#23, Left-Handed Pitcher, L/L

Maya Johnson

Belmont University '26

Hometown: Columbia Station, Ohio

Maya Johnson is a 6-foot-0 professional softball pitcher from Columbia Station, Ohio. She was acquired by the Oklahoma City Spark with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft following a collegiate career at Belmont.

Personal Life

Family: Daughter of Kristen and Ryan Johnson. Chose to wear No. 23 in honor of her brother.

Education & Career: Works as a registered nurse while trying to obtain her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Background: Has a cat named Bianca, rescued on the Belmont softball field. Lists Belmont coach Laura Matthews and travel coach Camille Hayes as major influences. Models her game after Danielle Lawrie and Monica Abbott. Earned a Bronze medal for Team USA at the World Kickboxing Championships as a child. Worked on a farm for three summers.

Professional Experience

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (2026)

2026 AUSL Regular Season: Third overall selection in the 2026 AUSL College Draft by the Oklahoma City Spark. She is the first mid-major player to receive an AUSL Golden Ticket.

College Experience: Belmont (2023–2026)

Career Statistics: Four-year letter winner who appeared in 122 games (100 starts) after redshirting as a freshman at Pittsburgh. Compiled a 79-20 career record with a 1.43 ERA, 1,186 strikeouts, 69 complete games, and 30 shutouts in 697.0 innings.

Senior Year (2026): Authored a 28-3 record with 31 complete games, 15 shutouts, and a 0.78 ERA. Struck out 397 batters in 215.2 innings and threw three no-hitters, including a 19-strikeout performance against Evansville.

Junior Year (2025): Logged a 24-6 record over 35 appearances (32 starts) with a 1.52 ERA and 366 strikeouts. Threw 23 complete games and posted 24 games with 10 or more strikeouts.

Sophomore Year (2024): Finished with a 16-5 record, a 1.49 ERA, and 216 strikeouts in 141.1 innings.

Redshirt Freshman Year (2023): Totaled 207 strikeouts with a 2.26 ERA. Set a career high with 22 strikeouts in a nine-inning effort against Evansville.

Awards & Honors

National Honors: 2026 Softball America Pitcher of the Year and a Top 10 Finalist for the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. One of four finalists for the 2026 Honda Sport Award for Softball.

All-America: Consensus First-Team All-America selection (NFCA, D1Softball, Softball America) as a senior, and NFCA First-Team All-America as a junior.

Conference & Region Honors: Two-time Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year (2025, 2026) and a three-time First-Team All-MVC selection. Three-time NFCA All-Region First Team honoree.

Academic: Two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

YEAR	W-L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	SO	LOB	BB	R	ER	HR	B/AVG	HB	CG	SHO	SV	B	S	WP
2026 AUSL	3-4	4.20	11	9	41.2	48	30	-	15	29	25	8	.289	5	1	-	-	275	461	2
Career Totals	3-4	4.20	11	9	41.2	48	30	-	15	29	25	8	.289	5	1	-	-	275	461	2

*The AUSL All-Star Cup was known as the Championship season through 2024.

DATE	HOME TEAM	AWAY TEAM	W-L	ERA	G	IP	H	SO	LOB	BB	R	ER	HR	B/AVG	HB	CG	SHO	SV	B	S	WP
7/9/2026	Spark	Talons	0-0	3.32	1	6.1	5	4	-	2	3	3	2	.227	-	-	-	-	38	67	-
7/4/2026	Spark	Cascade	1-0	1.75	1	4.0	4	3	-	1	1	1	1	.286	-	-	-	-	28	42	-
6/29/2026	Spark	Blaze	0-0	1.50	1	4.2	4	4	-	-	4	1	1	.211	2	-	-	-	29	61	-
6/28/2026	Spark	Bandits	0-1	35.00	1	1.0	6	-	-	1	5	5	-	.667	1	-	-	-	17	21	2
6/23/2026	Talons	Spark	0-1	6.00	1	2.1	2	3	-	2	2	2	-	.222	-	-	-	-	16	26	-
6/21/2026	Cascade	Spark	0-0	0.00	1	1.1	3	1	-	2	-	-	-	.600	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6/18/2026	Cascade	Spark	0-1	4.50	1	4.2	6	2	-	1	3	3	1	.316	1	-	-	-	39	52	-
6/16/2026	Bandits	Spark	0-1	4.20	1	5.0	9	4	-	1	3	3	2	.391	-	-	-	-	35	62	-
6/13/2026	Bandits	Spark	1-0	0.00	1	4.0	1	4	-	2	-	-	-	.077	-	-	-	-	25	44	-
6/11/2026	Spark	Volts	0-0	6.00	1	2.1	4	2	-	1	3	2	-	.364	-	-	-	-	15	31	-
6/9/2026	Spark	Volts	1-0	5.83	1	6.0	4	3	-	2	5	5	1	.182	1	1	-	-	33	55	-

*The AUSL All-Star Cup was known as the Championship season through 2024.

Highlights

What We Learned From Every AUSL Team’s First Series

The first series of the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) season is in the books! Whether you just hope all six teams have fun or you’re an early diehard for a particular franchise, it can be difficult to know what to glean in just the first series. But in a season that’s only 30 […]

5/26/2026Spark
Spark signed Maya Johnson as an amateur draft signing
5/4/2026Spark
Spark drafted Maya Johnson in the college draft: [Round 1, Pick 3 (3)]

DATE	TEAM	TRANSACTION
5/26/2026	Spark	Spark signed Maya Johnson as an amateur draft signing
5/4/2026	Spark	Spark drafted Maya Johnson in the college draft: [Round 1, Pick 3 (3)]