Johnson’s Transfer to K-State was “Best Decision Possible”
Feb 24, 2022 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Kansas State incurred some tough times during its opening weekend. So why does Dominic Johnson sound happy on the other end of the phone?
"I think we can go above and beyond what any other K-State team has ever done," he says. "We have that kind of talent. We just have to be available and present as a team in every moment of the game."
Johnson, a sophomore left fielder who arrived at K-State on August 17 after transferring from Oklahoma State, is in a wholly different place than a year ago. As a freshman, he went 2 for 13 while appearing in 10 games with the Cowboys.
And now? Well, Johnson was the leadoff batter for the Wildcats in their games against No. 10 Arizona, Michigan and Auburn in the 2022 State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Johnson went 4 for 10 with a double, a stolen base, and one run scored, and the 5-foot-9, 185-pound native of Edmond, Oklahoma, was the only player to record a hit in all three contests.
Although K-State fell to Arizona (8-6), Michigan (10-2) and Auburn (12-1), Johnson carries an optimistic approach because of how excruciatingly close the Wildcats were to success.
"For me, it was a surreal moment playing at Globe Life, and it was everything I could wish for, and I did decently enough in taking advantage of the opportunity that was in front of me," he says. "Aside from Sunday, we won 15 of 18 innings. We just had a few innings where they flat-out beat us, but the rest of the innings we won.
"We can do anything we put our mind to, but we just have to do it."
That'll be the goal as K-State embarks upon a seven-game California road trip with three games at CSU Bakersfield (Friday through Sunday), one game at Cal State Fullerton (March 1), and three games at Loyola Marymount (March 4-6). K-State head coach Pete Hughes entered his fourth season adamant that the Wildcats needed to improve upon their 3-12 road record last season to burst upon the national scene and better their chances of a NCAA Regional berth. This aggressive west coast swing could serve as a great start.
"Getting on the road as soon as possible and making up for the things we struggled with this past weekend is going to be huge for us as a program," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Johnson continues to take steps of his own as he begins this chapter of his story.
Although Johnson contends "I was never really a baseball guy," he turned heads as a freshman at Santa Fe High School and in fact received his first scholarship offer from Hughes while he served as head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. Johnson blew up as a senior, as he was rated as the No. 2 outfielder and No. 5 overall player in the state of Oklahoma by Perfect Game and led Santa Fe to the 2019 6A state championship.
Johnson's father, Andre, played football at Oklahoma State, instilled faith and desire into his oldest son, and the Cowboys' proud baseball tradition lured Johnson to Stillwater. However, shortly after UC Santa Barbara knocked Oklahoma State out of the NCAA Regionals last season, Johnson simply wasn't happy, didn't feel the right vibe, and he sought a new home.
He found that when he was reunited with Hughes in Manhattan.
"I knew it was my time to leave Oklahoma State," Johnson says. "I'd been talking with my dad and praying on it, and when we got to the Regional, God showed me that if I wanted to do something with baseball, or just wanted to be happy playing the game, that I needed to go someplace else.
"My dad loves Coach Hughes. My best friend Orlando Salinas, Jr. transferred here with me. Orlando's father and Coach Hughes go way back. My biggest thing was probably the family atmosphere here along with Coach Austin Wates, who I think is one of the only black assistant coaches in Power 5. I saw that K-State was an up-and-coming program and believed if I joined forces with these coaches, we could do something great. I'm light years ahead of where I was when I came onto campus due to their development program. This is the best decision possible."
As for the biggest challenge in Johnson's second year of college baseball? That's accountability and responsibility.
"Even in high school, you're supposed to hold yourself accountable and be responsible, but college is different," he says. "You're going to class and traveling all the time. We'll be in California for two weeks. There's never been this much responsibility on my shoulders, but with God and people in my corner, I've been able to understand how to maneuver that and just be who I'm supposed to be in the program."
K-State fans will likely recognize Johnson when he plays his first game at Tointon Family Stadium. He'll be the one wearing a big smile.
"I'm loud and I smile a lot," he says. "I like to have fun. It's important to have people like that on your team. I'm a gritty player and I bring an attitude they didn't have on the team last year. We have our quiet guys and guys who are very business-oriented, but I like to have fun and be loose."
But Johnson will assuredly do all that he can to help K-State achieve above the outside expectations this season. The Wildcats are picked seventh in the Big 12. Johnson is optimistic.
"We were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 and people don't believe we're supposed to be very good, and perhaps rightfully so," he says. "We have a lot of second-chance guys like me, but with the talent we have in our room, we believe we can be one of the best teams we've ever had. That's the goal. That's what we pray for and wish for."
Already, Johnson has had one of his prayers answered, and he is ready for this next chapter at his new college home.
Kansas State incurred some tough times during its opening weekend. So why does Dominic Johnson sound happy on the other end of the phone?
