FINISH THE JOB...the movie

I'm not even going to go into detail on this past weekend. We lost two games in a series with mid-major Gardner-Webb, the series finale of which was cancelled due to a "controversy" (I'll leave it at that). However, we have two mid-week games at home against Fairfield and Albany coming up before we head up to Worcester, MA to take on Holy Cross and Albany again. With a 5-8 record, we can only get better.

Now, about this movie. Back in January, I was tasked with making a "hype up" video for the team by our pitching coach, Scott Brown. I ended up pending four weeks making this epic eight-and-a-half minute movie with St. John's baseball clips combined with great momemts in sports history and motivational scenes from sports movies, as well as one from 300 (SPARTANS!!!). However, the video was a litte too over the top. Eight-and-a-half minutes is too long of a period of time to sit down and watch something without a plot. I was asked by Karli Hausman, the Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing/Promotions, to make a much shorter version so it can be played on the video board before games. The video above is what I came up with. Here is the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEIGcNaMNkQ. Check it out.

St. John’s falls below .500 with 8-1 loss to #14 North Carolina

North Carolina is clearly the best all-around team we have faced thus far. A combination of a lefty-loaded lineup, solid defense, and power arms is what makes the Tar Heels the #14 team in the nation. The most impressive thing about North Carolina, however, is their facility. Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium is equal to the quality of some of the nicest AAA ballparks out there. It is easily the nicest facilty I have ever visited with the purpose to work. Below is a picture of Bryson Field and a recap of our 8-1 loss to the Tar Heels. With another setback, we are now 2-3 on this Spring Break roadtrip and 5-6 on the season. Next up is a three-game set against Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, NC (another school in the middle-of-nowhere).

St. John’s falls below .500 with 8-1 loss to #14 North Carolina

The Red Storm grabbed an early lead in second inning, but the Tar Heels quickly responded, shutting out St. John’s over the remainder of the game.

            Chapel Hill, N.C. – North Carolina starting pitcher Cody Stiles tossed 7.0 innings of one-run ball and allowed just five base runners. Stiles retired twelve Red Storm batters in a row, a streak that lasted from the third inning up until the seventh. Paul Karmas scored the lone run for St. John’s on a single by Jeremy Baltz in the second inning. Karmas went 1-for-2 with two walks and a double and was the only hitter to reach base more than once for St. John’s (5-6). Kevin Kilpatrick (0-2) made his first start of the season, but did not fare well, getting tagged for seven runs on five hits and four walks in 3.1 innings of work. All but one batter in North Carolina’s starting lineup reached base. Jacob Stallings homered and contributed two RBI while Ben Bunting drove in three. Greg Holt started the game at DH and was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, but also came into pitch, tossing 0.2 scoreless innings.

            Kilpatrick looked sharp in the first inning, striking out Bunting and Levi Michael – North Carolina’s three-hitter – and induced an inning-ending fly out to strand a runner at first.

            Karmas led off the second inning with a double that struck the leftfield wall on-the-fly. He promptly came around to score the first run of the game on a single by Baltz through the right side. However, Stiles recovered immediately, inducing a fielder’s choice, a strike out, and a groundout to end the threat.

            After a lead-off walk in the bottom of the frame, a single to left field was misplayed by Baltz, putting two Tar Heels in scoring position. Holt then singled to tie the ballgame and give North Carolina runners on the corners. An ensuing walk loaded the bases and Bunting’s sac-fly to right field gave the Tar Heels the lead.

            St. John’s stranded a runner in the top of the third and Stallings made them pay for it by hitting a solo-home run during the next half inning.

            North Carolina tacked onto their lead with a four-run rally in the fourth inning. Kilpatrick plunked the lead-off hitter, gave up a single to Holt, and then hit another batter to load the bases. Bunting’s second sac-fly of the game and Tommy Coyle’s ensuing single gave the Tar Heels a 5-1 lead. After Kilpatrick walked the next batter to load the bases again, he was lifted in favor of Stephen Rivera. Rivera promptly induced a fly ball, but it was deep enough to score another run. Rivera then walked the bases full and let loose a wild pitch to allow another run. A groundout ended the inning, but not before the Tar Heels surmounted a 7-1 lead.

            North Carolina scored their eighth and final run of the game the next inning. With two outs in the fifth, pinch-hitter Seth Baldwin doubled down the right field line and then came around to score on a single by Bunting.

