Since Rob Childress arrived at Texas A&M in the summer of 2005 he's had a fan in former Aggie baseball coach Mark Johnson.
Johnson has demonstrated his alliance to Childress, the man who replaced him, and to the Texas A&M program once again this postseason, which has been the most successful since Johnson took the Aggies to the 1999 College World Series. It was Johnson's second CWS appearance and the Aggies' fourth.
"I think the most special [person], who has been rooting us on the whole way throughout the postseason, is coach Mark Johnson," Childress on Thursday. "He's been a good friend of mine and I know everything he's said to me has been sincere and from the heart."
The latest message Childress received was congratulating him and the Aggies on their Super Regional series victory at Florida State and a berth in the CWS, which will begin this weekend at the new TD Ameritrade Park.
"It's just an honor to have him as a friend and a fan," Childress said. "I've heard from him after every weekend for the last month. Whether it's been a text or a phone call, it's been very much appreciated."
Johnson coached A&M for 21 seasons, finishing as the winningest coach in A&M history at 876-431-3, before being dismissed after a 30-25-1 season by director of athletics Bill Byrne.
A&M (47-20) was back at Olsen Field for a workout on Wednesday morning, 24 hours after making it back from Florida where on Monday night the Aggies won the deciding game of the best-of-3 series, 11-2. A&M was the lone team headed to Omaha that won on the road.
Ironically, it's feasible Johnson and his Sam Houston State Bearkats were a big reason A&M did not host a super regional, defeating A&M, a bubble team for a national seed, in a late-season Tuesday game at Olsen Field.
Johnson was honored that night before the game and had his No. 7 jersey unveiled on the right-field fence, on the opposite side of the field from longtime Aggie coach Tom Chandler.
Johnson, in the last of his five seasons with the Bearkats, picked up his lone victory over the Aggies in four attempts, winning 8-5 in 12 innings.
Since taking over for Johnson, Childress has a 246-133-2 record, and is 15-12 in NCAA tournament games, making it to the CWS in his third super regional showing.
"I just feel truly blessed to be at Texas A&M," Childress said. "This is where I want to be and when I was hired here by Bill it was to put a team together that had a chance to go to Omaha each and every year. It's really not a surprise to be doing what we are doing now. It's took six years but I'm glad we are going to Omaha, taking Texas A&M there."
A&M will face the defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks in its opening game, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday.
"Well, it certainly is [a challenge]," Childress said. "At this time of year, with only eight teams left playing, everyone is going to be extremely talented. They are no stranger to Omaha. Coach [Ray] Tanner has done an amazing job and we'll have our hands full with South Carolina. But I don't think there is an easy draw once you're playing this time of year."
Tanner, who will be taking his fifth team to the CWS in 15 years, was the first to win six straight games for the title after losing the first game of the CWS.
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