Marc Johnson knows there’s no crying in baseball. Not quite yet, anyway.
In his 52nd and final season as the Cherry Creek head coach, Johnson leads the Bruins into the Class 5A state tournament this weekend. With Cherry Creek again a favorite, he’s not letting the finality of his run as Colorado’s all-time winningest coach sink in as he goes for his ninth championship in his 23rd state tournament appearance.
“I haven’t allowed that emotion to enter my mind, and the reason is because we have a job at hand,” Johnson said. “This is not easy. This is hard, and if we really want it, it’s on the other side of hard. Anybody can beat anybody at the state tournament.
“When it’s over, I’m going to have some tears and some feelings about leaving the game that I love. I’d like to think I’m not leaving it totally. I’m going to have a chance to be a fan, and I’ve already had some offers from some people who say if I get bored, I could come be a bench coach.”
The Bruins take on Chaparral on Friday at 9:30 a.m. at All-Star Park in Lakewood. Johnson, 79, announced his upcoming retirement last October, and his final season has been filled with displays of gratitude.
Regis Jesuit gifted Johnson a rocking chair. Arapahoe gave him a quilted blanket made by the Arapaho tribe. Then there was the clock from Smoky Hill, the engraved fungo from Legend, and the proclamation from Gov. Jared Polis organized by Cherokee Trail. And within his own program, the Bruins retired Johnson’s No. 1 and hung a banner for him on the fence in right field.
Along the way, Cherry Creek (20-4-1, Centennial League champions) consistently looked the part of one of the best teams in the state, and the Bruins enter Friday on a 14-game win streak. Their last loss came on April 10 to Mountain Vista, a team they beat soundly 10-0 in the regional title game.
“The respect that has been shown to me has been humbling, to say the least,” Johnson said. “I’ve had coaches from all over the country call me, including people who I’ve competed against in summer ball over the years. In my head all along (the farewell tour) I’m thinking, ‘Gosh, I’m not all that by any means.’”
Well, “Coach J Bird,” the state respectfully disagrees.
Matt Darr, who helms rival Regis Jesuit and is another Class 5A title contender, believes it’s only fitting that Johnson and the Bruins made their way back to the state tournament as part of his last hurrah.
“Cherry Creek baseball has been synonymous with the state tournament, and the best program in the state at the 5A level historically,” Darr said. “It’s cool that he’s here one last time. … No matter what, it’s going to be weird without him as a part of the Colorado baseball community. He’s been an omnipresent force.”
In addition to Johnson’s eight titles, his Bruins have also been runners-up six times, including twice to Regis Jesuit in 2011 and ’19.
Johnson, who’s had just two losing seasons coaching the Bruins en route to his current 866 win total, emphasized that he and his staff “are not chasing championships. We’re chasing influence on young men.”
But he also admitted some of his seasons that fell just short of a ring have stuck with him, most notably Cherry Creek’s runner-up finish in 1984. The Bruins were one out from winning the AAA title, but a grounder hit a rock in the infield, causing the ball to careen over the third baseman’s head as two runs scored and Pueblo South won 9-8.
“That was a walk-off rock, as I like to call it,” Johnson recalled with a chuckle. “But that just shows, anything can happen at the state tournament. I feel like we’re mentally prepared for this weekend, but I’ve done this so many times, I know it can turn on a dime.”
If last weekend’s regional round is any indication, seeds and program prestige can be thrown out the window on Friday. Four of the regional hosts lost, including three in the opening game of the single-elimination tournaments in Fossil Ridge, Castle View and Rock Canyon. Defending champion Valor Christian was also knocked out in its first game.
So even though the squads of Johnson and Darr may be the favorites on paper, the tournament will be wide open.
“There were a number of upsets in regionals, but that’s also representative of the fact there’s a lot of balance in Class 5A baseball right now,” Darr said. “You don’t have the same traditional powers every year at state, and that’s a good thing for the sport.”
Meanwhile, the Bruins are about to enter a new era, with the announcement of the next head coach imminent. Cherry Creek associate head coach Joe Smith is the obvious internal candidate as Johnson’s assistant for the past 12 years, or it’s possible the school goes with an external hire.
Five storylines to watch in Class 5A state tourney
Besides Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit, here’s what else to watch for on big-school baseball’s biggest stage.
Prairie View’s ace tandem
The Thunderhawks are led by a tandem of aces in junior southpaw Favi Gaeta (10-2 in 12 games, 1.33 ERA) and junior right-hander Jerry Stone (8-0 in 12 games, 2.00 ERA). Anytime you’ve got two top-tier arms, you’re dangerous at the tourney.
Lowest-seeded team left
No. 19 Horizon is playing with house money after upsetting its way through the Region 3 bracket. The Hawks knocked off Arvada West 9-2, then Monarch 4-2. Horizon is headlined by senior outfielder Austen Ernberger and senior right-hander Austin Petersen.
Familiar Centennial forces
In addition to Cherry Creek, a couple other Centennial League teams are alive in No. 11 Cherokee Trail and No. 16 Grandview. The Cougars were state runners-up last year and are led by senior outfielder Akoi Burton; the Wolves feature two-way junior Jax Pfister.
The Chaparral grit
The Wolverines won a pair of close games over Rocky Mountain (5-3) and Fruita Monument (9-8) to get to state, where coach Alan DiGiosio’s team will be a tough out. Chaparral features sophomore right-hander Carson Munroe, who has a 3.55 ERA in 15 games.
Fort Collins factor
The Lambkins were runner-up to the Bruins in the 1997 state title, and haven’t been to that game since. But Fort Collins has the firepower for a deep run behind senior Sean Togher, a Cal Baptist commit hitting .516 with four homers, and is 8-1 on the mound.
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