By DAN BISER

Winfred Johnson, who earned All-State honors at East Bladen High and First Team All-America honors at East Carolina University during the 1980s, has been named head baseball coach at Waccamaw Academy.

Johnson replaces Robbie Allen, who resigned this year after an 18-year stint with the Warriors that included 10 NCISAA 1A championships. The Warriors won state titles in each of Allen’s last four years at the Whiteville private school.

Johnson paced East Bladen High School to the 1982 state 3A baseball championship and he also had three strong seasons as a pitcher and hitter for the Whiteville Post 137 American Legion team.

Johnson still holds 18 individual baseball records at East Carolina University. In 1986, he became the only player in NCAA Division I history to hit 60 career home runs and pitch 30 wins. He finished with 70 career home runs and 35 mound victories, earning First Team All-America honors his senior season.

Johnson has previously coached middle school baseball in Bladen County and coached one season at Greensboro’s Ben L. Smith High School. He spent the past school year teaching at East Bladen High.

“I’m really looking forward to working with baseball program at Waccamaw Academy,” the 42-year-old Johnson said. “Robbie Allen has done a truly outstanding job of keeping the program at a very high level, and hopefully I can help to continue the tradition.”

WA athletic director Dennis Williamson said that he is “elated” that the school has been able to hire someone of Johnson’s calibre to the position.

“We feel very fortunate to be getting him as our baseball coach,” Williamson said. “He is very well known in the area and he will bring a lot of knowledge and leadership to our program.”