Freshman Year 2024

Earned Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference honorable mention … Was twice selected as the KJCCC East Picher of the Week … Appeared in 15 games all as a starter … Finished with a 10-1 record with 80 strikeouts in 65 innings of work and an ERA of 4.57 … Has a 11.08 strikeout/9 ratio and a WHIP of 1.34 … His 80 strikeouts ranked seventh in the conference and his 10 wins tied for fourth … Made his debut as a starter against No. 9-ranked Crowder, and allowed just one hit, no runs with five strikeouts over three innings to earn the victory in a 4-2 win over the Roughriders (2-8-24) … Hurled five innings of perfect baseball and struck out four in an 8-0 win over Moberly Area (2-25-24) … Scattered five hits without allowing a run while strikeout out six batters in an eventual 14-6 win at Cloud County (3-2-24) … Was named the KJCCC Pitcher of the Week for week 5 following that performance  … Followed with a season-high 10 strikeouts while allowing two runs off six hits over six innings of work in a 7-2 win over Neosho County (3-10-24) … Has another perfect outing, along no hits or runs with six strikeouts over four innings in a 12-0 win over Baker JV (3-23-24) … Tossed six strong innings at Highland to improve to 6-0 on the season scattering four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 14-0 victory (3-30-24) … That effort earned him the KJCCC Pitcher of the Week for week 9 … Surrendered four runs off eight hits while mowing down nine batters in a 16-6 victory at Allen (4-13-24) … Picked up his 10^th victory over Barton in the Region 6/Plains District Tournament (5-17-24) … Allowed five runs off seven hits with eight strikeouts over season-high six and one-third innings pitched.

High School  

Was a three-year starter for coach Landon Figg at Lafayette County High School, Higginsville, Mo. … Graduated 2023 … Rated the No. 62 overall recruit in the state of Missouri and No. 22 right-handed pitcher in the state according to Perfect Game  … Selected Central Region All-High School Senior All-America honorable mention by Perfect Game as a senior … Was a two-time All-State selection and All-District selection and was named All-MRVC all three varsity seasons … Helped the Huskers win a conference title his senior year posting a 5-3 mark with 94 strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.94 on the hill, and a .286 average with 16 hits, four doubles, three triples, a home run, 20 runs and 17 RBI … As a junior was 8-1 on the hill with a school record 119 strikeouts in 57.2 pitched and an ERA of 0.61 … Also set the single-game strikeout mark with 16 that season … At the plate batted .273 with 18 hits, three doubles, a triple, 25 runs and 22 driven in … Closed out his career with a program record 282 strikeouts …  Played club ball for Yard Baseball Club … In the summer of 2023 played for the Mudcats … Also earned four varsity letters in basketball and three in football … Was an All-State selection his senior year in basketball, and was a three-time all-conference and all-district performer … Helped the team to a runner-up state finish as a junior and fourth place finish his senior year … Selected all-conference and all-district in football as a junior and senior … Helped the team win three straight conference and district titles … Academic All-State and All-Conference honors … National Honor Society member.

Personal  

Born Josiah Benjamin Golden on June 23, 2005, in Independence, Mo. … Nicknames are Goldie, Jo Gold and Royal G … Son of Phil and Beth Golden … Has four siblings, Taylor, Jordan, Ella and Anna … His sister Taylor, competes in track at William Jewell College and his sister Ella competes in track at State Fair Community College … Majoring in exercise science … Also recruited by Benedictine College, Crowder College, Highland Community College and Kansas City Kansas Community College … Favorite food is steak … Favorite fast food restaurant is Chipotle … Favorite restaurant is LABCo … Favorite TV shows are Suits and The Office … Favorite sports movies are the Rocky and Creed movies … Favorite actor is Kevin Hart … Favorite music entertainer is Cody Johnson … Favorite cartoon is Jerry … Favorite athlete is Travis Kelce … Favorite sports teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals … Greatest athletic moments were scoring 47 points in a game and strikeout out 16 batters in a six inning game.