robert.cessna@theeagle.com
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It’s always a fun night at Olsen Field, but Tuesday is gonna be special.
No. 7 is coming home.
It’s gonna be great to see Mark Johnson, it’s just gonna be strange to see him in the first-base dugout, coaching the visiting Sam Houston State Bearkats.
Johnson always will be remembered as A&M’s coach after spending 23 years with the Aggies, the last 21 as head coach. He’s so revered around here just not for winning, which he certainly did, but for who he is, and the way he ran the program.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes gave Johnson the FCA Baseball/Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award two years ago. Johnson also was the first recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association “Ethics in Coaching” Award, which speaks volumes for Johnson’s character.
Johnson had 92 percent of his 272 players at A&M earn their collegiate degrees, which is incredible considering how many players leave early to enter the draft.
All this, and he won. He was 876-433-3 at A&M, making two College World Series appearances.
Johnson has continued his winning ways in Huntsville, leading the Bearkats to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. He is 106-68 at SHSU.
The end results are impressive, but knowing the way Sam Houston achieved them under Johnson is what’s really impressive.
SHSU (29-19, 15-12 in the Southland Conference, tied for fourth) is having another solid season. The Bearkats have beaten Baylor and Rice, and knocked off Houston twice.
Tuesday night’s game, though, isn’t just about winning and losing. And it’s not a political battle, so there’s no need to debate why A&M athletics director Bill Byrne fired Johnson and hired A&M coach Rob Childress, who has been a great hire.
It’s a nonconference baseball game between two longtime rivals, who are tuning up for what they hope are bigger things.
But it’s also about a man returning to where he spent every minute of 23 years trying to make that program and everyone connected with it the best they could be. He also touched several people who will be in the stands, some professionally, some socially, but always putting his best foot forward.
It should be a great Tuesday, then again, there were thousands of special days when No. 7 was in charge.
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