A Monster Returns: Preston Johnson to Start Opening Day 2026
The Mississippi Native Gets the Nod for the May 7 Season Opener Against Gateway

PEARL, Miss. (April 30, 2026) — The keys to the 2026 season are almost in the ignition. Preston Johnson will be the one to turn the engine over. The 2021 national champion has Mississippi coursing through his veins as he once again gets the task of representing the Magnolia State.

 A former Mississippi State and Hinds Community College Bulldog, Johnson was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft and spent the past four years in the organization. The right-hander pitched across multiple levels before making his way into the Mud Monsters’ starting rotation.

“Preston has succeeded at the highest levels of minor league baseball,” said Mud Monsters skipper Jay Pecci. “He’s excited about this team, and he has the mindset to continually improve.”

Primarily utilized as a reliever since beginning his professional career, the Crystal Springs native brings 104.2 innings pitched in which he picked up 132 strikeouts across 52 minor league games. Now set to return to a starting role, the righty is set to make his most starts since his 2022 senior season, when he started 13 games for Mississippi State.

Before his collegiate career, Johnson spent four years at Copiah Academy, earning All-MAIS First Team honors twice, being named MAIS MVP, and receiving MAIS Pitcher of the Year recognition.

 “You don’t meet a lot of guys who’ve pitched at the Triple-A and Double-A levels. It’s different,” said pitching coach Kurt Takahashi. “He’s definitely a veteran and definitely one to watch.”

The last time Johnson threw a first pitch at Trustmark Park, it was ceremonial as a representative of the 2021 Bulldogs. This time, it starts the 2026 Mud Monsters story.

The Mud Monsters open the 2026 season at Trustmark Park on Thursday, May 7 against the Gateway Grizzlies. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. as professional baseball returns to Pearl.

About the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.

The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.