Johnson Baseball Opens Season with Strong Weekend Performance

Johnson Baseball Opens Season with Strong Weekend Performance
February 2, 2025

Tifton, GA – The Royals baseball team kicked off their 2025 season with an impressive showing over the weekend, finishing with a 3-1 record in their first four games of the year. The Royals picked up wins against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and Point University before suffering their first loss in a rematch against ABAC.

The season opener saw a dominant pitching performance from Nathan Hoffman, who led Johnson to a 3-0 shutout victory over ABAC. Hoffman tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four. The Royals broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with RBI hits from Braden Frank, Bryson Shown, and Brayden Taylor to secure the win.

In game two, Johnson battled Point University in a back-and-forth contest that ended in thrilling fashion. Tied 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh, Mitsuki Kohno stepped up and launched a two-run walk-off home run to give the Royals a dramatic 10-8 victory.

The Royals carried their momentum into game three, overwhelming Point University with an 11-1 rout. Braden Frank powered the offense with a home run and two RBIs, while Travis Hobbensiefken and Nolan Cusey each drove in multiple runs. Pitcher Colby Reynolds delivered a standout performance, striking out nine batters over six innings while allowing just one run on six hits.

In their final game of the weekend, Johnson fell to ABAC 7-3. Despite early runs from Tyler Rojas and Travis Hobbensiefken, the Royals struggled to keep pace as ABAC used a four-run fifth inning to take control of the game.

Following the weekend series, head coach Dave Serrano reflected on his team's performance. "Tough loss today vs. ABAC after a pretty dominating victory earlier in the day vs. Point University," Serrano said. "I'm proud of how our guys performed overall, and now we as a staff know what things we need to work on with our team moving forward."

The Royals will look to build on their strong start as they continue non-conference play next weekend, as they host Defiance College in their home opener.