This article was published by The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer on March 13, 2017 and can be found here.

Jordan senior Eric Newman’s start on the mound Saturday drew plenty of praise from his head coach and fans alike.

The right-hander went three innings against Marion County, and the results were so-so. He didn’t give up an earned run in the 14-2 victory, but he struggled with his command, walking six of the 14 batters he faced.

The performance was solid but left room for improvement by Newman. But given where he was two weeks earlier, lying in the batter’s box with the world spinning around him, the start was exactly what everyone involved was waiting to see.

Newman’s win against Marion County was his first appearance in two weeks for the Red Jackets. He missed five games after an at-bat against Greenville on Feb. 25, which ended with a pitch up and in hitting him in the side of the helmet.

Newman fell to the ground and remained there momentarily, trying to convince himself he was OK. That self evaluation, however, was hard to sell even to himself once he returned to his feet.

“I hopped up, and when I hopped up I got really, really dizzy,” Newman said. “My head started hurting really bad. That’s when our trainer took me out of the game.”

Newman went to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with a concussion. He was advised to rest up for a while, which was a hard pill to swallow during his senior season. Severe headaches made the advice a little easier to follow.

Still, the competitive side of Newman had issues with being sidelined.

“When my team struggles and I feel like I can’t do anything about it, that’s what really gets me,” Newman said.

Newman estimated the headaches went away around Tuesday or Wednesday, clearing his path for a return. Jordan head coach Tony Dimitri took precaution in bringing Newman back and had him play with the junior varsity against Shaw the day before the varsity faced Marion.

Once Newman passed that test, it was all systems go for Saturday.

Newman stifled the Eagles’ batters while the Red Jackets offense racked up run after run. He was a major contributor in the Jordan scoring frenzy as well, going 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI.

The outing was a welcomed sight for Dimitri, who was candid about having to play without Newman.

“On the mound, that’s what we needed,” Dimitri said. “We needed to see him pitch. Him being out the last five games handcuffed us a little bit because he can go to so many different positions. To see him on the mound and come back to give us a big stick in the lineup was a big influence (in the game).”

Newman’s disdain for missing those games was evident, saying as a senior the goal is to play in as many games as possible. That recovery time, however, did give him a rare chance to reflect on baseball, something he learned could suddenly be taken away.

“It made me appreciate the game a lot more, knowing that people aren’t as fortunate as I am to be in my place to play baseball,” Newman said. “Baseball’s what I’ve loved ever since I was 5 years old. Me just being out made me look at it a little differently.”

After Saturday’s win, Newman was all smiles as he answered questions and prepared for the second game of a doubleheader. It might not have been a jaw-dropping start, but for Newman, it was just what he needed.