The Battalion
TEXAS AGGIE BASEBALL 1990
Wednesday, February 7,1990 Sports Editor Richard Tijerina 845-26
Regrouping Aggies make pitch for 1990 season
l/Vedi
—
Johnson ready to lead No. 15
squad into question-filled year
By ALAN LEHMANN
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M hasn’t been hit this
hard by the draft since World War
II.
All eight starting position players
from last season are gone. Three of
the top five pitchers also have left.
Yet, baseball coach Mark Johnson
doesn’t think of the 1990 season,
which begins Friday at 3 p.m. when
the Aggies host the University of
Texas-Arlington, as a rebuilding
year.
“I don’t like to use the term ‘re
building,’” Johnson said. “I think we
(will) regroup. We had enough good
athletes on the bench last year that I
don’t think it’s going to be a total re
building year.”
The Aggies shared the conference
championship with Arkansas, but
won the Southwest Conference
Tournament. This year, the Aggies
again will have to contend with pere-
nial powerhouses Arkansas and
Texas. The Longhorns advanced to
the championship game of the Col
lege World Series before being
beaten by Wichita State last year.
After finishing last season ranked
in the Top 10, the Aggies start 1990
ranked No. 15 by ESPN/Collegiate
Baseball, and No. 24 by Baseball
America.
A&M was ranked No. 1 for 11
weeks last season. Obviously, John
son doesn’t want to judge this year’s
team by last year’s 58-7 squad.
But Johnson admits that in his 21
years of coaching, he’s never lost his
entire starting lineup. So, he relents
and uses the V word sometimes.
“You’d have to, by the layman’s
term, say this is a rebuilding year be
cause we’ve lost a whole lot of guys,”
Johnson said.
Still, he’s not bitter about losing so
many players — three of them ju
niors — to the Major League’s June
amateur draft.
“I don’t resent it or consider it a
disloyalty for a junior to sign,” John
son said. “That’s really their nego
tiating year. If they get a good draft,
that’s their chance to see if they can
get a pretty good bonus. The senior
year, you don’t have that opportuni-
ty ” . , ,
Each of the 11 Aggies drafted and
signed last year improved their draft
status after their career at A&M.
“It was a statement to us that guys
are getting better in our program,”
he said. “Anytime your program
reaches a level where the profes
sional teams are interested in your
talent, then it says that you’re bring
ing in some good players.”
Johnson has brought in 15 new
players this season to augment the
dozen returning. Six of the new re
cruits come from high school and
nine from junior colleges.
But Johnson isn’t panicking about
the lack of experience. Four of the
JUCO transfers come from 1989 na
tional champion San Jacinto, and
Johnson is confident that they have
enough experience to play at the
major-college level.
All four have won spots in the Ag
gie starting lineup. Outfielders Chad
Broussard and Dan Robinson will be
counted on for offensive power,
Johnson said.
Pitchers Jason Bullard and Rich
Robertson will join the Aggie pitch
ing staff.
Broussard put on a hitting display
last season, when he led the Gators
to the JUCO national title. He hit
.386 with 15 home runs and 71 RBI.
Robinson wasn’t a slouch either.
He hit .360 with 16 HRs and 83 RBI
Photo by Phelan M. Ebaite
Coach Mark Johnson (r) will lead his young Aggies into the new season, which starts Friday when they boat UTA.
last season, and holds the Gators’ ca
reer records for home runs, hits,
runs and RBI.
Bullard, who posted an 8-1 record
pitcl
Pitching Coach Jim Lawler said that
Bullard has a shot at the stopper’s
role left by the graduated Scott Cen-
tala.
Robertson, who has won a spot in
the Aggies’ starting rotation, had an
11-2 record last season at San Ja
cinto.
Of returning Aggies, only a ^
played major roles last year. Thtii H5 8 y
iee 1990/Page 9
Photo byjayjanner
Last year’s 58-7 squad jumps for joy after beating Arkansas to grab a share of the SWC championship.
Trying to get back to winning ways... l_
Ags in 1989 fill script 19
(Co,;
for storybook season k
of the
Is. H
By RICHARD TIJERINA
Of The Battalion Staff
58-7.
Texas A&M baseball coach Mark John
son will have his hands full trying to re
group from last year’s season, which saw
the Aggies ranked No. 1 for 11 weeks and
miss the College World Series by one game.
Eight position starters and one starting
pitcher are gone from last year’s talented
squad, and Johnson will be banking on big
contributions from junior college transfers,
and hoping last year’s reserves can step into
starting roles this year and perform well.
But it’s going to be a tall order for the
Aggies. After finishing last season ranked
No. 2 in Baseball America and No. 9 in
ESPN/Collegiate Baseball, the Aggies start
the 1990 season with a No. 24 ranking.
And a lot of memories.
And heroes.
John Byington, Chuck Knoblauch, Terry
Taylor, Mike Easley, Kirk Thompson,
Keith Langston and Scott Centala won’t be
back at Olsen Field in 1990, but they leave
behind a legacy this year’s team can cer
tainly look up to.
What a season 1989 was.
It ended in dramatic fashion. The Aggies
fell short in extra innings to miss their trip
to Omaha, Neb. for the College World Se
ries for the third year in a row.
Fitting in a way, for the Aggies seeming| gar
lived and died in late innings all seasonrui ,s
When the game was on the line, the Aggie Wh
always seemed to have someone comtttSn w
through with a clutch hit or outstandingdtwd w
fensive play to save the game. »yer
But on May 28, 1989, fate caught upwitlipurr
them. Bird!
Hosting the regional tournament, tilt jSop
Aggies were No. 1 in the nation and thetop i ?| gai
seed. In the tournament final, A&M haild| s >gn
two chances to defeat Louisiana State and I'j ru >
advance to the eight-team World Series. B 11 at
■ S()p
But in the first game, All-Ameliap l “ P
pitcher Ben McDonald tossed a lO-hitteriuP-- 1
a 13-5 Tigers win. The Aggies had lostonlvI 10 * 5
two games at home in 1989 before that, andifP ro
A&M players were confident their lucky y tc
streak would continue the next day in ^
final game. Rft ""
But their luck was to run out. P lnn
The next day’s game would extend inti)B '”l e
extra innings. But the Aggies, who had woe!* 1 tec
so many times earlier in the season in over# I
time, couldn’t pull the victory out when IP" a
counted the most against a talented LSI , 1 av '
team. |f n g
A&M lost, 5-4, in the 11th inning. B en
“We’ve been back so many times,” AMPfr 16
iBSwe
|ies
See Last Year/Page 11 | r ou
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