Texas A&M baseball coach Mark Johnson isn’t sure what kind of team the Aggies will field in 1998.

After all, three of his top pitchers are coming off arm surgeries in the offseason. Seven junior college transfers and one senior transfer from the University of Texas, of all places, will make up one fourth of the roster.

But the 14th-year A&M coach does know his team will begin the season under the realm of realism, not consumed by the burden of outlandish expectations.

Prior to last season, the Aggies were ranked eighth in one preseason poll, based primarily on the fact the Aggies signed arguably the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.

Optimism for a first Big 12 title was high among fans, and even thoughts of Omaha were beginning to surface. But A&M struggled early in the conference season, dropping to 2-4 after two straight home losses to Oklahoma State.

And even though A&M recovered to finish third in the Big 12 and took two of three from No. 2-ranked Texas Tech, early exits in the conference tournament and NCAA regionals left the Aggies having to answer more about the disappointment of the season instead of reveling in a rebounding year after missing the postseason altogether in 1996.

Johnson said he should have deflected the hype more forcefully in the preseason.

"People put so much pressure on us because we were ranked eighth to begin the season," Johnson said on a cold January day just days before preseason practices began at Olsen Field. "With the team we had last year, to come in third was big for us. And we had a No. 3 seed in the regionals.

"The whole thing reflects back to being ranked No. 8 in the nation going in. There was no reason for that, and I couldn’t make the public statement. I was flabbergasted that we were ranked eighth. I’ve never had that happen before where I thought (the ranking) was completely off. But it hurt our team, and it hurt me personally."

Johnson received numerous letters and phone calls about the so-called underachieving Aggies, which finished with a 39-22 record and ranked in the top 25 of most polls. Two losses to out-manned Texas didn’t help his cause, as did lackluster offensive performances in the postseason. A&M scored just two runs total in two games against Stanford and Fresno State, losing the first two games of a regional tournament for the first time under Johnson.

"I could handle (the criticism), but I thought it was unfair to the kids," Johnson said. "As freshmen, (the pollsters) expected us to move from 49th (in 1996) to eighth. I don’t know how that came about. I should have made the comment then and taken the pressure off our kids. I didn’t because I didn’t want to lower their standards."

This season, the expectations nationally for the Aggies are apparently on target. One poll had the Aggies ranked 24th, with Oklahoma State expected to win the Big 12 championship in 1998.

If A&M is to live up to its ranking and contend for the postseason, the Aggie pitchers must stay out of the training room.

Last year, ace Ryan Rupe missed most of the season with a blocked vein in his throwing arm, requiring him to undergo surgery that ultimately led to him having a rib removed.

Junior Shane King missed the entire season and underwent Tommy John surgery, while promising sophomore Chris Fulbright hurt his pitching arm in the summer and also had to have surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow.

All three did not throw actively in the fall and won’t be tested until the season gets under way in February.

"All indications in the bullpen are that they are going to be all right," Johnson said. "If they’re all right, then we have a chance. They’re not our only three pitchers, but they will make a difference. Obviously, Ryan Rupe was our Friday night pitcher."

Johnson was looking for someone to make a difference in the program this spring after a mild-mannered group took the field a year ago. He searched the junior college ranks for some spark plugs, landing seven players, including four from talent-rich California.

The junior college route has been made popular by the success of schools like Texas Tech, although don’t look for A&M to fall into the academic abyss that has beset the Red Raiders. But, make no mistake about, Tech players carry an attitude into each game, and Johnson said he would like to see the Aggies saunter in much the same way.

"There’s quite a few teams who have had success with them,"

Johnson said. "That’s not going to be the cornerstone of our program. But I felt like we needed to change the personality of the team and bring in some flavor. All of our guys last year were very quality guys, but had no flamboyant personalities that would add a little pizzazz to our approach. They didn’t have that inner strength confidence-wise."

If anything, Johnson would like to see some punch at the plate. The Aggies were stifled by quality pitching in the West Regional, most notably succumbing to Fresno State and All-American pitcher Jeff Weaver.

But the hitting trend — or lack thereof — was ever-present throughout the season. A&M batters hit .323 for the year, but no batter hit more than 15 home runs. The big bats of former players like John Curl and Chad Alexander were obviously missed.