            St. John’s went down 1-2-3 in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, but a walk drawn by Karmas ended the drought. Sean O’Hare then hit a two-out single to move Karmas over to second, giving the Red Storm their first runner in scoring position since the second inning. However, Stiles induced a strikeout to end the threat.

            Relievers Eddie Medina and Matt Carasiti shutout the Tar Heels over the final three innings, but St. John’s could not put anyone in scoring position, managing only two base runners the rest of the way.

            St. John’s travels to Boiling Springs, N.C. to play Gardner-Webb in a three-game set beginning on Mar 11 at 6 p.m.




Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium

 

Ninth Inning Push Not Enough for St. John’s, lose to UNC-Greensboro, 9-7

Quite frankly, UNC-Greensboro is an average team at best. Their pitchers, including their closer, were nothing special. The game was lost after we fell behind early and our bats stranded runners in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings and went down 1-2-3 in the eighth. The energy was non-existant in the dugout until the ninth inning when we looked to show UNCG who the better team was. However, our five runs were not enough to force extra innings and we lost 9-7. Today, we square off against #14 North Carolina. As Coach Blankmeyer said after last night's game, "If you guys play like you did today, you'll get your asses kicked." Sitting on the bus on the way to Chapel Hill, the team looks focused and ready to bounce back.

Below is my recap of the UNCG game plus some pics I snapped.

Thought to be a sign of good things to come, Jose Rodriguez winning his first game of Cowboys, Snakes, and Indians



Ninth Inning Push Not Enough for St. John’s, lose to UNC-Greensboro, 9-7

Down 9-2 in the ninth inning, St. John’s rallies for five runs, but falls short of victory

            GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Red Storm fell behind early and was forced to play catch up after UNC-Greensboro scored three runs in the second inning and continued to tack on runs over the course of the game. Starting pitcher Jake Woodward (0-1) gave up four earned runs and lasted just 2.0 innings. Miguel Valcarcel and Anthony Cervone came on in relief but could not keep the Spartans from adding to their lead. Joe Panik reached base four times, going 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Both Sean O’Hare and Jeremy Baltz had RBI base hits during the Red Storm’s ninth inning rally. O’Hare was 2-for-5 and Baltz was 1-for-2 with three walks and a double, the only extra base hit of the game for St. John’s (5-5). Spartans reliever Dylan Hathcock (1-0) pitched 2.0 innings of scoreless ball and picked up the win after starting pitcher Jonathon Jones lasted just 3.0 innings. Zach Furl picked up his second save of the season for UNCG (7-5). Drew Gehringer reached base in every one of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a walk, three RBI, three runs scored, and a double.

            After allowing a single and a walk, Woodward allowed two Spartans to reach scoring position in the bottom of the first, but was able to induce a groundout to end the threat.

            St. John’s loaded the bases in the second inning on walks drawn by Baltz, Matt Wessinger, and Kevin Grove, but Robert Case hit into a fielder’s choice to strand the three base runners.

            UNCG drew first blood in the bottom of the frame. Woodward allowed two singles to begin the inning and a double by Gehringer to clear the bases, giving the Spartans their first two runs of the game. Another double, this one by Chris Barker, plated Gehringer. A fly out stranded Barker, but UNCG had a 3-0 lead going into the third inning.

           

            The Red Storm was able to get one of those runs back in the following inning. Leadoff man Jimmy Brennan singled to begin the top of the third and was moved to second base on a groundout to the pitcher. Panik promptly singled to right field to give St. John’s its first run of the game.

            The Spartans, however, answered right back with two more runs. After Woodward walked the inning’s leadoff hitter, Valcarcel was brought in to pitch. Valcarcel walked his first hitter and then gave up a bunt-single to load the bases. A sac-fly by Ray Crawford and another base hit by Gehringer gave UNCG a 5-1 lead.

            With UNCG’s starting pitcher out of the game, Baltz worked a leadoff walk off of reliever Greg Smith to begin the fourth inning. Baltz was subsequently taken off the base paths when Wessinger hit into a fielder’s choice, but Wessinger stole second and then third to give the Red Storm a runner in scoring position. Grove’s sac fly to right field plated Wessinger and gave St. John’s its second run of the game.

            Valcarcel retired the Spartans 1-2-3 in the fourth inning, but ran into trouble in the fifth. After beaning Crawford and yielding another single to Gehringer, Cole Harrison lined a ball off of first baseman Paul Karmas’ glove which then ricocheted into right field and was misplayed by right fielder Pat Talbut. Both Crawford and Gehringer scored and Harrison moved into second on the error by Talbut. Valcarcel was then lifted in favor of Cervone, who induced a fly out to end the inning.

