COLLEGE STATION, TX -- The 5th ranked Texas A&M Baseball program began a new era Friday night with the renovation of Olsen Field. Following a 24 million dollar face lift spear headed by a 7 million dollar gift from Ed and Howard Kruse of Blue Bell Creameries the Aggie baseball team now plays at one of the finest college baseball facilities in the country.

From 1985 to 2005, Mark Johnson served as the Head Baseball Coach at Texas A&M where he directed the Aggies to two NCAA College World Series appearances and a record of 876 victories, 433 losses, and three ties.

He said he racked up tons of memories during his 21 seasons coaching the Aggies, but when pushed to pick two, he said the three 9th inning homeruns in back to back to back games against Texas back in 1989 would have to be one of them along with the 9th inning comeback against Clemson in the NCAA Super Regional played at Olsen Field back in 1999 that sent the Aggies to the College World Series that year.

Johnson won Southwest Conference championships in 1986, 1989, and 1993 and Big 12 league titles in 1998 and 1999. His teams competed in the NCAA playoffs 13 times, and reached the College World Series in 1993 and 1999.

Johnson was Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 1993 and United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year in 1999. He is a member of both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Texas Baseball Hall of Fames.

During Johnson's tenure at Texas A&M, 93 percent of the 272 baseball players who competed in the baseball program earned their college degrees.