COOLIDGE, Ariz. – Former Wildcat player and Assistant Coach Joel Johnson has joined the four-time National Junior College Athletic Association Champion Central Arizona College Vaqueros as an Assistant Coach.
 
The Olympia, Wash. native heads to the 2022 and 2019 NJCAA National Champions after having served as an Assistant Coach on the Wildcats staff for the past five seasons. Since Johnson joined the CWU staff, the Wildcats made it to the GNAC Tournament twice, in 2021 and in 2023. During Johnson's time on the staff the Wildcats saw Justin Hampson earn All-American Honorable Mention and 24 GNAC All-Conference honorees including 12 first-team honorees. Adam Fahsel earned the GNAC Player of the Year in 2022 and Austin Ohland earned the GNAC Freshman of the Year in 2021. Johnson helped oversee 16 All-Region honorees with five players earning first-team nods. Four Wildcats also earned Academic All-District first-team honors as well.

"Joel will be missed here, but I am extremely happy for the opportunity that he has been given," CWU Baseball Head Coach Desi Storey said. 
 
The Vaqueros have been a consistent standout program amongst the NJCAA for almost 25 years. Since 1999 CAC has been 12-time ACCAC Conference Champions, 13-time Region One Champions, Seven-time NJCAA World Series Participant, and won three of four of their NJCAA National Championships. Over the past five seasons the Vaqueros saw 26 current or former players drafted into the MLB.
 
Prior to his time coaching at his alma mater Johnson spent two seasons at Seattle University as an Assistant Baseball Coach. The Redhawks posted a team average of .281 en route to winning 34 games during the 2018 season. Infielder Jacob Prater earned 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 honors for his combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Curtis Perrin and Sean Sutton both earned Academic All-District honors in 2018.
 
Johnson started his career at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. where he earned Second-Team All-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) West Region Honors, an NWAACC West Region Gold Glove, and a Pacific Association Division Gold Glove at third base during his freshman season. He hit .276 his freshman year with nine extra base hits and 11 RBI's. He played in every game for his sophomore season hitting a .220 batting average with six extra base hits, nine RBI's, and seven stolen bases.
 
He was one of the leading forces in the infield that helped the Wildcats to a runner-up finish in the GNAC in 2013. He also earned Second-Team All-GNAC honors in 2013. Johnson played in 73 games over his two-year Wildcat career, posting a .313 batting average in 182 at-bats. He had 57 hits, 33 RBI's, drew 22 walks, and had 11 stolen bases. He also put in some time as a relief pitcher accumulating a 4.15 ERA in six appearances.

"He is a great example of a cwu wildcat , both as a student athlete and very much as a coach. He was very instrumental in helping us reach the conference tournament twice in the last three years and his love for our guys and this program is second to none."
 
Wildcat athletics appreciates everything Joel has done for not only the baseball program, but Wildcat athletics as a whole, and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors.