Ronald Sims
Mississippi Scouting Director

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The Prep Baseball Report Mississippi scouting staff recently sat down with Gulfport catcher, Blake Johnson to discuss his recent commitment to Tulane. Below is a transcript of our question and answer session:

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process?
Johnson: I had always heard that the recruiting process was a long but very exciting process, but as a sophomore when it began, it was much more thrilling than I imagined.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?
Johnson: Tulane being close to home was definitely a plus about having the opportunity to play there, but it wasn’t a make or break factor in my decision.

PBR: Where did the college you chose first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?
Johnson: I actually wasn’t originally thinking about Tulane, a previous coach of mine got me in contact with coach Jewett when he was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, and so he and I developed a relationship while he was there. Then when he moved to Tulane, it just made it seem more like it was meant to be since it was so close to home.

PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state, why?
Johnson: J.T. Ginn is probably the best I’ve faced, especially as an overall player.  Obviously what he can do on the mound is incredible, throwing 97 is pretty ridiculous, but also he can handle the bat well above average so I think I have to give him credit as the best in the state.

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were an elite player and become serious about taking your game to the next level?
Johnson: I think everything started to click that I would have a chance to take baseball to the next level was at the end of freshman year when people began to ask me if I had any interests in certain schools for baseball yet.

PBR: What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?
Johnson: Well my main focus is always education, because I know that my education is going to be what provides me with my lifelong career.  But besides education I wanted to be somewhere that felt like home, and somewhere that I felt would continue to shape me and send me off in the right direction, and I knew from our relationship that Coach Jewett took pride in teaching his players life lessons and not just the game of baseball, but also how to be men.

PBR: What is your best attribute as a baseball player and how does that transfer onto the field for your team?
Johnson: Throughout my entire life I’ve been told I was a natural born leader, and I feel that is kind of my best attribute, but I often try to lead by example and through my actions rather than just yelling commands in the fieldhouse.

PBR: What part of your game needs the biggest improvement, why, and what will you do to improve it?
Johnson: One thing that I’ve seen over the past few years is that I often have to force myself to go backside rather than just letting my hands flow through the zone and driving the ball that way.  So that was what I have spent a lot of time on throughout this off season is driving the ball backside with a lot more power, rather than just hard ground balls or line drives.  I’ve been working on this using tee drills, dry hacks, and then just some forced backside front toss and batting practice.

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?
Johnson: One thing that a former player at Gulfport told me was to just enjoy every aspect of the game, on and off the field, because once you learn to appreciate the hard work, that’s when its no longer work, but instead it becomes a privilege. For example, a lot of people try to avoid the weight room due to laziness or just being reluctant, but one thing that I have noticed now that I’m older is that every second counts when trying to perfect your game.

PBR: What do you do during the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for your upcoming season?
Johnson: My big focus for every offseason is just try to get stronger and faster, using the weight room and sprint exercises.  But throughout the offseason I also try to be precise as possible with every rep I take whether it be hitting or behind the plate, just so that I make sure I get a feel for perfection now, so that when I need it in a real game, those precise movements will just feel natural.

PBR: What do you like most about the college you committed to and what were the key factors in making your decision?
Johnson: My favorite thing about Tulane is probably the feel of the campus, every time I’m on campus, it just feels like its where I’m supposed to be. The student to faculty ratio was amazing and the average class size is only 21 students so I know that I would be able to have a relationship with most of my professors, which will definitely help with my academics. The atmosphere in the baseball stadium, every game we’ve gone to the whole stadium seems to be filled with green and white shirts, and I love how the community supports the university. The facilities for the baseball team are great and they’re making improvements all the time.

PBR: What other schools were on your list before you made your final decision?
Johnson: Several schools offered including Southeastern Louisiana, University of Pennsylvania and Jones County Junior College, as well as receiving some interest from Southern Miss. and Samford University.

 

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