Luke Johnston

Photo by: Bobby Ellis/Ball State University

Photo by: Jack Eads, Ball State Athletics

Luke Johnston MC-78850 Earl Yestingsmeir Invite Ball State Golf on Sep. 21, 2025 at Delaware Country Club. Photo by Samantha Blankenship/Ball State University.

Photo by: Samantha Blankenship/Ball State University

Photo by: Bobby Ellis/Ball State University

Photo by: Bobby Ellis/Ball State University

Samuel Harris and Luke Johnston embrace after 4-hole playoff at E.Y. Invitational

Photo by: Samantha Blankenship / Ball State University

Photo by: Jack Eads, Ball State Athletics

Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Evansville, Ind.
High School:
Evansville North HS

Awards and Honors:
MAC Golfer of the Week (Sept. 27, 2025)

One of three true freshman expected to make an impact on a young Ball State roster in 2025-26 ... high school teammate of Cardinals freshman Brody Sorrell and second-place finisher in the 2025 IHSAA state finals ... already owns a MAC Golfer of the Week award and shares the lowest 54-hole score in program history (198) with freshman teammate Samuel Harris ... 6-under 64 in the second round of the Earl Yestingsmeier was the second-lowest round by a freshman in Ball State history.

"Luke had a really successful fall, introducing himself to college golf," said veteran Ball State coach Mike Fleck. "His scoring average is very impressive, as are his tournament finishes. He has embraced the whole environment of college golf, and he's done it in a very competitive way. Luke is a super competitive kid and it's been exciting to see that translate to success."

FALL 2025 (Fr..): Led Ball State with a stroke average of 69.80 over five tournaments and 15 rounds during his first college semester ... shot under-par in 11 of 15 rounds and posted three top-10 finishes ... 7 of 15 rounds shot in the 60s ... named MAC Co-Golfer of the Week on Sept. 27, shared with teammate Samuel Harris, after carding 198 over three rounds for the lowest 54-hole score in Cardinals history (65-64-69---198, -12) ... 64 in the second round of the E.Y. Invitational was the second-lowest round ever by a Ball State freshman ... finished fourth at the Golfweek Fall Challenge (71-69-66---206, -10), then won the E.Y. Invite while defeating Harris in a four-hole playoff as co-medalists ... got hot again to close the fall schedule by finishing fourth at the Dayton Flyer Invitational (71-67-72---210, -3).

HIGH SCHOOL: Johnston and Sorrell were top 20 finishers their last two seasons in the IHSAA state finals while leading the Evansville North Huskies to a state record eight consecutive regional championships ... close friends and teammates, the Huskies duo led Evansville North to the state finals finishes in each of their four high school seasons ... Johnston was second and Sorrell 15th in the 2025 IHSAA state finals, as Evansville North finished fifth overall ... said Fleck when they signed: "These guys are two of best players in the state and the bonus for us as they continue their careers as teammates." ... one stroke behind current Ball State teammate Happy Gilmore, Johnston finished 13th in the 2024 IHSAA state tournament while he and Sorrell, four strokes behind, paced Evansville North to a sixth-place finish ... as sophomores in 2023, the duo helped the Huskies to a fifth-place finish with both tied in 18th place as individuals ... Johnston is a two-time player of the year in the Southwest Indiana Athletic Conference, with he and Sorrell both earning all-conference accolades in four straight seasons ... first-place medalist at the IHSAA sectional in consecutive seasons, firing 69 in 2024 and 67 in 2023. "Luke is a model of consistency and has that competitive demeanor to always be in the mix to compete at or near the top of the leaderboard in every event he plays," said Fleck. "His swing is so good and his ability to execute shots around a golf course is very impressive to watch."