STARKVILLE — Wes Johnson understands velocity.
While coaching Abudnant Life High School in Sherwood, Arkansas, from 2004-07, Johnson began to develop his style of coaching and realized he could increase his pitchers’ velocity. Josh Cantrell came to Johnson with a maximum speed of 79 miles per hour with his fastball. Johnson saw some potential and in a short amount of time, Cantrell was consistently hitting 86 miles per hour on the radar gun and topped out at 88. That’s when Johnson knew.
“Then I was like, ‘We’re onto something there guys, let’s go,'” Johnson said. “I’m one of those guys that’s going to cannonball in, I’m not going to ease into the pool. When I find something and I think it works, we’re going.”
Hired to be the pitching coach by Mississippi State in October to replace new Auburn coach Butch Thompson, Johnson developed his coaching philosophy after Abundant Life High School at the college level. He was an assistant at Central Arkansas, Southern Arkansas and most recently Dallas Baptist University. He came to MSU with a reputation of being one of the better pitching minds in the country and a knack for getting the most out of his pitchers and increasing their velocity. The No. 15 (D1Baseball.com) Bulldogs open the 2016 season Friday, Feb. 19 against Florida Atlantic at Dudy Noble Field.
Johnson said his philosophy begins and ends with the intent of his pitchers.
“I want their intent to be extremely high from the standpoint of everything we do,” Johnson said. “It’s not like you’re out of control, that’s not what intent is. Intent is having a real deep focus on what you’re trying to do and doing it with a great purpose.”
Thompson, who came to MSU with coach John Cohen in 2009, began to help rebuild the Bulldog program that experienced an abundant amount of success . Thompson was given complete control of the pitching staff and proved himself.
Thompson and Johnson have two different styles and Bulldog junior right-handed pitcher Dakota Hudson has taken notice. Hudson said Thompson taught pitchers how to pitch from start to finish. He said Johnson tries to maximize the assets his pitchers already have. Hudson said he has already seen a “jump” within in the pitching staff in just a short time under Johnson.
Hudson, a preseason All-American third team selection by Perfect Game, has a lot of potential and has a big arm. He said he his fastball is consistently between 93 and 95 miles per hour. Johnson has identified the potential of Hudson and sees big things for him. One of the ways to increase ball speed is with the lower body.
“Just everything we do from our warmup to just getting out there and playing catch, everything’s moving,” Hudson said. “It’s a lot of explosive stuff. From start to finish, we’re balanced in everything we do, but everything we do is also explosive. It just works hand in hand.”
Johnson said when he began to coach pitchers he needed an edge that was going to set him apart from other coaches. So he began to learn all he could about the human body and all the energy exerted by pitches when they pitch. He said he learned that when a pitcher’s arm travels 72 miles per hour, the shoulder joint pops out. So he decided to get the lower body involved and said that the lower body is at least 60 percent involved in the increase in velocity.
“We’re in a society now where everything is safety, safety, safety,” Johnson said. “Our bodies were made to perform at a really high level. That’s kind of one the things I try to get out of them, is let them know they can deliver a baseball really hard, really healthy for a long period of time.”
Hudson said the staff has been participating in the weighted ball program since Johnson arrived. The different weighted balls help build muscle in the arm, especially in the shoulder (levator scapula muscle) to help increase velocity.
Johnson spent four seasons at Dallas Baptist (2012-15) and saw 14 of his pitchers drafted, including seven in the top 10 rounds.
One of Johnson’s best success stories involves a player who came to DBU as a middle infielder. Brandon Koch came to the Patriot program hoping to play shortstop, but Johnson said Koch hit is way to the mound. He struggled as a freshman with a 7.80 ERA, but learned quickly with Johnson and finished his sophomore season with a school record 0.64 ERA and nine saves. As a junior, Koch shattered the school record with 15.91 strikeouts per nine innings, picked up 14 saves and registered a 1.26 ERA in 43 innings. For his efforts he was named a finalist for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year.
Koch said during his freshman season he entertained the thought of transferring to a junior college so he could play shortstop, but after playing summer ball, he realized he could pitch, with Johnson guiding him.
“I just trusted him with it,” Koch said. “He pushes people to the their best and wants to get the best out of every player he has. It’s not his philosophy on pitching, it’s more of his motivational aspect. He’s someone you really want to work hard for and succeed for.”
Koch was taken in the fourth round (118th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays this past summer in the Major League Baseball Draft and his fastball sits around 95 miles per hour.
Johnson said the MSU pitchers have accepted his philosophy and many have commented on how their arms feel better than they have in the past. He said the recovery time has been faster for the pitchers and they are starting to buy in.
Hudson said the fastest arm on the team is junior right hander Zac Houston. He said Houston, who has made just 25 appearances the past two seasons, has been handing around 97, 98 miles per hour. According to Hudson and Johnson, Houston has the potential to reach 100 miles per hour.
Johnson said it is going to take a lot of work from Houston to pick up those last two miles per hour.
“He’s going to have to believe he can and then he’s going to have to know what he’s doing is working,” Johnson said. “I think we’re there. Then he’s going to have to understand he can bounce back. We haven’t got there yet because he hasn’t thrown a lot in a game yet. The last one’s always the toughest one too. He’s been working really hard.”
Johnson said he has had only two players throw 100 miles per hour in a game: Jake Johansen and Drew Smith. Both Johansen (Washington Nationals) and Smith (Detroit Tigers) were taken in the top three rounds of the draft.
Both Houston and Hudson have the potential to reach 100 miles per hour. Hudson also has the drive and continues to buy into Johnson’s style. Although he hasn’t seen his velocity increase yet under Johnson, Hudson has faith that it will.
“I feel like this hard work is supposed to pay off eventually,” Hudson said. “Not everything’s going to be done in one day. I just feel like consistent hard work will get me there.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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