Michael Newstrom completed his second season as a graduate assistant coach and will assist pitching coach Anthony Claggett in working with the pitchers.
Newstrom helped the 2023 Cougars post a 29-23 record, the most wins since 2015, including series wins at No. 15 Oregon State, over No. 12 UCLA, Arizona, at California, WCC champion Santa Clara and claimed the season series over Gonzaga, 2-1. Following the series win at No. 15 OSU to open conference play, WSU appeared at No. 20 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top-25, the Cougars first national ranking since 2010. WSU put up impressive numbers on the mound as the pitching staff set the strikeout record for the second straight season (518) and starter Dakota Hawkins earned All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention after recording 92 strikeouts, the ninth-most in WSU single-season history. Newstrom also worked with reliever Caden Kaelber who finished with 12 career saves, seventh-most in WSU history, and Chase Grillo who tallied six saves in 2023 and was named to the Midseason Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.
In 2022, WSU posted their third straight winning season and closed the year with series wins in four of the final five weekends, clinching series at No. 10 Oregon, USC, Utah Valley and wrapped up the season with the first sweep over Arizona State in program history. Reliever Caden Kaelber earned All-Pac-12 Conference honorable after finishing the regular season tied for fourth in the league with seven saves and closed out series-clinching wins at No. 10 Oregon, USC and Arizona State. The Cougar pitching staff set a program record for strikeouts with 473 while relievers Chase Grillo and Cam Liss each tied for the fourth-most appearances in WSU history and starter Grant Taylor closed the season with Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors after firing a two-hit shutout over Arizona State, WSU’s first shutout performance since 2018.
Newstrom was a four-year letterwinner as a lefthanded pitcher for the Cougars (2018-21) and finished his career sixth in program history with 76 appearances. In his WSU career, the Puyallup, Wash. native tallied three wins, one save and 60 strikeouts in 66.2 innings. Newstrom capped his career with a record-setting senior season in 2021, appearing in a WSU single-season record 34 games and tallied two wins with a 2.89 ERA, held opposing hitters to a .216 batting average and 32 strikeouts in 28 innings. Newstrom’s 34 appearances were tied for second-most in the Pac-12 Conference and tied for third nationally.
Newstrom attended Puyallup High School in Washington where he was a two-time All-State selection and finished his senior season with 99 strikeouts and a 1.25 ERA in 55 innings, earning South Puget Sound League Pitcher of the Year accolades.
Newstrom is set to earn his bachelor’s degree in generalmhistory from Washington State in Spring, 2022.
