Logan Johnstone, earlier this week, announced that he is entering the college baseball transfer portal. For many Coug fans, this came with little surprise. 2025 was, in simple terms, a breakout year for the redshirt junior outfielder. At the plate and in the field, the second-year Coug proved himself an invaluable member of the squad. His departure will leave a deep gash in the WSU lineup.
First in OPS (1.010), first in hits (66), first in doubles (17), first in on-base percentage (0.439), first in slugging (0.571) and of course first in home runs with nine on the year. Johnstone was in a league of his own among Cougar hitters, providing much-needed power on a team that tends to play small ball.
In the field, he ended the year with a 0.973 fielding percentage, only committing three errors in 55 games played. All season, he flashed the leather, mainly in right field, but found himself moved to center halfway through the year after junior Max Hartman got injured. He adjusted well to his new position and was paramount in numerous Cougar wins.
Johnstone started his college baseball journey up north with Gonzaga, playing two years of baseball for the Zags. His first year gave him 20 games of action and he ended the season batting 0.273. Year two with the Bulldogs only featured him in four games total in the season. Finally, he came down south to WSU and in 2024 began developing into the player we saw in 2025.
Although he had a breakout year, he only batted 0.133 in four games against Gonzaga, driving in zero runs in the process.
Current replacements for Johnstone in the outfield could be the following:
Cole Watterson
Watterson started out the year as the Cougs’ starting center fielder, but after some hiccups at the plate was transitioned to a pinch runner late in ball games. The redshirt sophomore ended the year with six stolen bases, a 0.358 on-base percentage, a 0.212 average, and 14 hits through 41 games. He played flawless defense, recording zero errors in all 23 games that he started. With his speed, lockdown defense and developing bat, Watterson will undoubtedly be a viable candidate to replace Johnstone in the outfield.
Ricco Longo
Although the redshirt sophomore only got 37 games of action this season, he managed to post a 0.244 average with 30 hits and 18 RBIs. Longo was a true utility man, serving most games as the DH with the occasional start at second base or in left field. He only committed one error all year and came up clutch at the plate in numerous close games for the Cougs. Longo’s versatility makes him a useful component in filling the Johnstone void, and a breakout season next year may be in the cards for the Cougar utility man.
Ollie Obenour
Although the true freshman started out the year as the team’s starting second baseman, he also got some experience in the outfield. Coming off his mid-season injury in the series against San Jose State, he played the remainder of the year in the corner outfield position, bouncing back and forth between right and left field. In the outfield, he committed no errors, tracking down balls and locking down the air. His ability to play both second base and the outfield (similar to Longo) makes him a dual threat whose bat is vital to this Cougar lineup. Giving him the occasional start in right or left field may prove useful for this WSU squad.
Jonah Shull
With one year of college baseball left, the junior Jonah Shull may be a good fit for the corner outfield position. In 32 games played, he batted 0.270 with a 0.663 OPS and racked up 20 hits. Although he is listed as an infielder, he got several starts in left field during the season, allowing his bat to be shoehorned into the lineup. He played two years of junior college baseball at Everett Community College before transferring to WSU to play D1. With numerous talented infielders on the squad (namely Kyler Northrop, Jack Weise, Luke Thiele, Gavin Roy and Obenour) it seems that the outfield may be the best way to get Shull’s bat into the order.
Where Johnstone will end up transferring is currently unknown, but his bat will certainly be a top-tier pickup for any team that lands him in the offseason.
