NeikoJohnson

Outlook
Extremely athletic and versatile talent, will have the ability to have a breakout season as a fifth-year senior … Regarded by UK’s coaches as the best base runner in the SEC, stole 24-of-25 bases in just 21 starts as a junior … Has excellent base running instincts … Can play nearly any position on the field, seeing time at second, third and shortstop in the infield and also logging time in the outfield … Will compete for starting positions at second base and rightfield … In addition to above-average base running skills, has excellent plate discipline and pitch recognition, translating to a high on-base percentage … Could be a prototypical top of the order hitter in UK’s speed-based offensive attack.

Summer
Had a great summer in the Coastal Plains League, playing in 33 games with 29 starts … Totaled a .307 average (31-for-101) with three doubles, one triple and 18 RBI … Had a .409 on-base percentage after drawing 15 walks, getting hit by six pitches and striking out 20 times … Had five sacrifice flies and two sacrifice bunts … Stole an impressive 25-of-27 bases.

2010
Played in 33 games with 21 starts … Batted .171 (13-for-76) with 24 runs scored, two doubles, one homer and six RBI … Had a great on-base percentage, .388, drawing 16 walks and getting hit by 11 pitches, striking out 10 times … Ranked fourth in the SEC with 24 stolen bases in 25 attempts … In 14 SEC games and six starts, batted .222 (4-for-18) with seven runs scored, one double, six walks and just two strikeouts … Stole 8-of-9 bases in SEC play alone, with the one caught stealing a highly questionable call at Vanderbilt … Hit all over the order, batting leadoff five times, second and ninth seven times, batting seventh and eighth once each … Started four games at second base, one at shortstop, nine in leftfield and seven as the designated hitter … Had a career-high three hits in a win over West Virginia … Charted a career high three-RBI game at Indiana … Got the start against IPFW on March 13, going 0-for-3 with two runs scored, but stealing a career-high four bases … Had a four-game stretch with 11 stolen bases … Biggest at bat of the year came with UK down one run in the bottom of the ninth inning of an impressive comeback win in San Diego against Monmouth … After Chris Bisson left the game after breaking his nose, Johnson came in to play second base and led off the ninth inning with UK down one … Johnson worked the count to 2-2 and belted a line-drive homer over the left-centerfield fence to tie the game, with UK winning later in the ninth after Braden Kapteyn got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded … Had an excellent offensive summer in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, playing for the Watertown Wizards … Ranked third in the league with a .343 (48-for-140) average, leading the NYCBL with 37 walks … Charted six doubles, one triple, two homers and 24 RBI … Struck out only 24 times … Hit .356 (26-for-73) with runners on base, reaching as lead-off hitter in 19-of-32 opportunities … Stole 21-of-22 bases, ranking fourth in the league.

Neiko Johnson

2009
Batted .250 (6-for-24) in 13 games and seven starts in 2009 … Scored seven runs with one double and three RBI … Drew four walks and struck out 10 times, stealing 2-of-2 bases … Recorded one sacrifice fly … Had a .367 on-base percentage … In the final game of the Caravelle Resort Invitational against Coastal Carolina, got the start, going 1-for-3 … Started at designated hitter in two games against Indiana State, batting 2-for-4 with a walk and a steal in the first game … Had a career-best 3-for-4, two RBI game against Georgetown College, drawing one walk and adding a double … Got the start in two games at eventual NCAA Champion LSU, striking out six times in eight at bats without a hit.

2008
Played in 14 games with two starting assignments … Batted .176 (3-for-17) with eight runs scored and two RBI … Drew four walks to six strikeouts, swiping 1-of-1 base … Scored the game-winning run as a pinch runner in a walk-off win vs. Purdue … Started two consecutive games, a win at South Alabama and in a mid-week win over Oakland … In the win at USA, batted 1-for-4 … Played in the Great Lakes League with UK outfielder Navarro Hall during the 2008 summer … Batted .279 (34-for-122) with 12 doubles, one triple, a homer and 13 RBI …Totaled a .373 on-base percentage and stole 9-of-10 bases.

2007
Redshirted season.

High School
Played for Redan HS in Atlanta, Ga. … Attended the same high school which produced MLB shortstops Brandon Phillips, PJ Phillips, and Chris Nelson … Coached by Marvin Pruitt … Led team to the baseball state semifinals during freshman season … Team won region championship junior and senior years … Batted .433 with 45 runs, 11 doubles, six home runs, and 24 RBI as a senior … Junior season batted .453, scoring 39 runs, hitting six doubles, five home runs, and 19 RBI … A blur on the base paths, stole 32 bases during junior and senior seasons … Named First-Team All-County as a junior and senior … Named Co-MVP of junior team … Named player of the month during senior season … Finished HS with a 3.0 GPA and was named to the A and B Honor Roll.

Personal
Son of Jerome Johnson and the late Carol Brown-Edmonds … Two older twin brothers, Jason and Jarvis (31) … Born Feb. 2, 1988.