. Hayden VanDePol went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's.

In the second game of the weekend, Drew Maus would get his first career win for the Jets as they would defeat Oklahoma Panhandle 7-5. Panhandle would strike first as they brought one across in the bottom of the first. Newman would answer back in the third and fourth as they would score two runs in each inning, taking a 4-1 lead after four. Panhandle would scratch two more across in the bottom half of the sixth inning to cut into the Jets lead making it 4-3, but Newman would respond in the next half getting both of those runs back to extend the lead to 6-3. OPSU would get two more runs in the bottom of the eighth before Newman would score the final run in the top of the ninth making the score 7-5. 

The Jets would have three players with a multi-hit game Kyle Koch would go 3 for 5, Max Bajza would go 2 for 5 and Tyler Push would finish 2 for 4.

Saturday's game would be a pitchers duel. Zach Smith for Southern Arkansas would go 7 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 walk and recording 10 strikeouts. Ryan Boaz, for the Jets, would go 6.1 innings giving up 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned) and recording 2 strikeouts. Dakota Rodd would come in to relieve Boaz and would go 1.2 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run. Aaron Stramel would finish out the game going 1 inning allowing only one baserunner on a hit by pitch. Southern Arkansas would get the scoring started in the first inning as they would score on a passed ball. No other runs would be scored until the top of the sixth inning when Southern Arkansas would get a solo homerun. SAU would strike again in the top of the eighth as they score one more run on a single back up the middle. Newman would answer back in the bottom half of the eighth but one would be all they would get as VanDePol would double in Chris Opolka. Newman would get a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth to get the inning started. The Jets would follow it up with a fly out, fielders choice and a ground out to end the game 3-1.

Hayden VanDePol went 2 for 3 in the contest with the Jets lone RBI.

In their final game of the weekend, the Jets bats would come alive as they would defeat Rogers State 12-3. Newman would get the scoring started in the top of the first as Dalton Dinkel would drive a single through the left side bringing in Devin Beard and advancing Mitchell Austin to second. Kyle Koch would single to load up the bases for Max Bajza who would walk to bring in the Jets second run. That would be all the Jets would get in the first. RSU would answer back with two of their own in the bottom half. Newman would get three more in the top of the third as Dinkel would start things off with a single up the middle that Koch would follow up with a single of his own. Bajza would get the third straight single for the Jets to load the bases up. Everyone would move up a base on a wild pitch, Dinkel would score. Tyler Push would ground out, scoring Koch. Bajza would score on a single to left by Will Jordan. RSU would once again answer back as they would get one in the bottom of the third. The Jets would strike for two more in the sixth after a Push triple, a hit by pitch for Jordan, a walk for Opolka and VanDePol and a sac fly from Devin Beard. Newman would score four in the final inning that started with an Austin double to left. Dinkel would follow it up with a walk before being pinch ran for by Aaron Eshelman. Koch would reach on an error that would advance Eshelman and score Austin. Push would walk, Jordan would single to right to bring in Eshelman. With Koch on third, Push on second and Jordan on first a passed ball would advance them all scoring Koch. Opolka would walk before a sac fly from VanDePol would bring in Push for the final run for the Jets.

Newman would have all nine batters reach base at least once while seven of the nine would have a multi-hit game. 

The Jets will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Arkadelphia, Ark. for the GAC/MIAA Challenge where they will take on Oklahoma Baptist on Feb. 7th at 1:30 pm, Henderson State on Feb. 8th at 5:00 pm and Ouachita Baptist on Feb. 9th at 1:00 pm.