Brian Johnson used to keep runs off the scoreboard.
But UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan is now calling on Johnson, a starting pitcher, to contribute some runs, too.
The freshman moonlighted as UF’s designated hitter last weekend against Vanderbilt, leading the Gators with five hits in the series.
Now, he will try to build on his success at the plate tonight at 6:30 as No. 8 Florida hosts Jacksonville in McKethan Stadium.
Johnson also drew three walks in the Vanderbilt series, helping him reach base on eight of 12 plate appearances. O’Sullivan said he will keep Johnson in the lineup until the lefty struggles with his bat, even if he has to pitch the same day.
“I asked him in the pregame meal if he wanted to hit and pitch (Saturday),” O’Sullivan said. “His eyes lit up and he said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘OK, it’s the same thing you’ve been doing since high school.’”
Johnson hit .551 with nine home runs as a senior at Cocoa Beach High. And in his first college game pulling double duty, Johnson allowed one run in 5.2 innings while going 3 for 3 from the plate.
One of his few mistakes on the day came in the top of the sixth, when he gave up a solo home run. O’Sullivan pulled Johnson after that pitch, but he stayed in the game as the DH and responded with a single the next inning.
Being able to use his bat allowed him to shrug off the pitching mistake.
“You have to have a short memory,” Johnson said. “You have to move on from one thing to the next thing.”
Johnson is the first UF player to be the team’s starting pitcher and hit in the same game since center fielder Matt den Dekker did it in 2008. But den Dekker allowed three runs in 2.2 innings and hasn’t pitched since.
Johnson, on the other hand, could be a dual threat for the rest of the season, reminding Florida fans of Brad Wilkerson. During his three-year career at UF in the ’90s, Wilkerson split time at first base, the outfield and on the mound.
The Gators’ first three-time All-American hit 55 home runs and pitched in 75 games. He said he could never sit out during practice because he was involved in all facets of the game.
Likewise, Johnson has three sessions in the batting cage between pitching drills.
“It takes a lot of time and dedication to do both,” Wilkerson said. “Each and every day you have to do extra stuff.”
Players going both ways are rare today because AAU coaches train them to focus on one position at a young age, making Johnson’s feat more impressive, Wilkerson said.
“That’s a special accomplishment,” he said. “Especially at the University of Florida, which has such a good baseball program.”