"I think we can go above and beyond what any other K-State team has ever done," he says. "We have that kind of talent. We just have to be available and present as a team in every moment of the game."
Johnson, a sophomore left fielder who arrived at K-State on August 17 after transferring from Oklahoma State, is in a wholly different place than a year ago. As a freshman, he went 2 for 13 while appearing in 10 games with the Cowboys.
And now? Well, Johnson was the leadoff batter for the Wildcats in their games against No. 10 Arizona, Michigan and Auburn in the 2022 State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Johnson went 4 for 10 with a double, a stolen base, and one run scored, and the 5-foot-9, 185-pound native of Edmond, Oklahoma, was the only player to record a hit in all three contests.
Although K-State fell to Arizona (8-6), Michigan (10-2) and Auburn (12-1), Johnson carries an optimistic approach because of how excruciatingly close the Wildcats were to success.
"For me, it was a surreal moment playing at Globe Life, and it was everything I could wish for, and I did decently enough in taking advantage of the opportunity that was in front of me," he says. "Aside from Sunday, we won 15 of 18 innings. We just had a few innings where they flat-out beat us, but the rest of the innings we won.
"We can do anything we put our mind to, but we just have to do it."
That'll be the goal as K-State embarks upon a seven-game California road trip with three games at CSU Bakersfield (Friday through Sunday), one game at Cal State Fullerton (March 1), and three games at Loyola Marymount (March 4-6). K-State head coach Pete Hughes entered his fourth season adamant that the Wildcats needed to improve upon their 3-12 road record last season to burst upon the national scene and better their chances of a NCAA Regional berth. This aggressive west coast swing could serve as a great start.
"Getting on the road as soon as possible and making up for the things we struggled with this past weekend is going to be huge for us as a program," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Johnson continues to take steps of his own as he begins this chapter of his story.
Although Johnson contends "I was never really a baseball guy," he turned heads as a freshman at Santa Fe High School and in fact received his first scholarship offer from Hughes while he served as head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. Johnson blew up as a senior, as he was rated as the No. 2 outfielder and No. 5 overall player in the state of Oklahoma by Perfect Game and led Santa Fe to the 2019 6A state championship.
Johnson's father, Andre, played football at Oklahoma State, instilled faith and desire into his oldest son, and the Cowboys' proud baseball tradition lured Johnson to Stillwater. However, shortly after UC Santa Barbara knocked Oklahoma State out of the NCAA Regionals last season, Johnson simply wasn't happy, didn't feel the right vibe, and he sought a new home.
He found that when he was reunited with Hughes in Manhattan.
"I knew it was my time to leave Oklahoma State," Johnson says. "I'd been talking with my dad and praying on it, and when we got to the Regional, God showed me that if I wanted to do something with baseball, or just wanted to be happy playing the game, that I needed to go someplace else.
"My dad loves Coach Hughes. My best friend Orlando Salinas, Jr. transferred here with me. Orlando's father and Coach Hughes go way back. My biggest thing was probably the family atmosphere here along with Coach Austin Wates, who I think is one of the only black assistant coaches in Power 5. I saw that K-State was an up-and-coming program and believed if I joined forces with these coaches, we could do something great. I'm light years ahead of where I was when I came onto campus due to their development program. This is the best decision possible."
As for the biggest challenge in Johnson's second year of college baseball? That's accountability and responsibility.
"Even in high school, you're supposed to hold yourself accountable and be responsible, but college is different," he says. "You're going to class and traveling all the time. We'll be in California for two weeks. There's never been this much responsibility on my shoulders, but with God and people in my corner, I've been able to understand how to maneuver that and just be who I'm supposed to be in the program."
K-State fans will likely recognize Johnson when he plays his first game at Tointon Family Stadium. He'll be the one wearing a big smile.
"I'm loud and I smile a lot," he says. "I like to have fun. It's important to have people like that on your team. I'm a gritty player and I bring an attitude they didn't have on the team last year. We have our quiet guys and guys who are very business-oriented, but I like to have fun and be loose."
But Johnson will assuredly do all that he can to help K-State achieve above the outside expectations this season. The Wildcats are picked seventh in the Big 12. Johnson is optimistic.
"We were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 and people don't believe we're supposed to be very good, and perhaps rightfully so," he says. "We have a lot of second-chance guys like me, but with the talent we have in our room, we believe we can be one of the best teams we've ever had. That's the goal. That's what we pray for and wish for."
Already, Johnson has had one of his prayers answered, and he is ready for this next chapter at his new college home.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballK-State Rowing | Media Day
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Rowing | Weights Practice
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Tennis | Weekend Recap vs Old Dominion & Minnesota
Tuesday, February 24
K-State Track and Field | Sights & Sounds Steve Miller Invitational
Monday, February 23
