SPRINGFIELD, Mo. –  Former Missouri State baseball standout Pierce Johnson became the 18th Bear to receive a call-up to the big leagues Wednesday when the world champion Chicago Cubs made the move official by promoting the right-handed reliever to their 25-man Major League roster.

Prior to his call up from Class AAA Iowa, Johnson posted a 2-0 mark to go along with a 3.21 earned run average with 21 strikeouts in 14.0 innings this season in Des Moines. Over his five-year professional career, he has made 73 starts and 99 total appearances, logging a 3.10 ERA, 405 strikeouts and a 28-19 cumulative record in 404.0 total innings.

Johnson was selected by the Cubs in the Comp Round of the 2012 MLB Draft with the 43rd overall pick after posting a dominant junior campaign for the Bears in which he set a Missouri State single-season strikeout record with 119 strikeouts. The Arvada, Colo., product helped MSU post a Division I-leading team ERA of 2.57 in 2012, anchoring a pitching staff that led the Bears to a postseason appearance in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional. 

Johnson also becomes the second Bear to receive a Major League promotion in the last 10 months after Buddy Baumann made his big league debut last July with the San Diego Padres. The 26-year-old is the 16th MSU player overall to reach the majors under current head coach Keith Guttin and the 12th pupil of Bears pitching coach Paul Evans to receive a big-league call-up.