Carson Johnson grew up in a baseball-loving family that spent hours watching the University of Arkansas baseball team on sun-soaked afternoons in Fayetteville.
It was Johnson's dream to play at Baum-Walker Stadium. Today, he'll get that chance, but he won't be wearing a crimson cap with the large A. Instead, he'll put on a green University of North Carolina-Charlotte cap for the 49ers 3 p.m. contest against the Razorbacks today.
"It will be different for sure, but it will be fun," Johnson said of playing against the team he cheered for growing up in Springdale, "but I play for Charlotte, so the focus is to beat the Hogs."
Johnson, a 5-9 junior middle infielder, is in his first season at UNC-Charlotte after playing two seasons at Connors State College in Warner, Okla. Johnson was an all-region player for the Cowboys.
Prior to that, he was a three-year starter at Springdale High School, where he helped former Bulldogs coach Shohn Doty revive a dormant program. Doty is now the pitching coach at UNC-Charlotte and recruited Johnson to the 49ers.
"He contacted me when I was at Connors, and we set up an official visit," Johnson said of his recruitment. "We went up there, and they offered me, and the rest is history. The campus was beautiful, and I just fell in love with it."
Johnson said he expects to have at least a small cheering section of family and former teammates today.
Last summer, Johnson played for the Medicine Hat (Alberta, Canada) Mavericks in the Western Canadian Baseball League. He led his team to the league championship and earned MVP honors after batting .333 in the postseason with four doubles and a triple. During the regular season, Johnson batted .361 for the Mavericks as the shortstop.
"It was awesome. Probably the time of my life," he said. "I just went up there relaxed and played baseball and had a good time."
Johnson got off to a slow start this season, going 0 of 8 in his first two games, but he's been swinging a hot bat lately to raise his average to .275. He will bring a three-game hitting streak into today's game, and he was 5 of 9 in a series against Kent State last weekend.
"I kind of struggled at first, but I've been able to make some adjustments," he said. "I've kind of settled in. The pitching up here is so much better. You have to get ahead early in the count and hope you get a fastball and don't miss it."
For one day at least, his baseball career has brought him back home, even if it is in the visitor's dugout.
Sports on 03/06/2019