Local Sports

Cutters’ Armani Newton is dynamo hitter who can take a team over

Every team needs an Armani Newton.

Since coming into the fold with the Williamsport Crosscutters two weekends ago, Newton has been able to fill an oftentimes overlooked, but very much important place in the team: A smart, dynamo two-hole hitter with the capability to take over a team.

"It's been a pretty cool experience," said Armani during Tuesday's batting practice. "Being able to come in and meet guys from all over and showcasing my talent."

Composed and pragmatic at the plate and on the field, the background of Newton's baseball career has all revolved around one thing: Betting on himself.

A native of Fort Piece, Florida, the outfielder spent his underclassman career with Florida Gulf Coast. It was a shaky two years with the Eagles, appearing in just 26 games, batting .196 across 56 at-bats. From there, Newton took the lottery ticket known as the transfer portal for a new school.

"At first I had doubts about it," admitted Newton. "Coming off my sophomore year and not playing much. But, I took a chance on myself and told myself I was gonna take a chance and see where I go."

That new place wound up being Bethune-Cookman, a small HBCU with less than 3,000 enrolled schools competing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

There, Newton would make it his home. From batting under the Mendoza line at FGCU, Newton compiled a .267 average in 2025 with the Wildcats, with a monstrous .921 OPS courtesy of nine home runs and a .387 on base percentage.

It was an instant spark plug for Newton, who helped lead Bethune-Cookman to a SWAC title and a place in the Florida State Regional, the school's first trip to regionals since 2017.

That was a really cool experience," reminisced Newton. "Being able to go to FSU and play in front of all these fans. It was a really cool experience, nothing I've ever experienced before."

All of that led to Newton's invite with the Williamsport Crosscutters, where the outfielder has kept in stride to play some of the best baseball in his career.

Five games into the season, Newton has batted .313 with a pair of extra base hits including a go-ahead RBI triple in the Cutters' dramatic win against the Trenton Thunder on Sunday.

"The day he got here I thought 'Well, let's see how he is gonna fit in.,'" admitted Williamsport manager Kenny Thomas. "What I like about him is he has great at-bats. He doesn't swing at bad pitches. He controls himself at the plate. He's one-pitch-at-a-time. In the few games he's played, he's gotten better defensively, and that's a plus."

Getting on base has been a huge plus for Newton, who's four walks have helped boost his on base percentage to .500, second most on the team after Matthew Graveline.

"He's a little spark plug. It's why I like him up there in the two hole." Discussed Thomas.

After Tuesday's rainout, Newton and the Cutters will look to improve their three game winning streak Wednesday, with Williamsport hosting the last place Frederick Keys.

There, expect Newton to provide the same spark that he's been showing from the start of his tenure with the Cutters.

"The guys really like him, I really like him," concluded Thomas. "He adds a lot of energy to your team."