            St. John’s stranded two runners in the fifth inning, one in the sixth, and another in the seventh thanks to the efforts of relief pitchers Smith and Hathcock.

           

            The Spartans tacked on two more runs to their lead in the bottom of the seventh. After Crawford singled to lead off the inning and Gehringer drew a walk, a sac bunt put both men in scoring position. Cervone then let loose a wild pitch to plate Crawford and move Gehringer over to third. A single by Eric Brindle scored Gehringer and gave UNCG a 9-2 lead.

            Down seven runs, the Red Storm offense looked to rally in the top of the eighth. Brennan led off with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Panik -- his third of the game. Frankie Schwindel then singled through the right side of the infield, bringing Brennan around to score and moving Panik over to second. Another single through the right side, this one by O’Hare plated Panik and moved Schwindel into scoring position. Furl, the Spartan closer, was then brought in to pitch. Baltz promptly greeted him with a double down the left field line, driving in Schwindel and moving O’Hare over to third base. After working the count full, Lincoln Sanborn drew a walk to give St. John’s runners on the corners with one out. With two strikes, Rowan Wick then hit a line drive past the outstretched first baseman and into right field, scoring both Baltz and O’Hare. Trailing UNCG, 9-7, with one out, Josh Daniel hit a hard groundball right at the third baseman, who turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the rally.

            St. John’s takes on North Carolina on Mar 9 at 1 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C.

After a lot of Hours on the Road, First Stop of Spring Break Roadtrip Completed

Our weekend series against Georgia Southern University has come to a close. After losing the first game and then taking the next two, my lasting impression of Statesboro, Ga. is the obnoxious (and slightly inbred) fans of the Eagles baseball team. The drunkest and most ignorant sat behind our dugout and heckled the players in heavy southern accents. Some heckles were amusing (I chuckled when Kyle Hansen was told to take off his goofy glasses because "THIS IS AMERICA"), but others deserved an ass-kicking. Some fans did their research and found out the names of the players' family members. When those players came to bat, the drunken rednecks screamed at the top of their lungs that they hoped their mother, or sister, or father, ect, dies a painful death. Now I haven't reffered to these fans as dumb because they were able to find out the names of the players' parents, so clearly they've learned how to browse the internet when they're not watching "Cops" or counting down the days to deer-hunting season. Eventually, the guys fed off of the taunts and effectively shut up the screaming hicks. After hitting a bomb over the field wall, Paul Karmas put his finger to his mouth after crossing home plate, 'shushing' the home crowd. Hansen did the same thing when he was walking off the mound after pitching 5.1 solid innings on Saturday.

But back to baseball, we lost a close game to the Eagles on Friday, but the bats came alive for 14 runs on Saturday and seven runs on Sunday. You can never be upset with winning two games in a three-game set. Below are my recaps of all three games, some baseball-related pics, and some pics of us being "unprofessional". Next up on our Spring Break tour are two weekday games, one against UNC-Greensboro and the other against North Carolina, and a weekend series against Gardner-Webb.

Late Push against St. John’s gives Georgia Southern Victory in Series Opener, 4-3

Red Storm score three runs in first three innings, but are held scoreless for the rest of game

            STATESBORO, Ga. – After the lead changed hands three times in the first three innings, Georgia Southern was able to even the score in the fifth, and then pull ahead of St. John’s in seventh. Five Red Storm hitters combined for just five hits as they stranded eight base runners in their loss to Georgia Southern. Sean O’Hare, the team leader in batting average, was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Jimmy Brennan managed to reach base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. Opening day starter, Sean Hagan, took the hill for St. John’s (3-4), pitching 4.1 innings and yielding three runs, but did not factor into the decision. Stephen Rivera (1-1) came on in relief, striking out five in 2.1 innings, but gave up both the tying run and the go-ahead run to Eagles and was tagged with the loss. Michael Burruss was 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored for Georgia Southern (7-3). Starter Chris Beck lasted just 4.0 innings, giving up three runs, but relief pitcher Matt Murray (2-0) earned the win for the Eagles by striking out five in 5.0 shutout innings.

           

            St. John’s scored the first run of the game on a base hit and three walks. After Pat Talbut singled and stole second, Joe Panik and Paul Karmas followed up with back-to-back walks. With the bases loaded, O’Hare drew a walk to give St. John’s a 1-0 lead.

