Maya Johnson’s Transfer Decision

Maya Johnson is set to select from several top programs to pursue her college softball career.

The left-handed junior pitcher from Belmont, who has made a significant impact by leading the nation in strikeouts this season, entered the transfer portal on Thursday.

As the pitcher of the year in the Missouri Valley Conference and a selection for Softball America’s second team, Johnson is poised to be one of the most sought-after players in the portal. Her skills could enhance any program’s prospects for the upcoming season.

Standing at 6 feet tall, the redshirt junior from Columbia, Ohio, dominated the Division I stats this season. She recorded 366 strikeouts, an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 16.64, and logged 11 shutouts. Johnson’s averages included 12.4 strikeouts per seven innings and just 0.74 walks allowed during the same timeframe. She also ranked 7th nationally in ERA (1.52), 5th in complete games (23), and 11th with a 24-6 win-loss record. Notably, Johnson contributed to the success of the Power 4 program that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, which featured teams like Arizona and Georgia Tech.

Her performance was key in Belmont’s first NCAA tournament appearance this season. She was named the MVP of the MVC Tournament, striking out 35 batters and achieving three wins across 18 innings.

Belmont’s postseason run came to an end against Virginia Tech in the Tuscaloosa region of the NCAA Tournament.

Throughout her three seasons with the Bruins, Johnson maintained a career ERA of 1.63 and amassed 757 strikeouts over 458 innings pitched.

There’s likely to be considerable interest in Johnson from prominent programs. After finishing high school, she faced challenges during her freshman year in the pits but ultimately had to redshirt due to a Lupus diagnosis. Overcoming these hurdles, she thrived at Belmont and is now a brand ambassador for the Lupus Foundation of America.