2015 Baseball Roster
Jersey Number 35
Drasen Johnson
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-4 / 200
- Position:
- RHP
- Hometown:
- Chillicothe, Ill.
- High School:
- Illinois Valley Central
Redshirt-Senior - 2015
- Drafted in the 26th round by the Colorado Rockies
- ABCA First-Team All-Mideast Region starting pitcher
- Second-Team All-Big Ten starting pitcher (first career honor)
- Named to the NCAA Champaign Regional All-Tournament Team after his CG shutout
- Posted a 10-3 record with a 2.01 ERA and 77 strikeouts in a team-high 16 starts
- Led the Big Ten in innings pitched (116.2), T-3rd in wins (10), 4th in ERA (2.01), T-8th in walks allowed (17), 5th in strikeouts (77) and 11th in opposing batting average (.238)
- First career complete game shutout vs. Notre Dame (5/31) in the NCAA Champaign Regional, marking his 10th win and team-high third complete game in 2015
- Threw 7.2 innings without an earned run, striking out seven against Maryland (5/21) in the Big Ten Tournament
- Recorded ninth win against Nebraska (5/15)
- Picked up eighth win vs. Rutgers (5/10), allowing only one run over 7 innings
- Earned seventh win at Ohio State (5/2)
- Had a complete game with six strikeouts vs. Indiana (4/18) for his sixth win
- Threw 8.0 innings against Purdue (4/12), earning fifth win
- Recorded fourth win vs. Northwestern (4/4), striking out seven in 7.1 innings
- Earned third win vs. USF (3/21), striking out six in 7.2 innings
- Tossed a complete game vs. Southern Illinois (3/14), earning his second win
- No decision vs. Ball State (2/28), striking out six in 7.0 innings while only giving up four hits
- Earned first win of the season at Florida Gulf Coast (2/20), surrendering four hits while striking out eight in 7.0 innings
- No decision in first start with 6.2 scoreless innings vs. New Mexico State (2/13)
Redshirt-Junior - 2014
- Boasted a 2.91 ERA, which ranked 11th in the Big Ten, and 5-7 record in 15 starts with the lowest run support on the team at 2.4 runs per game
- Big Ten strikeout champion (43) in conference play
- In all games, ranked second in the Big Ten with 79 strikeouts, sixth with a team-high 96 innings pitched and tied for 10th with 20 walks allowed
- Equaled a career-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings against Michigan State (5/21) in the Big Ten Tournament
- Threw second career complete game in 2-1 loss at Nebraska (5/15)
- Fifth win came at Iowa (5/9) with one run and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings
- Cruised through the first seven innings against Michigan State (5/2), but ended up with a no decision after allowing four runs total
- Notched fourth win with seven shutout innings in 1-0 win over Michigan (4/11)
- Picked up his third win of the season by throwing seven scoreless innings and tying a career-high 10 strikeouts at Northwestern (4/4)
- Threw seven straight scoreless innings before allowing the only run of the game on a two-out RBI double in the eighth at Western Kentucky (3/9), suffering his first loss despite posting a complete-game eight innings
- Tossed 6.1 scoreless innings without a walk in his second win at Florida (3/2)
- Earned first win of the year at Coastal Carolina (2/22) with one earned run (three runs) and five strikeouts in 6.2 innings
- Made first career Sunday start at Georgia State (2/16) and received a no decision after recording a career-high 10 strikeouts in a career-high 6.1 innings
- Entered the Illini rotation this season after spending his first two years in the bullpen
- Played for the Waterloo Bucks of the Northwoods League along with Illini teammates David Kerian, Ryan Nagle and Cody Sedlock during the summer
Redshirt-Sophomore - 2013
- Finished 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in 20 appearances, totaling 12 strikeouts
- In final 12 appearances, only allowed one run and 11 hits over 17.2 IP (0.51 ERA) while picking up three wins
- Appeared in 19 games out of the bullpen and made one start, compiling 29.1 IP
- Turned in two scoreless appearances in both the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Nashville Regional
- His third win clinched a berth into the Big Ten Tournament following 2.1 scoreless innings at Minnesota (5/17)
- Pitched a scoreless eighth vs. Penn State (5/12) and picked up his second win
- Earned first win vs. Southern Illinois (4/30), tossing 3.1 innings of relief
- Pitched 1.1 scoreless innings at Illinois State (4/16), 1.2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts at Ohio State (4/19) and struck out only batter faced at Ohio State (4/20) while appearing in three straight games
- Escaped a bases-loaded jam with a double play when he entered the game in the seventh at Southern Illinois (3/16) and finished with 2.1 scoreless innings
- Escaped another bases-loaded jam with a double play when he entered the game in the fifth at Indiana (4/6) and finished with 1.2 scoreless innings
- Tossed a scoreless inning vs. Missouri (4/2) at Busch Stadium
- Made first start of season in game two of the doubleheader vs. Nebraska (3/23)
- Threw a scoreless inning of relief in the extra-inning victory at Baylor (3/9) in game one of the doubleheader
- Played for the Waterloo Bucks of the Northwoods League with Illini teammate David Kerian during the summer.
Redshirt-Freshman - 2012
- Made 16 appearances on the season, including four starts
- Started the final four Big Ten series finales
- Went 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 39 innings, striking out 21 and walking 13
- Allowed only 12 earned runs, striking out 16 while walking only four, in 27 2/3 innings (3.90 ERA) over his last seven appearances of the season
- Stranded 13 of the 20 runners he inherited
- Posted two scoreless outings at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, including 2 2/3 scoreless innings against No. 25 Louisville
- Had three consecutive scoreless relief outings against Connecticut (3/10), Northern Illinois (3/17) and Nebraska (3/23), totaling 3 1/3 innings
- Earned his first career win with 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief against Illinois State (4/17), striking out four while allowing only three hits and one walk
- Held Ohio State to one run in 3 2/3 innings of relief on 4/22, striking out three and not walking a single Buckeye
- His best start of the season came at Penn State (5/13), where he held the Nittany Lions to one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings
- Played for the Fayetteville SwampDogs of the Coastal Plain League during the summer.
Freshman - 2011
- Redshirted the 2011 season
- Played for the Arvada Colts of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League during the summer.
High School
- Listed as the No. 25 prospect in the class of 2010 in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report
- Led IVC to a third-place finish at the IHSA Class 2A state tournament
- Went 8-2 with a 2.07 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 67 innings in 2010
- Earned Chicago Tribune honorable mention All-State honors and was named a Player to Watch by the Tribune
- All-NCIC selection 2008-10
- Finished 5-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 2008, helping IVC to a second-place finish at the IHSA Class 2A state tournament
- Was listed as one of the Midwest's fastest-rising prospects by Perfect Game Crosschecker in August 2009
- Missed much of the 2009 season following an injury suffered during the 2008 football season and a bout with mononucleosis.
Personal
- Born Dec. 23, 1991
- Parents are Greg and Jessica Johnson
- Has a brother, Austin, and a sister, Madisyn
- Majoring in community health with a concentration in health planning and administration
- Biggest thrills in sports were pitching in the IHSA Class 2A state championship game and pitching at Wrigley Field
- Plans to become a physical therapist following his baseball career
- Credits Cam Parr, father of former Illini teammates Justin and Jordan Parr - and father of former Illini Josh Parr - as the biggest influence on his athletic career
- Was an honor roll student at Illinois Valley Central H.S.
- Lists Derek Jeter as his favorite athlete
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Thursday, February 13
Illini Athletics | Week of Appreciation Coaches Video Dan Hartleb
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Illini Baseball | Team IMPACT Signing
Friday, September 22