"That’s the charge this year," added Johnson. "We’ll be challenged offensively to see if we can pick it up. We hit over .300, and traditionally we’re a pretty good offensive team at Texas A&M. Some guys didn’t have great banner years. We didn’t get it going."

Part of the reason for A&M’s shortcomings at the plate was the fact the Aggies featured more right-handers in the lineup than any coach would like. Thus, Johnson’s recruiting mandate was to find more left-hander hitters who could keep the nasty right-hander’s slider at bay.

Junior college transfer Craig Kusmic of La Quinta, Calif. (Cypress Junior College) was the co-MVP of the JUCO ranks in California, while Eric Sobec from Irvine was a top hitter for Rancho Junior College.

"We were able to seek some outstanding (JC players)," Johnson said. "They’re good. We have a little bit of power, but we don’t have a John Curl type of guy. We have a few more guys who can run better than that group."

Usually, Johnson feels fairly confident about his players at the plate and a bit anxious about his pitching staff. This season, even though some of his premier pitchers have been injured, he senses a deeper and more dangerous pitching staff in ’98.

Sophomore Casey Fossum is back after an up-and-down freshman season that saw him lead the team in strikeouts, but he also carried a 7.74 earned-run average.

"Casey Fossum, of course, will be a key guy," Johnson added. "He’s got some special pitches. He could be a starter for us."

Only four starters return as everyday players, but the Aggies possess perhaps the nation’s top leadoff hitter in junior Jason Tyner

A co-captain of the team, Tyner likely will be a first-round pick in June’s major league draft. His speed to the bag and .356 batting average make him the ideal college baseball player.

"Tyner would be our (star)," Johnson said of the MVP of the USA Baseball summer program. "He’s the best leadoff hitter I’ve ever had. He is a big-time player. He’ll probably make a difference in the outcome of quite a few games."

Tyner will handle center field duties, while sophomore Steven Truitt (.336) will return and start in left field. True freshman Daylan Holt of Mesquite has been penciled in at right field, impressing the A&M coaches with his gun for an arm and ability to drive the long ball.

"He’s going to get beat early on," Johnson said. "But I thought all along he was one of our prime recruits and he would get a chance to play."

The Aggies appeared to have a star in the make a year ago in the outfield as true freshmen Will Gray was impressive until a torn knee ligament sidelined him for the year.

Unfortunately, Gray’s recovery has been slow. He was still limping through December conditioning drills, and his status for 1998 remains in question.

In the infield, the Aggies are experienced at first base where junior and two-year letterman John Scheschuk returns, along with sophomore Patrick Malone.

Sean Heaney will occupy second base, while a battle at third base will ensue between Sobek, Kuzmic and perhaps junior college transfer Ken Sundstrom of Golden West College in California.

"I want Sobek and Kuzmic in the lineup as much as possible," Johnson says.

Rich Petru’s backup at shortstop last season, Steve Scarborough, will move into the starter’s role. Scarborough’s strong arm also will keep him in the pitching rotation again this spring.

The catcher’s spot will go to reliable senior Scott Sandusky, whom Johnson calls one of the "above-average" catchers in college baseball.

Defensively, the Aggies were solid in 1997 with a fielding percentage of .964, committing just 41 errors. The defense and speed around the base paths will be evident this season, but Johnson must hope for more run production and consistency from his pitchers if the Aggies can push for a Big 12 title.

"We came in third, which I wasn’t embarrassed by," Johnson added. "I was disappointed in our regional play. From a hitting standpoint, I was very disappointed. But I was very pleased with our pitching.

"I’ll be disappointed if we don’t contend and we’re not a factor (in the Big 12)."

In the conference race, OSU and Texas Tech likely will be favored to win the regular season, with A&M and Baylor in contention.

At Texas, second-year coach Augie Garrido cleaned house and basically has a brand-new baseball team in Austin. The Longhorns signed perhaps the nation’s top recruiting class last year, but begin the season unranked.

"Texas will be young," Johnson said. "They’ll be all right. I don’t think they’ll be as bad as some people might think."