            Georgia Southern, however, answered right back with a run of their own to even the score. A leadoff triple by Shawn Payne and a single by Burruss gave the Eagles their first run of the game with no outs and the heart of their lineup coming up to bat. But Hagan induced two consecutive groundballs, the first for a double play, to end the threat.

            The Eagles pulled ahead in the bottom of the second after Andy Moye singled and came around to score on a double by Ben Morgan.

           

            The lead exchanged hands once more in the top of the third. Brennan walked to lead off the inning, promptly stole second, and tagged up on a fly ball to reach third. Panik’s groundball to the right side of the infield plated Brennan, tying the game at 2-2. The Red Storm then took advantage of three errors by the Eagles, the first one coming on a throwing error by the shortstop allowing Karmas to reach first base. The following batter, O’Hare, reached base safely on a fielding error by the second baseman, giving the Red Storm runners on first and third. A throwing error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt of O’Hare scored Karmas, giving St. John’s a 3-2 lead without recording a hit in the inning.

            Georgia Southern tied the game again in the fifth inning with another extra base hit by Shawn Payne and a single by Burruss. With Eagles on first and third with one out, Rivera came on in relief for Hagan. Rivera struck out the first batter he faced, but allowed an RBI-single to Victor Roache to bring the score to 3-3.

           

            After stranding two runners in the top of the seventh, St. John’s allowed Georgia Southern to score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame. Burress doubled for his fourth hit of the game and Eric Phillips followed suit with a double of his own to drive him in, giving the Eagles a 4-3 lead. After striking out Roache and intentionally walking Steve Cochrane, Rivera was lifted in favor of Matt Carasiti. With runners on first and second, Carasiti walked Tom Richardson, but induced a fly out to limit the damage.

            O’Hare led off the eighth inning with a single and stole second, but was left stranded.

            Carasiti sat the Eagles down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame by using two strikeouts to keep the Eagles lead at one run.

            Pinch hitter, Kyle Richardson, popped out to begin the ninth, but Murray walked Brennan on four pitches to put the tying-runner on base. However, Brennan was thrown out attempting to steal second during Talbut’s at bat. Talbut then struck out looking to end the game.

            St. John’s takes on Georgia Southern in the second game of their series on March 5 at 2:30 p.m.

Geogia Southern's lovely, lovely field. If only their fans could be so nice.

Offense Powers St. John’s to Victory over Georgia Southern, 14-3

Red Storm lineup produces two five-run innings and 19 total hits 

STATESBORO, Ga. – What appeared to be a pitching duel through three innings, turned into a slugfest for St. John’s when they broke the game open with a five run fourth inning. Just three innings later, the Red Storm had plated a total of 14 runs on two home runs and three doubles. Paul Karmas had both a double and a home run in a 4-for-5, four RBI effort. Pat Talbut hit the other long-ball for St. John’s (4-4), his first in his collegiate career. Just falling shy of six hits, Joe Panik doubled, scored four runs, and drove in one in a 5-for-6 effort. Jeremy Baltz drove in two and Matt Wessinger contributed three to add to the Red Storm’s big middle innings. Kyle Hansen (1-1) made the start for St. John’s, tossing 5.1 innings and giving up just one earned run on three hits and four walks on his way to a win. Eagles starter, Josh Adams (2-1), was saddled with the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings of work. Eric Phillips drove in a run and reached base four times on two walks and two singles for Georgia Southern (7-4).

The Red Storm strung a couple hits together in the first inning, but was unable to plate a run. Jimmy Brennan singled to lead off the game, but was taken off the base paths when Talbut hit into a fielder’s choice. Talbut was able to move over to third on Panik’s line drive down the left field line, but Panik was thrown out at second trying to stretch his base hit into a double. Talbut was stranded at third when a fly out ended the threat.

            Adams turned in two consecutive 1-2-3 innings before St. John’s tagged him for five runs in the fourth inning. Batting around in the inning, the Red Storm offense strung seven-consecutive hits together with one out, beginning with a single up the middle by Panik. Karmas then singled to put Panik in scoring position and a single by O’Hare plated him. A double by Baltz cleared the bases and put St. John’s up 3-0. After Baltz advanced to third on a wild pitch, Wessinger drove him in on a single through the left side of the infield. A well-executed hit-and-run advanced Wessinger to third base on Kyle Richardson’s single to left field. The chain of hits finished with a single by Witkowski to drive in Wessinger.

