Ball State University Athletics
Josh Johnson Joins Softball Staff as Pitching Coach
November 10, 2015 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State softball welcomes Josh Johnson, a five-year member of the US Men's National Fastpitch Softball Team and an experienced NCAA Division I coach with Super Regional experience, as the program's pitching coach according to first-year head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett.
“Josh is clever, innovative and hard working,” Ciolli Bartlett said. “He is extremely knowledgeable and has an infectious passion for the game. He was an amazing hire. Ball State softball is lucky to have him.”
Johnson, who started his fastpitch softball career in 1995, has been playing at the Major level of the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) since 2004 as both a pitcher and an outfielder. A 16-time NAFA All-World Team selection, Johnson was inducted into the NAFA Hall of Fame in 2013 and was the association's most valuable player in 2014. He has also competed in numerous tournaments for the US Men's National Fastpitch Softball Team, most recently playing in the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Ontario (July 12-18).
During the summer of 2015, Johnson played in 23 games for the US Men's National Team, including helping the squad to a ninth-place showing at the 14th Annual Men's World Softball Championships held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (June 26-July 5). He finished the season with a 6-1 record in the circle, allowing just seven earned runs over 44.0 innings of work for a 1.11 ERA. He also struck out 65 batters, including a season-high 13 in a complete game victory over the Netherlands (June 29). In the batter's box, Johnson finished the year with a .231 batting average, seven RBI and a pair of home runs. He also drew 16 walks to finish third on the team with a .446 on-base percentage.
Johnson is no stranger to the world of women's collegiate softball, most recently serving as the primary pitching coach at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2014. Prior to his one season at UTEP, Johnson served as the top assistant and pitching coach at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette for the 2013 season, which saw the Ragin' Cajuns advance to the NCAA Ann Arbor Super Regional after winning the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Under his guidance, the Ragin' Cajuns pitching staff increased its strikeout total by 122 from the previous season, with Jordan Wallace ranking third nationally with 382 strikeouts.
Before arriving at Louisiana-Lafayette, Johnson spent three seasons as the head coach at Faulkner State Community College (2010-12) where his 119-60 career record makes him the winningest coach in program history. His Sun Chiefs players would earn 14 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-America honors, while breaking every team and individual batting, base running and pitching record in program history. His teams posted the two highest finishes in program history, including the school's first state championship appearance.
As a student-athlete, Johnson was a four-year letterwinner and 1998 First Team All-Conference selection in baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he earned his Bachelor's in Psychology in 2000 and his Master's in Applied Psychology in 2003. Johnson also earned letters in cross country and track & field at Wisconsin-Stout, finishing his athletics career as the only 14-time varsity letterwinner in school history. He continues to hold the Blue Devils' program record in the indoor 1,000m run, at 2:31.92.
A native of Oregon, Wis., Johnson earned his Ph.D. in Sports Psychology from Florida State University in 2008. He currently resides in Muncie with his wife, Jenny.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
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