By Taylor Nigrelli
Thad Johnson’s love for baseball may extend beyond his enjoyment of the game; it might be in his DNA. The freshman shortstop for the Wellsville Nitros is the fifth member of his family to attend St Bonaventure on athletic scholarship and is one of three brothers to play baseball for Coach Larry Sudbrook’s squad.
Johnson believes his family connection with St. Bonaventure has allowed him to get quickly acclimated with the team, resulting in 36 starts and counting in his freshman year.
“My whole family has gone here so I just know a little about the school,” Johnson said. “Just knowing what goes on here has prepped me for coming here. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment but it’s going well.”
Johnson’s two older brothers, Cael and Asa, have both pitched for the Bonnies but Thad broke away from the mound and family tradition to play shortstop. Although he’s played outfield for nearly his entire freshman season, Johnson is expected to start at shortstop next year for the Bonnies as well as this summer for the Nitros.
“We think he’s going to be an everyday shortstop for us starting next year,” Sudbrook said. “He only played centerfield this year because we had a senior shortstop.”
When Johnson takes the field for Wellsville as a shortstop, the position he played for four years at Frewsburg Central High School, he’ll bring a total package of baseball skills with him.
Johnson excels at hitting, throwing and running the bases. After a slow start to the season, his batting average has climbed to .240 while his on-base percentage is .343. He should have no problem throwing runners out as he’s been clocked in the mid-80’s. He should also be a speed demon on the base paths as he runs a 6.6 in the 60 yard.
Basically, he can do it all.
“Thad’s a little guy who runs well but he’s got a strong arm and some pop in his bat,” Sudbrook said. “He’s going to be the shortstop for the next three years.”
However, Johnson is not without flaw. Sudbrook hopes to see him improve his plate discipline while playing for Wellsville this summer.
“(Thad) still likes to chase the high pitch occasionally,” Sudbrook said. “So, I’d like to see him work on his plate discipline. Other than that, he’s going to be a pretty polished player.”
Johnson believes defense is another aspect of his game he can improve on this summer.
“My offensive game is definitely stronger than my defensive game right now,” Johnson said. “Defensively, I’m still trying to develop a little bit that’s why I’m playing over the summer; to try to develop those tools. I just need to get ready to take over the shortstop role for when (Mike) Meredith leaves.”
The final area of his game Johnson feels he can improve on is getting used to the quality of pitching he’ll face at the Division I level.
“I think I need to adjust to breaking balls and the different kind of pitches college pitchers can throw,” Johnson said. “Hitting their spots and how they pitch is just totally different and that’s been a little bit of an adjustment hitting wise.”
The Nitros will open their season on the road against the Olean Oilers at Olean high school Tuesday June 4th. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
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