 "Photo: Ron Besser")
The University of West Florida men’s baseball team is breaking through the barriers of early season expectations by handing the ball to its workhorse.
Kevin Johnson, who is a senior majoring in physical education, was the opening-day starter for the Argonauts. In that game, he pitched six innings, striking out eight and setting the tone for UWF’s season.
However, this was just another day at the office for Johnson, who was named Honorable Mention Preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He encored that performance by throwing a complete game against Rollins University, and was named Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Johnson has started the season posting a 3-1 record, 25.0 innings pitched, 24 strikeouts and 3.60 ERA. He credits his success on the mound to Head Coach Mike Jeffcoat.
“Coach Jeffcoat has helped me out tremendously in the mechanics of pitching,” Johnson said. “We do drills every day that help my mechanics stay smooth and effective for this league.”
Johnson, who is a team captain, has taken the initiative to lead the Argos. He is a competitor on the mound who can appear fearless when facing opposing batters.
“There’s never a question he wants to pitch,” Jeffcoat said. “I always know he wants the ball.”
Johnson appears to be a tower on the mound. He is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs in at 230 pounds. He throws a screaming fastball, a slider that runs away from any bat and a change-up that has life of its own.
“He is a power pitcher,” Jeffcoat said. “He is a big guy who has some velocity and can throw 90. What he really has developed is a good change-up to complement his fastball, and his out-pitch has always been the slider. He’s got a nice mix of three pitches that he could go to that make him really tough to beat.”
Johnson has become a special player because he throws quality innings and has the ability to make adjustments on the mound, Jeffcoat said.
“No pitcher is ever going to have perfect stuff every day out there,” Jeffcoat said. “What Kevin is able to do is make adjustments.”
Through all the success Johnson has gained, he remains a humble young man. He loves the game of baseball and has said that baseball has improved his life in many ways.
“Baseball has taught me self-control and work ethics,” Johnson said.
When looking back on his greatest achievement, he doesn’t bring up the awards and the recognition he has received from it all. He recalls the whole experience as being an enormous opportunity for a young athlete’s life.
“My greatest athletic achievement would have to be the opportunity to play baseball at a collegiate level, because not every high school player gets that opportunity,” Johnson said.
However, when Johnson’s baseball days are behind him, he wants to remember his greatest achievement as being a professional baseball player. He has filled out the paperwork for the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft and has said that he has high hopes to fulfill his dream.
“As long as he stays healthy, he is going to have a chance to play professional baseball,” Jeffcoat said.
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