Hayden Johnson was a huge part of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers making a run to the College World Series in Omaha in 2025.
The left-hander had a 2.84 ERA out of the bullpen in 38 1/3 innings of work. Over that same stretch, he had 55 strikeouts and allowed a .197 opposing batting average.
Johnson Sends Coastal Carolina to the College World Series in the 2025 Auburn Super Regional
On June 7, Coastal Carolina faced off against the Auburn Tigers in game two of the Auburn super regional on the road at Plainsman Park.
In a 4-1 College World Series clinching win for the Chanticleers, pitching was the story of the game, and Johnson played a major role.
Coastal Carolina’s starter Jacob Morrison exited the game after six innings of one-run baseball. This prompted Johnson to enter the game.
The southpaw closed out the rest of the game and was credited with the win.
In three innings of work, he allowed just two hits, one walk, and gave up no runs. Johnson also struck out five Auburn hitters in 11 total at-bats.
The win that Johnson earned sent Coastal Carolina to the College World Series, where they would finish as national runners-up to the LSU Tigers.
Coastal Carolina’s Elite Pitching
Johnson was a part of a Coastal Carolina pitching staff that was one of the best in college baseball. The Chanticleers had a team ERA of 3.20, which ranked second in the country. The only team with a better team ERA was the Northeastern Huskies.
The Chanticleers also recorded 622 strikeouts as a team in 2025, which ranked in the top 15 nationally.
Johnson and a Possible New Role in 2026
Chanticleers starting pitcher Jacob Morrison was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 MLB Draft. This leaves a hole in Coastal Carolina’s starting rotation for the 2026 college baseball season.
Johnson is a prime candidate to slot into the rotation behind Cameron Flukey, who is a top ten 2026 MLB Draft prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
Up Next for Coastal Carolina
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will begin the 2026 college baseball season with a three-game weekend series against the Fairfield Stags.
That series will be February 13-15 at Coastal Carolina’s home ballpark, Springs Brooks Stadium, which is in Conway, S.C.
The Chanticleers played Fairfield in the 2025 NCAA Tournament during the Conway regional that they hosted. They defeated the Stags in that game 10-2.
NCAA news: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Coastal Carolina’s Hayden Johnson (18) pitches during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
