NOLAN JOHNSON

 

Hello everybody, my name is Nolan Johnson and I am the founder of Backstop Catching. I made this program because catchers are incredible, the amount of responsibility we have throughout a game is unlike any other position. I wanted a way for teams, organizations or individuals to have a resource they could use while training and practicing. I also wanted it to be accessible anywhere, on your phone and or computer. I hope you enjoy the program and find it useful on your journey and career. Please reach out to me with any questions or ideas, I would love to hear them all.

 I played collegiately at Minnesota State, Mankato and cherished every minute I was there. We made it to the Dll World Series three years in a row and those are memories I will cherish forever. I was a part of some of the best teams in school history and also took part in some record-breaking performances. A good friend of mine and pitcher, Jason Hoppe broke the NCAA record in 2013 throwing 55 and 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings and I was lucky enough to catch all of those innings, it was and still is an incredible pitching accomplishment. I also got to catch multiple first team All-Americans and an NCAA pitcher of the year in Harvey Martin who founded The MindStrong Project and speaks in this program on breath and mindset. Going to back-to-back-to-back Dll world series alongside my good friends is something I still think about to this day and is something for everybody to work towards when in collegiate baseball.

I was lucky enough to be a part of a lot of great experiences in college, outside of Mankato I played in two great summer baseball leagues. The first was the West Coast League out in the Western Canada and the Washington State area and The Northwoods League in 2014 where I was a Duluth Husky and faced some amazing competition. The Northwoods League was also my first experience of playing baseball every day, it was a big change but deepened my love for the game.  If I can bestow any advice to young players, it would be to go and explore new opportunities. Go off on your own and if you have the opportunity to play somewhere unique then take that chance. You won’t regret it and the relationships you make will last forever, I still talk to teammates from every team I’ve played on to this day.

 After graduation I got the opportunity to play professionally in the American Association League. Professional baseball was something special, it was my job and I loved it. I played for the Sioux Falls Canaries and the Kansas City T-Bones. I got to travel the country meeting all types of people and playing in front of different crowds night after night. I’m a prime example that if you work hard enough and smart enough you can play the game for as long as you want. I’ve caught World Series Champions, NCAA D1 Champions and 100 mph throwers, catching will take you to all sorts of beautiful places in life.

 After my playing career I became the Catching Coordinator for Minnesota Mash Baseball in Eagan, MN and that’s where this program began to take shape. Working with youth and college athletes allowed me to understand catching on a deeper level and that’s when Backstop Catching began.  

 I made this program as an ode to catchers. A place for learning and advancement, a place that I could not find before. I hope everyone enjoys this program and that it brings value to catchers across the country. Thank you so much for being here and enjoy!

 

 

Nolan's Accomplishments

  • 2012-2015 starting catcher for Minnesota State University, Mankato.
  • 3 consecutive Division ll World Series appearances with a runner up finish in 2013.
  • MSU, Mankato Career leader in games played, total bases, at-bats, hits, doubles and defensive put outs.
  • Multiple Conference, Regional, and NCAA tournament gold glove awards.
  • Multiple All-American Honors with first Team honors in 2014.
  • Multiple All-Conference, All-Regional and All-Tournament teams.
  • Multiple Pre-Season All-American award honors.
  • Multiple team MVP awards.
  • 2015 Minnesota State University, Mankato Male Athlete of the Year recipient.
  • 2013 West Coast League All-Star while playing for the Kelowna Falcons.
  • 2014 Duluth Husky of the Northwoods League.
  • 2016 Played professionally for the Sioux Falls Canaries and Kansas City T-Bones.
  • 2017 Catching Coordinator at Minnesota Mash Baseball Club
  • 2020 Started Backstop Catching