KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Johnson Royals baseball season came to an end in the NCCAA Mideast Regional Final on May 11th in a series loss to Alice Lloyd College. The Royals lost 6-2 in Game 1 of the three game series and came up short 13-6 in Game 2. The team persevered through an injury-riddled season to finish 9-39, but still put themselves in position to compete for a Regional championship. The Royals were well represented on the NCCAA Mideast All-Region teams with Rives Marshall, John Turner, Will Varner, Timmy Howard, Gavin Miles, Jacob Mallory, and Derrick Lay all receiving First Team honors. Clay Turpin, Josh Stahlman, Seth Pressley, Jacob Ownby, Matt Williams, and Tyler Shelton were also recognized as Second Team All-Region members.
Interim Head Coach Ryan Bruce reflected on the season saying, "This group of young men persevered through so much adversity and came to practice every single day to work towards our goal. I am so proud of every single one of these guys, and I am so blessed to be their coach... I am so excited to see what he future of the Johnson University baseball program holds. These guys have set the bar high and helped create a culture to build on for years to come."
The future does look bright for the Royals, as ten of the 2021 All-Region members will return for next season. Coach Bruce believes the 2021 recruiting class will be filled talented players looking to make an immediate impact as well.