At the age of five, Brashad Johnson picked up his first baseball. Since then, thanks to people like his mom, Jacquieta, and his favorite MLB player, Alex Rodriguez, Johnson has done unthinkable things, compared to all the other exceptional athletes at his level.

As a freshman, he was one of very few, in his class of 2008, to make the BSM JV baseball team. However, sophomore, junior, and this up-and-coming senior year, Johnson has, and will be, the starting shortstop for the varsity team.

He said he plays shortstop, and sometimes second base, because, “I have pretty good glove work and a strong arm. I also have a lot of range and make smart decisions.”

Because of Johnson’s successful play the last few years, he was asked by the Atlanta Braves (yes, the actual Atlanta Braves) to attend a tryout of theirs this past summer. At the actual tryout, Johnson said, “they tested how fast you ran, how you can field ground balls, and how hard you can throw [the ball] to first base.”

Johnson credits Ryan Collins, the former BSM head coach, for making him the player he is today.

“He has helped me a lot with my game, and told me what I need to do to play at the college level,” he said.

Speaking of playing at the college level, a number of colleges have been looking at Johnson to play with him, as well. A few of these schools are Butler University, University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, and Michigan State.

As a result of having such outstanding talent, an athlete like Johnson can never rest. During the off-season, he will still be found working on his game.

“I mainly hit the weights with Drew Breyer,” he said. “I am also playing in a lot of tournaments on the weekends, all over the U.S. Until the season starts, I am also doing hitting clinics on Saturdays and Sundays.”

It was at one of these very tournaments that Johnson experienced his most unforgettable moment in baseball, at a tournament held in Apple Valley, Minnesota, called the Apple Valley Louisville Slugger Wooden Bat Tournament.

“I hit two homeruns in one game with a wooden bat, then the next week I was named Star Tribune athlete of the week,” he explained.

It is no question that with the time and determination that Johnson has put into his beloved game of baseball that he has a very promising career ahead of him. As for his plans for the future, he said.

“I want to play college baseball at the Division I level, or play junior college baseball. Hopefully, I will then get drafted [into the MLB] after my senior year.”

Kira Schneider, Student Life editor