High School: Four-year letterman as a pitcher, shortstop and third baseman at Houston Christian High for coach Ron Mathis...helped lead the Mustangs to the state championship as a senior and a runner-up finish as a junior...earned all-state recognition his final two prep seasons...as a senior, claimed all-district recognition after going 9-1 with a 1.08 ERA, 93 strikeouts and just 32 walks in 71.0 innings of work while hitting .407 with 11 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 39 RBI...also earned four letters in football and one in basketball...off the diamond, was a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spanish Club, HCHS Student Ambassador/Community Liasion, Business Ethics and Art Club.

Personal: Born Nathan Bradley Newman on Dec. 17, 1986 in Houston, Texas...son of Mark and Beverly Newman...has one sister, Windsor...grandfather, Chuck, played football at Vanderbilt...proposed major is business finance.