Bob Johnston ranks among the stingiest pitchers in IUP history. Only rarely did opponents score when he was on the mound.
When Johnston wrapped up his career in 1968, he had compiled a 1.41 earned run average, still the program’s—and the PSAC’s—second-lowest figure. What’s more, four of the top 16 single-season ERAs belong to Johnston.
His 0.67 ERA as a freshman in 1965 has been bettered only twice in school history. A year later, Johnston posted a 1.54 ERA as coach Owen Dougherty’s Indians, as they were then known, finished 16-5 to set a program record for most wins.
IUP captured NAIA District 18 championships each of the next two seasons, with Johnston playing an integral role. He compiled a 1.46 ERA for a 16-10 team in 1967 and a 1.65 figure in 1968 for the 16-8 Indians.
Johnston won seven games in 1967—tied for the 10th best single-season total in IUP history—and added five more victories in 1968. He beat Penn State 3-2 that year with a complete-game five-hitter and later handcuffed Shippensburg 1-0 on a one-hitter two days after tossing a two-hitter in a win over Point Park.
The Indians went 62-32 in Johnston’s four seasons in uniform. Despite the limited schedules IUP teams played back then, his 17 career victories are good for a seventh-place tie all time and his 200 strikeouts rank fifth.
Johnston signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after concluding his IUP career. He pitched for Gastonia of the Class A Western Carolinas League and Salem of the Class A Carolina League for three seasons, compiling a sparkling 12-1 record, mostly as a reliever.
A 1972 IUP graduate with a degree in education, Johnston worked as a senior vice president for Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C., before retiring. He and his wife, Judy, have two adult children, Jill Boyette and Scott Johnston, and four granddaughters. The Johnstons reside in Mint Hill, N.C.
Personal Reflection:
I am extremely grateful to IUP for being selected to the Hall of Fame and want to thank the selection committee for choosing me for this honor.
When I look back on my sports and professional careers, I can attribute much of my success to lessons I learned at IUP and the teammates and coaches who had such an influence on my life. My wife of 56 years, Judy, and I sometimes reflect on how baseball has impacted our lives from high school to playing professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirate organization.
I was fortunate to grow up in an avid sports town like Altoona in the 1960s. Whether it was football, basketball or baseball, the community was always supportive. I played with several IUP teammates in Altoona … Tom Briggle and Rich Dahlgren in the summer leagues and Ben Bruns beginning in Little League. Thanks to the many coaches and teammates that helped me improve and mature as a player.
A special thank you to my IUP teammates who were, and still are, my closest friends. It was a unique blend of talent and personalities led by our coach, Owen Dougherty. Doc was more than just a coach. He had the ability to bring out the best in you and think about “team first” and not individual success. There is no one that has had more of an influence on my sports and professional life than Owen “Doc” Dougherty.
Thank you IUP and congratulations to all the other inductees.
