Ram's AJ Johnson Walks The Walk
After a stellar junior season in which dual-threat AJ Johnson had 48 strikeouts and an earned run average of 2.13 on the mound and a batting average of .400 with five home runs at the plate, the senior is hoping to lead the Robinson baseball team to a push towards the Group AAA Northern Region championship this spring.
"I want to help lead my team to make a strong run at the region title this year," Johnson said. "We have a good team and I hope that we can make our name one of the most feared in the region".
When Johnson learned to walk, he would always go get a bat and ball and go outside and play with his dad. Since he was old enough to play baseball, Johnson hasn't stopped. Johnson credits his dad for his love of America's Pastime.
"When my Dad, who is now our pitching coach at Robinson, introduced me to the game, I fell in love with it," Johnson said.
On the field, Johnson has been a hitting and pitching nightmare for opposing teams. Last year, Johnson went 7-3 and held opponents to a batting average of .198, and in 2007, head coach Bill Evers expects even more from him
"Hopefully, he'll be a huge threat for us," Evers said. "He'll be asked to pitch in a lot of crucial games and hopefully he can pull through for us."
Johnson not only excels on the field, but he succeeds in the classroom as well. He currently has a GPA of 3.4 and will be attending George Washington University on an 80 percent scholarship next year.
On he diamond, Johnson is regarded as a model teammate who the Rams figure to rally around while competing in the tough Concorde District this season.
"We're really good friends," said teammate Wells Guthrie. "We hang out a lot on weekends and try to keep our on field chemistry going off the field."
Johnson's teammates are also very impressed on what Johnson brings to the table as a baseball player. "He is a great leader and he's definitely one of our top pitchers and hitters," teammate Jeremy Burger said.
Johnson's teammates not only like him, but Johnson likes his teammates as well.
"I love the fact that everybody on the team is a friend of mine," said Johnson, "we're all so close, and when I need to depend on them for something, whether on or off the field, I can do that."
Johnson has good relations with the coaching staff at Robinson as well. Johnson described Evers as one of the best coaches in the region, and he said having his father as the pitching coach has always made him strive harder.
The Rams open their season on March 20 at West Springfield.
