FHS’ Crain signs with Southern University
Published 8:48 am Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Franklinton first baseman/pitcher Johnathan Crain signed a letter of intent to attend Southern University in Baton Rouge and play baseball for the Jaguars.
“During the year, I was thinking about going there. As the year went a long, my commitment got even stronger. As my season got better, I kept thinking about Southern,” Crain said.
Crain said the atmosphere at Southern feels like home.
He said he’s very excited.
“I’m ready to get started over there,” Crain said.
Crain went to a power-hitting showcase at Southern a few weeks ago and finished second. He hit five homers in the first round and three the next.
Each hitter got 10 outs. Any swing that was not a homer was an out.
This season, Crain was part of a Demons team that put a solid season together. Franklinton went 22-6 and reached the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs before falling in a best-of-three series to St. Michael the Archangel, two games to one.
Crain said overall, it was a great season.
“We did a lot of stuff together,” Crain said. “The nine seniors, we played ball together since we were little. We were able to put it all together our senior year.”
In the postseason round before the quarterfinals, the regionals, in game three against Lutcher, Crain hit his first career high school home run, and it could not have come at a much bigger time.
With the game tied, 1-1, Crain got hold of a pitch and took it over the right-field fence for a 3-run round tripper.
The homer gave the Demons a 4-1 lead, and they went on to win 4-2.
“It still feels good. I find myself thinking about it and putting myself back in that situation from time to time,” Crain said.
This year, Crain was selected a first-team all-district player. He said his key to success in baseball was staying focused and keeping his head in it.
This season, Southern posted a 20-23 record. The Jaguars’ reached the finals of the SWAC Tournament before falling to Texas Southern at Wesley Barrow Stadium in New Orleans. Crain, who had a 3.4 grade point average at Franklinton, is going to major in rehabilitation counseling.