Alabama-bound C/UT Marlie Giles knew LSU-bound P/1B Alea Johnson was an elite pitcher, but she didn’t know she could hit too.
“She can absolutely crush the ball!” said Giles, #10 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100.
“In the summer of 2020 our (Birmingham) Thunderbolts (Premier) team went down to Florida for a tournament,” Giles said. “We ended up winning the tournament, but in one of the games Alea was pitching and she held them scoreless and we couldn’t score, so the score was 0-0. Coach Jay Roberson put Alea in to bat and she hit a solo home run to win us the game, 1-0. Alea is one of the most amazing people I have met and I am so thankful God put her in my life.”
The hitting is a bonus for Johnson, #7 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, who has excellent movement on her pitches and throws in the 65-mph range.
“The first time I met Alea I was a sophomore in high school,” Giles said. “It was my first season on the Bolts and I had never played very high class softball. When I came onto the team I did not know what to expect or how the girls would treat me. When I arrived, I was welcomed with open arms by every player on the team.”
“When I met Alea, she was one of the sweetest girls I think I had ever met. She helped me on and off the field. Then, I got to see her pitch and I was absolutely amazed. I had never caught a pitcher who threw the ball as smooth as she did or as hard. When she pitches, she makes it look so effortless.”
Oregon-committed IF/C Katie Flannery, #12 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100, is amazed by Johnson’s pitching abilities as well.
“The best thing I could say about Alea is that when she is 100 percent, she is the best pitcher in the 2022 class,” Flannery said. “She has battled a few injuries and had to come back from that but when she on, there is no other pitcher I would trust more than her.”
“As a person, Alea is very kind and caring. She’s one of my best friends on the team and is probably the most caring. She brings this to the team because she helps us as a team connect and have good team chemistry.”
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EXTRA STAR POWER Q&A
Name: ALEA JOHNSON
Hometown: Fairhope, AL
High School: Fairhope High
Club Team: Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 18
Graduation Year: 2022
Height: 5-foot-8
Position: Pitcher
Nickname: “A”
Twitter: @aleajohnson55
Honors: 7A Alabama Pitcher of the Year; 7A State Tournament Team; Alabama Super All-State; 7A All-State; 7A Coastal Player of the Year; and 7A All-County.
High School Career Stats: 62-7 record, 381 IP, 697 Ks, 0.61 ERA, 36 shutouts, 11 no-hitters and three perfect games.
Tell us about the Bolts organization and how you became involved with them…
I joined the Thunderbolts when I was in 10U. We had just played against them and they asked if I wanted to pick up with them for a few weekends. After picking up with them, they asked me to join the team. I’ve been with them ever since.
What were some of the training methods and workouts you did to stay busy during the stay-at-home orders because of the COVID situation?
My dad and I would go and work out together during this time. For the most part, I was able to maintain my regular pitching routine, which included spin, location and velocity drills.
*** Scroll down to learn more about Alea including her biggest fear off the field that once made her pass out, but now she’s working through it…
