Engineering student’s at-bat with the Chicago Cubs

Senior Fletcher Newman’s last semester at Texas A&M University has been a busy one. After he graduates as part of the inaugural data engineering cohort and marries his fiancée this spring, he will head north to begin his professional career with the Chicago Cubs as an assistant data engineer.

From a childhood surrounded by engineering and baseball, Newman developed a curiosity for problem-solving and statistics. At Texas A&M, that curiosity evolved as he discovered data analytics through the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering’s data engineering program. The experience allowed him to combine technical skills with his love of sports in ways he had never imagined.

“I originally came into Texas A&M wanting to study aerospace engineering because that was what my dad did,” Newman said. “But I ended up getting really into Python and data analytics, which led me down the path toward data engineering.”

Newman had played baseball throughout his childhood and competed at a competitive level in high school. After deciding not to continue playing in college, he realized how much he missed the game.

“I went to an Aggie baseball scrimmage my first semester, and I just felt this pit in my stomach,” he said. “That was the first semester I hadn’t played baseball in probably 15 or 16 years. I realized I had walked away from something I truly loved.”

The combination of missing baseball and uncovering a newfound passion in data analytics guided him toward his future.

“One of my friends told me about the new data engineering major,” Newman said. “I looked into it and thought, maybe this is what I’m passionate about. I know it’s rare to get into sports analytics, but I wanted to chase that dream.”

Once in the program, Newman quickly applied his skills to the Texas A&M baseball team. Starting as a data analytics intern, he worked his way up to head of research and development, managing a team of 25 to 30 undergraduate and graduate students.

He also led a group from the analytics team to compete in the Society of American Baseball Research Diamond Dollars Case Study Competition, where they advanced to the final round as one of four teams selected from a field of 18.

“I designed Aggie baseball’s pitch data pipeline,” he said. “We pull in data from every NCAA team, clean it, run models and store it in our cloud database. That was the lifeblood of what we could do with analytics.”

Newman also led the development of the team’s in-house analytics website, called O.M.A.H.A., which houses in-game strategy reports, player development tools and scouting resources for opponents and potential transfers. Few programs in the Southeastern Conference have a comparable in-house platform.

That combination of coursework and hands-on experience became a key part of his development in the program.

“Fletcher is a fantastic student from the first cohort of data engineering students,” said Dr. Amarnath Banerjee, associate head for undergraduate affairs in the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “His accomplishments and career trajectory are a great example of how students can shape their career paths with the data engineering program.”

Newman’s coursework with the department and experience with Texas A&M’s baseball team gave him the technical foundation for the job he now holds with the Cubs.

“In my interviews, I talked about a project where I built an automated pipeline for Chicago public traffic and crash data,” Newman said. “They were really impressed because it used industry-standard tools, and it directly applied to the work I’d be doing with them.”

While preparing for his future with the Cubs, Newman has also been juggling an unusually full schedule during his final year at Texas A&M. Balancing academics, leadership in baseball analytics, training for a half Ironman and planning a wedding taught him dedication and perseverance.

During the semester, he also received the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Award at the department’s annual awards banquet.

“It’s been a lot,” he said. “But all of these experiences have taught me that hard work and discipline are worth it.”

Newman is now preparing to take those lessons with him beyond College Station. Looking ahead to Chicago, he is excited to continue combining his love of sports with his technical skills.

“I can’t wait to experience the city and see how far this role can take me,” he said. “Starting my career with the Cubs is a huge milestone, and I’m ready to grow in professional baseball.”

Even with that excitement, Newman said that the beginning of his journey wasn’t always smooth. Managing complex projects for the baseball team while learning on the fly taught him that stepping into new roles can feel overwhelming at first.

“I was really nervous because I didn’t feel like I had the experience necessary to complete those early projects with Texas A&M baseball,” Newman said. “But I learned over time that it doesn’t really take experience, especially early in your career. It just takes effort.”

He encourages students interested in data engineering or sports analytics to embrace that mindset and put in the work.

“If you want to work in sports or a niche field, go after it,” Newman said. “It might feel unlikely at first, but persistence and dedication can open doors you never expected.”

Despite industrial and systems engineering not being a part of his plan when he first arrived on campus, he credits the department with helping him discover a world of opportunities, all while developing skills that have led him to his first of many career milestones with the Cubs.

With the foundation he built at Texas A&M and his passion for baseball, Newman is ready to make his mark in professional sports.