Spark Pitcher Maya Johnson Headed to Williamsport for Little League’s Girls with Game Experience

Oklahoma City Spark pitcher Maya Johnson will meet young players at Little League’s Girls with Game Experience this Saturday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The two-day event at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, home of the Little League Baseball World Series, runs Oct. 17-18.

Little League says Johnson will talk with clinic participants about playing professionally in the AUSL and share some of the mental lessons she has learned.

The weekend

Saturday’s clinic covers hitting, fielding and throwing, followed by two NCAA Division I exhibition games: Maryland vs. Virginia at 2 p.m. and Penn State vs. Army at 4:30 p.m. Sunday adds a pitching and catching clinic in the morning, new this year, then Bucknell vs. Mansfield at 1 p.m.

The clinics are for registered players. The college games are free and open to the public, and no ticket is needed. This is the fifth year Division I softball has come to Lamade Stadium for the event.

Johnson’s path

The mental side is what Johnson talks about most. She fought in kickboxing from age 5 into her mid-teens and won a bronze medal for Team USA at the World Kickboxing Championships in Quebec. She told the AUSL this summer that the experience shaped how she pitches.

“If there’s any ounce of doubt in your mind, hitters know,” she said.

Her road to the pros was not straight. She committed to Pittsburgh but was not medically cleared to play there, and has spoken openly about living with lupus, including chemotherapy before her final college season. She stayed at Belmont, became the first mid-major player to receive an AUSL Golden Ticket, and went No. 3 overall to the Spark in the 2026 AUSL College Draft.

In her rookie season she carried a big share of the Spark‘s innings. Head coach Amber Flores called her “a pro’s pro.” Johnson is also working toward a doctorate in nursing practice.