Johnston fulfills ACC dream with commitment to N.C. State
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by Josh Walfish
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Friday, July 22, 2016
Even before Reid Johnston thought about playing baseball in the ACC, N.C. State was a top school on his list.
The reason?
“I’ve always wanted to go to State because I’ve always wanted to go somewhere with an agriculture program,” Johnston said on the phone from a trip in South Carolina with his summer team. “Not many schools around here have that. But State does and once they told me they wanted me to come play, I got a chance to look at everything they had to offer ... and it became my top choice.”
Johnston made a large impact for Rocky Mount Acadmey at the plate where he batted an even .400 this season and drove in 18 runs for a team that made the second round of the NCISAA playoffs. His coach with the Eagles said Johnston became an even more dangerous hitter this season with some added strength to his frame.
“He’s been working in the weight room harder over the last year, and you can see that starting to translate into his game,” Rocky Mount Academy coach Cameron Ramsey said. “He’s got more consistent pop in his bat. He’s always been a good hitter, always been a gap-to-gap guy, but you’re starting to see balls fly out of the ballpark a little more consistently.”
If there has been a change in Johnston over the past year, it’s been his development into a guy who could both play the infield and pitch for the Wolfpack. Although most schools recruited him for his bat, his workouts have allowed him to gain velocity with his pitches and make him a realistic short reliever for N.C. State.
The Wolfpack saw Johnston pitch at the Powerade State Games last month, and the rising senior impressed them enough that they offered him the chance to pitch in addition to playing in the infield. The conversation was a surprise to him, but something he was excited about tackling at the highest level.
“I always loved pitching, but I never thought of myself as a two-way player from talking to colleges,” Johnston said. “Playing two ways means you obviously get to play a little bit more, so I really like that opportunity.”
Johnston is one of two local commits to the Wolfpack, joining 2016 All-Area Pitcher of the Year, David Harrison from Rocky Mount High. The two have been friends for a while, and Johnston said having Harrison there only made the decision that much easier for him.
“It helped a little bit knowing one of my good friends was going to be there, and I would be playing with him too and getting to be around him a lot,” Johnston said. “It helped a lot to have someone close to me also going there.”
Johnston also received interest from UNC-Greensboro, Western Carolina, East Carolina and newly-minted national champions, Coastal Carolina.
Advertisement
by Josh Walfish
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Friday, July 22, 2016
Even before Reid Johnston thought about playing baseball in the ACC, N.C. State was a top school on his list.
The reason?
“I’ve always wanted to go to State because I’ve always wanted to go somewhere with an agriculture program,” Johnston said on the phone from a trip in South Carolina with his summer team. “Not many schools around here have that. But State does and once they told me they wanted me to come play, I got a chance to look at everything they had to offer ... and it became my top choice.”
Johnston made a large impact for Rocky Mount Acadmey at the plate where he batted an even .400 this season and drove in 18 runs for a team that made the second round of the NCISAA playoffs. His coach with the Eagles said Johnston became an even more dangerous hitter this season with some added strength to his frame.
“He’s been working in the weight room harder over the last year, and you can see that starting to translate into his game,” Rocky Mount Academy coach Cameron Ramsey said. “He’s got more consistent pop in his bat. He’s always been a good hitter, always been a gap-to-gap guy, but you’re starting to see balls fly out of the ballpark a little more consistently.”
If there has been a change in Johnston over the past year, it’s been his development into a guy who could both play the infield and pitch for the Wolfpack. Although most schools recruited him for his bat, his workouts have allowed him to gain velocity with his pitches and make him a realistic short reliever for N.C. State.
The Wolfpack saw Johnston pitch at the Powerade State Games last month, and the rising senior impressed them enough that they offered him the chance to pitch in addition to playing in the infield. The conversation was a surprise to him, but something he was excited about tackling at the highest level.
“I always loved pitching, but I never thought of myself as a two-way player from talking to colleges,” Johnston said. “Playing two ways means you obviously get to play a little bit more, so I really like that opportunity.”
Johnston is one of two local commits to the Wolfpack, joining 2016 All-Area Pitcher of the Year, David Harrison from Rocky Mount High. The two have been friends for a while, and Johnston said having Harrison there only made the decision that much easier for him.
“It helped a little bit knowing one of my good friends was going to be there, and I would be playing with him too and getting to be around him a lot,” Johnston said. “It helped a lot to have someone close to me also going there.”
Johnston also received interest from UNC-Greensboro, Western Carolina, East Carolina and newly-minted national champions, Coastal Carolina.
