SALEM, Ore. – Senior
Russ Johnston (Independence, Ore.) ended an amazing career today by being voted as the "FAN"-atic Most Valuable Player for the month of March, as announced by Corban's Sports Information Office.
Johnston, who was named as the team's Mighty Warrior this past weekend at the Warrior Athletic Association's Awards Banquet, batted .365 with 19 hits in 52 at-bats to go along with 12 runs scored, four doubles, five home runs, and 12 runs batted in during the month of March. The 5-foot-7 senior also registered a team-high slugging percentage of .731, while recording an on-base percentage of .404.
After taking nearly six years away from the game to help plant a church in the Independence area, Johnston returned to Corban and completed a wonderful career by leading the Warriors in both home runs (7) and runs batted in (27) this past season.
Along with his power numbers, Johnston finished as the team's runner-up in six different offensive categories that included batting average (.272), at-bats (151), runs scored (23), hits (41), total bases (70), and slugging percentage (.464).
Over his four-year career, Johnston appeared in 134 games that included 118 starts either in the field or as a designated hitter. Having collected 112 hits in 429 at-bats, Johnston registered a career batting average of .261 to go along with 21 doubles, 2 triples, and 9 home runs. Along with his work at the plate, Johnston also scored 86 runs and drove in 59 RBI. On the base path, Johnston holds the single-season record for stolen bases with 20 to go along with his career total of 29 stolen bases.
Among the all-time career leaders in Warrior history, Johnston is tied for 4th in stolen bases, tied for 5th in home runs, and ranks 6th in runs scored.
Johnston, who received 40% of the votes, is the fourth Warrior this season to be named as a "FAN"-atic MVP joining past winners Clay Martin (men's basketball), Katie Steigleman (women's basketball), and Rachel Steigleman (softball).