Myers Park baseball star Davis Johnson aims to lead Mustangs to another 20-win year

Myers Park has won at least 20 games in each of the past three seasons behind strong pitching, defense and their depth in the roster.

Just one game into the 2025 season, however, some of that depth is already in question.

The Mustangs opened their season with a 9-0 win over East Mecklenburg on Feb. 24, but some of their projected leaders were not on hand.

Sophomore all-conference shortstop/pitcher Evan Howard broke a bone in his hand and is out of the lineup for at least a month. Senior pitcher John Person (1-0, 0.91 ERA) and junior pitcher Rodney Dunham (3-0, 1.75 ERA) are also both out for extended periods with injuries. Dunham is a top 50 national recruit as a defensive end in football.

In their absence, senior pitcher and outfielder Davis Johnson has delivered. He batted .310 last season with six doubles and 12 RBIs in an all-conference campaign, but has started this year off even better.

Not only did Johnson start on the mound for two innings in the season opener, but as the Mustangs’ leadoff hitter, he also reached base all four plate appearances, hit two doubles and scored two runs.

“It’s my senior year and I’m trying to make the most out of playing my last year for this team and to be the best leader that I can with some of the other guys and trying to do everything that I can to help this team win,” Johnson said.

The Mustangs have done a lot of winning — going 66-17 over the past three seasons — but this year they will need a lot out of their senior star as only two pitchers returned from last season.

There is talent, but certainly available innings on the mound.

“Our pitching staff is very young and very inexperienced,” said Myers Park coach Erik Foor. “We’re still trying to figure out who is going to be where and I want them kind of on their toes and think baseball innings one through seven, which I love.”

For Johnson, now the only returning all-conference player for a young Myers Park team to lean on, Foor thinks he will help guide them.

“I just need him to be himself out there,” Foor said. “He’s Steady Eddie on defense, you know what you’re going to get from him, and night in and night out you know what you’re going to get from him at the plate. That’s what makes him an all-conference player and one of our leaders.”