SPOKANE, Wash. --- It's no wonder Johnny Sage has a deep respect for his ties to the baseball community in the Northwest. The coaches and teams he's worked with put him in a position to succeed. 

The Spokane, Washington-native developed a strong character through the sport in his formative years, one that has paid dividends in a number of impressive accomplishments at stops like Yakima Valley College and Purdue University. But now Sage's determination is carrying him beyond an undergraduate degree. He will begin a MBA at Biola this fall and use his final year of athletic eligibility to work with coaches who value hard work as much as he does. 

"I choose Biola because the coaching staff is second to none. They are Northwest guys that love that game and want it played the right way," said Sage. "I couldn't be more excited to get to know the players, community and faculty at this amazing university."

Sage will come to Eagles Diamond after being a fixture in Purdue's lineup. He was the Boilermaker's starting right fielder in 2019 and 2020 and collected base hits in 11 of his first 13 games in a Purdue uniform. All told, Sage started 31 times during his full season in West Lafayette and earned back-to-back Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2019 and 2020.

The outfielder was also a force at the plate in 2018 while playing for the Yakima Valley Yaks. Sage earned Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors and recognition as an NJCAA First Team All-American in the same season after hitting .386 with 70 RBI's, 56 runs scored and 29 extra-base hits. That massive amount of production helped the Yaks go 30-6 at home and win a total of 44 games as they advanced into the NWAC Tournament Championship game. And it was obviously one of the major draws for Head Coach Jeff Calhoon and the Eagles. 

"Johnny is another grad transfer that we believe will make an impact on our athletic department culture from day one. He brings a high-level, left-handed bat to our lineup and work-ethic that fits into our program perfectly," said Calhoon. "We are fired up to get Johnny on campus in the fall and rolling with our program."

Sage is the third YVC-alum in Biola Baseball's recruiting class and will be one of two grad transfers on the 2021 roster who will pursue a master's in business administration. He hopes his time at Biola will prepare him for a career in professional baseball and also aspires to be a financial advisor. 

In the meantime, Johnny Sage will look to contribute to an Eagles team that has legitimate hopes for a run at an NCAA West Regional Berth next season. More information on the incoming 2020-21 class that will join him at Biola can be found on the Committed Athletes page.