Johnston brings special energy to Dean Stout Ballpark

Kofa's Duncan Johnston is quite the PA announcer

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The crack of the bat and the buzz of the crowd are constants at Kofa High School baseball games, but another element has become just as familiar: The voice echoing through Dean Stout Ballpark.

For years, that voice has belonged to Duncan Johnston, the longtime public address announcer who has helped shape the game-day atmosphere for the Kings.

Johnston's path to Kofa's microphone began after a lengthy coaching career. Following 28 years on the field, he found a new way to stay connected to the game.

"I talked to the coach, it was coach Leon, and said, 'Hey, do you want an announcer?' And he goes, 'Sure.' And then they got better facilities as time went on, and I kind of started at that point, a couple of years after I was done coaching, and been going ever since," Johnston said.

His inspiration dates back even further, to his childhood in Yuma, when Major League Baseball came to town for spring training.

The San Diego Padres used to do Spring Training at Desert Sun Stadium, where Johnston first became captivated by the role of the announcer.

"That's how I knew who the players were," Johnston said. "When I started doing it, I said, 'I want to be like that,' so that the guys playing, they get credit for what they're doing, and their parents hear their names and their friends hear their names, and that's kind of what I wanted to do."

That early influence helped shape Johnston's approach behind the microphone, one centered on recognition and clarity for players and fans alike.

Despite his current comfort on the mic, Johnston said public speaking didn't come naturally at first.

"Doing football gave me a lot of practice behind the mic because I was actually very shy when I was young. I would have never done it when I was younger," he said.

Over time, repetition built confidence. Now, with more than a decade announcing varsity baseball games and additional experience calling football, Johnston has become a fixture in Kofa athletics.

While fans may not always see him, his presence is unmistakable, announcing lineups, highlighting big plays and giving players their moment to be heard.

For Johnston, it's more than just reading names. It's about enhancing the experience and making sure every athlete gets recognition, something he first appreciated as a kid in the stands and now delivers from the press box.