Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week -- Andrew Johns: First fidelity

Barry Faulkner

Corona del Mar High baseball standout Andrew Johns spent a small

fortune on leather, before he finally found the perfect diamond

accessory.

But, ever since making a first baseman’s glove the fourth in his

collection, signaling his final stop on a itinerant tour for playing

time, the Sea King senior has helped Coach John Emme’s baseball team win

with style.

“We spent a good solid year and a half trying to find a spot for him,”

Emme said. “We knew he was a great athlete, so we knew he’d help us

somewhere. He started in left field, then we moved him to second base. He

even caught for us. He must have gotten a little frustrated by all those

changes, but he never let it slow him down.

“Now that he’s at first, he rivals Mark Hatfield (All-CIF Southern

Section as a senior in 1999) as the best defensive first baseman I’ve

had. But he still has all the gloves he used at those other positions.”

Johns, inspired by Hatfield’s ability to keep the most errant throws

from getting past him, has become a fearless insurance blanket for CdM

infielders.

Scooping low throws out of the dirt has become routine for the

three-year varsity performer, who is also adept at leaving the bag to

field high and wide throws, then slapping the tag on runners as they near

the bag.

“Like Hatfield, A.J. is an extremely tough kid,” Emme said. “A lot of

guys flinch at balls in the dirt, but A.J. scoffs at them.”

Said Johns, “My first goal is to knock the ball down. If I can catch

it, that’s even better. I’d much rather take a bruise than let anything

get by me.”

Though he stands out on defense, it was Johns’ offensive contributions

that earned him Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week recognition.

After taking a tough 0 for 3 (one screaming liner was stabbed by the

third baseman) in a surprising nonleague loss at Garden Grove March 26,

he had game-winning RBI singles in back-to-back Pacific Coast League wins

over fellow title contenders University and Costa Mesa.

Against Uni, March 27, his two-run single in the sixth broke a 4-4 tie

in an eventual 6-5 CdM win. He was 2 for 4 in that game.

Then, Friday at Costa Mesa, Johns capped a 3-for-5 performance by

singling in a run in the ninth inning, which was the difference in a

thrilling 5-4 win that left the Sea Kings firmly atop the PCL standings.

It was his second RBI single of the game.

He followed that up by going 3 for 4 with his first varsity home run

and two RBIs in Tuesday’s PCL conquest of Laguna Beach to up his average

to .500 (21 for 42). He has 13 RBIs, heading into Friday’s game at Laguna

Beach.

Johns was the starting quarterback on the CdM freshman football team,

before making the decision to concentrate on his favorite sport. He

earned All-Newport-Mesa District laurels, as well as second-team All-PCL

recognition, as a junior, hitting .366 (26 for 71) with 17 RBIs, 14 runs and 10 stolen bases.

But, Emme, seeing some flaws in his approach at the plate, convinced

him to rebuild his swing this season.

“We got him to move his hands back and it has made a huge difference,”

Emme said. “He had to be willing to start over and there aren’t a lot of

guys who will do that, especially after having success. But he made that

commitment and worked hard to implement the changes. It helped that in

his first batting practice with the new approach, he hit the ball harder

than he ever has.”

Soft-spoken and devoted to his team, Johns downplays his role in the

Sea Kings’ 9-3 record, 6-0 in league. CdM is also ranked No. 10 ranking

in Orange County.

But with countless hours spent fielding balls skipped toward him, on

both dirt and grass, he’s proud of his ability to, in the baseball

vernacular, “pick it.”

“My goal this year was to make no errors,” said Johns, whose only

miscue came while filling in for an injured teammate at second base this

spring. “I think my infielders appreciate it when I help them out. But I

just think scooping low throws is part of my job. I’m just trying to pick

up my teammates.”

Johns, who celebrated his game-winning heroics last week with barely a

smile, said his even-keel approach helps him focus through the highs and

lows all hitters experience.

But, when the game is on the line, Johns relishes the challenge of

producing the key hit.

It somehow figures that Johns’ favorite food is ice, since he’s as

cool as frigid liquid during crunch time.

“He’s one of those guys who would jump in front of a moving train for

you,” Emme said. “I wish I had a dozen of him. I had the guys vote for

captains this year and A.J. was pretty much unanimous.”

Johns, who hopes to earn an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy,

said he would love to continue his baseball career with the Midshipmen.

But until then, he hopes to keep the Sea Kings sailing toward a PCL

title.