Sept. 21, 2006

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst baseball coach Joe Spano has announced the hiring of former Major League player Mark Johnson as the new pitching coach for the Lakers.

Johnson served as a volunteer pitching coach with the Detroit Tigers organization in 2006. It was his first season as a coach after a nine-year professional career.

Selected by the Houston Astros with the 19th pick in the first round of the 1997 draft, he pitched one season in the Houston system before being dealt to the Florida Marlins in a trade that sent Moises Alou to Houston. He was traded again the following offseason, to the Yankees system in exchange for Mike Lowell.

Detroit selected him in the 1999 Rule V Draft and Johnson spent part of the 2000 season in the major leagues with the Tigers.

Johnson also pitched seasons in the Milwaukee and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations.

In nine minor league seasons, he logged 54 wins and fanned 680 batters while walking only 290 in 1,023.1 innings. He made nine major league appearances, all with Detroit, including three starts.

Among his notable professional accomplishments are being named the Most Valuable Pitcher on the Las Vegas 51s - the AAA affiliate of the Dodgers in 2004, making the 2001 AAA International League All-Star team and the Florida State All-Star team in 1997.

While at the University of Hawaii, he played for the United States National team in 1995 and was an alternate for the 1996 Olympics.

Johnson resides in Fairview, Pennsylvania.