This has been said over and over, but I'll say it again.  The Louisiana All-State Games saw a tremendous amount of talent, across all classes, at key positions from our great state.  In the weeks following the event, we've seen Kameron Edwards (Barbe HS) commit to Eastern Kentucky University, Brenton Gant (Mandeville HS) commit to William Carey University, and Gavin Guidry (Barbe HS) commit to Louisiana State University.  On Monday, we saw another big time name come off the board.  Jimmie Johnson (Central HS), the state's #10 ranked player in the 2022 class, gave his verbal commitment to Southeastern Louisiana University.  The RHP was definitely one of the standouts on the mound at the Louisiana All-State Games, as college coaches "virtually" watched him run his sneaky FB up to 88 mph, comfortably sitting 85-87 mph, while also showing a 76-78 mph SL that was an out pitch.  We caught up with Johnson after his announcement to ask him the key factors in his decision, his development as a player, and what we can expect from Central (BR) High School, as he heads into his junior season.  

 

 

-Congratulations on your commitment to Southeastern Louisiana University.  What were the deciding factors in your decision to commit to the Lions?

 

"Thank you coach.  There were a couple of deciding factors that played a role in my decision to commit to the Lions.  They were the first school that offered me a scholarship, which has created a bond between myself and the coaches.  Hammond, LA is close to home, which was a big thing for me.  I've also played on there field, enjoyed it, and really love the atmosphere."

 

-We all know that it takes a lot of hard work to get to the point of fulfilling your life long dream of playing college baseball.  Who's played an important role in your development as a player?

 

"The first person who has played a huge role is my dad.  He played baseball in high school and has pushed me and taught me everything that I know.  The second person that has really impacted my development is Coach Ronnie Walters.  He has been a part of my life since tee-ball, coached me from "coach's pitch" all the way through to the Louisiana Tigers, right before I entered high school."

 

-You're a Junior now at Central (BR) High School and the program has been successful ever since you arrived.  What can we expect from the team this season?  What are some of the goals that you guys have as a team?

 

"This season you can expect us to go far in the playoffs and hopefully win a state championship.  We are a junior and senior heavy team with a ton of varsity experience.  We have a lot of goals as a team for this year, but one that sticks out is "finishing games".  This comes from our experience last year in 2020.  The few games that we lost were due to little mistakes made late in those games.  We plan to fix those mistakes this year and I believe we will be hard to beat."