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ACES IN THE HOLE: Johnson, Thissen have put on dominant performances for Iowa

By Chris Masse 6 min read

Six Little League World Series pitchers have produced 15 single-game strikeouts over the past 10 years.

Two are current Davenport, Iowa pitchers. And they compiled those numbers in consecutive Series starts. Their first Series starts, by the way.

Yup, one better believe the Davenport Northwest Little League features an embarrassment of pitching riches. Cooper Thissen and Anthony Johnson Jr. spent last weekend showing off those profits and pumping out K letters like they were coming off an assembly line.

Thissen and Johnson combined on a no-hitter against California; Thissen striking out 15. Two days later, Johnson started and threw 5 2/3 innings of one-hit baseball with 15 strikeouts before Kannon Kane closed by striking out the lone batter he faced in a 6-0 win against New Jersey.

"It's pretty amazing. These guys are true leaders of the team, and throw Kannon in the mix, too," Davenport manager Mark Erwin said. "I've seen these guys all year do this; these types of things, maybe not on the national level but I know they're capable. To actually see it and come through with these World Series teams and be effective is really surreal."

Forgive opponents if they think Thissen and Johnson are not real. The way they pitched those first two games, they seem like they jumped right off a movie screen.

Thissen was trying to keep it that way Wednesday when he pitched in the winner's bracket final against Nevada. That game concluded after deadline.

It's a team effort but Thissen and Johnson have been the engine powering the Davenport machine as Davenport joined 2021 South Dakota as the only Midwest teams in the 2000s to reach the U.S. field's final three.

During Davenport's first two wins, Thissen and Johnson allowed no runs and just one hit in 12 innings, while striking out 32. An even more impressive stat? The two lefties let California and New Jersey, teams which often mercy-ruled opponents this summer, put four balls in play.

"We knew we had a few national arms. These guys have been battle-tested. This is not new to them," Erwin said. "It's a new platform; a new level but they've pitched in a lot of big games and battled a lot of good hitters and found ways to get outs."

Thissen generated headlines entering the Series and already was ranked as one of the country's top youth players before pitching at Lamade Stadium. Thissen plays on a 12U national team and showed why against California, throwing 5 1/3 no-hit innings and striking out 15 against an opponent that scored 33 runs in three West Regional wins.

It was a sensational performance but it also was typical Thissen. Entering Wednesday’s game, he had not allowed an earned run this summer, striking out 70 in 27 1/3 innings. Only 12 outs Thissen recorded did not come via strikeout.

"Just knowing that my team is going to work to the standard and I'm going to be efficient and I'm going to get us through this game," Thissen said of his approach against California. "It was just dialing it in and throwing a lot of strikes and throwing a lot of off-speed and getting ahead of hitters."

Thissen reached his 85-pitchlimit with one out in the sixth and Davenport leading, 1-0. Johnson walked the first two batters he faced, loading the bases but then started introducing himself to the world.

In a huge way.

The strong lefty stayed cool under fire, generating consecutive strikeouts and clinching the 1-0 victory, as well as the no-hitter. Sunday, Johnson went from starter to reliever and Thissen behind the plate catching.

The two formed a tremendous battery and Johnson mowed throw New Jersey like a turbo-charged tractor. Johnson allowed just a third-inning infield single and two walks, fanning 15. Thissen and Johnson hit Nos. 1-2 in the lineup as well and Johnson was eager to duplicate what Thissen did against California when the latter also homered.

Mission accomplished.

Johnson was every bit as fantastic at the plate as he was on the mound, going 2 for 2 with a home run and four RBIs. His sixth inning home run landed well up on the hill beyond the right-center field fence and was one of the longest balls hit at Lamade Stadium in the last few years.

"I kind of felt like I had to match him," Johnson said. "I was kind of hoping to do a little better, but I'll take it. The home run felt amazing."

That is a good way to describe the way Johnson pitched against New Jersey. He struck out the side three times and collected multiple strikeouts in each inning. Johnson had shown his human side at the Midwest Regional, battling some control issues.

It looked like that might continue at the Series, but at the perfect time, Johnson put all his entire arsenal back together. Like Thissen, he throws hard, but these are both pitchers, not throwers. Johnson also mixed his pitches, located and kept New Jersey off-balance all afternoon.

"Their pitcher was lights out. The kid had a great change-up; great curveball," New Jersey manager Justin Smith said. He was hitting everything he had to hit. He was very good. Hat's off to him."

"In regionals, I didn't do the best," Johnson said. "So, coming into this tournament I was thinking of getting ahead in counts and getting outs. Once I get ahead, I have to try and finish the batter."

Thissen and Johnson have done so all year. Well, really since they first started pitching years ago. Kane has put up some video-game numbers as well when called upon this summer and Erwin said Davenport can go deeper as well.

Thus far, though, it has been Thissen and Johnson displaying their Big League form. Like Johnson, Thissen also has flourished offensively and was not retired in five plate appearances last weekend, going 2 for 2 with a home run, double and three walks.

Sunday, Johnson and Thissen helped steal the show on a day the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers watched them compete before playing in the Major League Classic. Who knows what the future holds, but it certainly is not hard imagining both someday swapping places if they continue their development.

Sunday, it was the Major Leaguers admiring what Thissen and Johnson can do. What a compliment, too.

"It felt great," Johnson said. "Knowing Major League players are going to be coming to the game you're pitching I was like I have to show out for these guys."

"We don't take it for granted. We know there are other people who are fans of us," Thissen said. "There are people taking photos and asking for autographs, and that's really cool."

That's good. Because Thissen and Johnson might have to get used to this celebrity status.

Starting at /week.