After walking a batter with two outs in the first inning, Hansen retired seven-straight, no-hitting the Eagles until the bottom of the fourth when Michael Burress led off with a single. With one out, Georgia Southern loaded the bases on an error and a walk. Tony Richardson’s single put the Eagles on the board, but the Eagles were retired before scoring any more runs.

            Karmas’ double in the fifth inning drove in Panik, giving the Red Storm a five run lead.

            The Eagles responded in bottom of the frame, however, by drawing two walks and scoring on a passed ball.

            St. John’s then put themselves up by nine with another five-run inning in the top of the sixth. With runners on the corners, Panik singled to pick up the first RBI of the inning. Karmas then followed up with a single of his own to put the Red Storm up by six runs. After a pitching change, O’Hare moved Karmas and Panik over to second and third on a ground out to the right side of the infield. Following Baltz’s intentional walk to load the bases, Wessinger brought everyone home on a single that was misplayed by the left fielder, bringing the score to 11-2.

            Hansen retired the first Eagle in the bottom of the frame, but with a left-handed hitter coming up to bat, he was lifted in favor of lefthander Kevin Kilpatrick. After plunking his first batter, Kilpatrick induced a groundout and a fly out to end the inning.

            St. John’s increased their lead to double digits in the seventh inning with the long ball. With two outs, Talbut homered to left field to put the Red Storm up by ten runs. A double by Panik and a home run by Karmas brought the St. John’s lead to 14-2.

            Georgia Southern managed to score a run off of Kilpatrick in the bottom of the frame when the leadoff man reached base on a dropped third strike and a couple of singles brought him in.

            Anthony Cervone pitched a scoreless frame in bottom of the ninth to even the weekend series.

            St. John’s takes on Georgia Southern in the series finale on Mar 6 at 1:30 pm.

Sean Hagan feeding freshman Rowan Wick a chewy granola bar while he slumbers on the bus.

St. John’s Wins Series Finale against Georgia Southern, 7-3



Brendan Lobban yields just one earned run in 6.1 innings, walks none.

            STATESBORO, Ga. – St. John’s starting pitcher, Brendan Lobban, shut out Georgia Southern through the first five innings while the offense scattered three runs over the first three to win the weekend series. The run scored against Lobban in the sixth inning was his only earned run in 6.1 innings of work. Lobban (2-0) also struck out three, yielded six hits, and walked none. Joe Panik reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBI, and three runs scored. Paul Karmas went 2-for-4 with a double and also drove in a run. Sean O’Hare contributed two RBI and Joe Witkowski plated a run as well for St. John’s (5-4). The Red Storm offense knocked the Eagles starting pitcher out after just 4.0 innings for the second consecutive game. Andy Moye gave up three earned runs on six hits and three walks in his 4.0 innings of work, taking the loss for Georgia Southern (7-5). Steve Cochrane went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI.

            With two outs in the first inning, Panik walked, stole second, and came around to score on a single by Karmas.

            Georgia Southern put two men in scoring position in bottom of the frame, but Lobban induced an inning-ending fly ball to put the threat to rest.

            After Wessinger ripped a one-out double to right center field in the second inning, he was brought around to score with a single by Witkowski.

            Lobban retired the Eagles in order to preserve a 2-0 St. John’s lead going into the third inning.

            The Red Storm utilized another double to push across their third run in the third inning. With Panik on first base, Karmas doubled to deep center field, putting both men in scoring position. O’Hare’s ground ball to first base scored Panik, putting St. John’s up 3-0.

            Lobban retired nine straight Eagles to keep them off the board until the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Lobban induced a fly ball from Cochrane for the second out, but the fly ball scored Michael Burress for Georgia Southern’s first run of the game. Lobban escaped further damage by inducing another fly ball to end the inning.

            Following three innings of dormancy, the St. John’s bats came alive for two runs in the seventh inning. A leadoff walk by Talbut, a single by Panik, and a sac bunt by Karmas put two men in scoring position for the Red Storm. O’Hare’s ensuing single drove in Talbut and Jeremy Baltz’s sac fly plated Panik.

            Georgia Southern scraped together another run in the bottom of the frame to keep themselves in the contest. After a leadoff double by Ben Morgan and a fly out, Lobban was relieved by right-hander Eddie Medina to matchup against the upcoming right-handed batters in the Georgia Southern lineup. Medina struck out his first batter, but yielded a walk and an RBI-single to allow the Eagles’ second run of the game.

St. John’s got that run back, however, plus one more in the eighth inning. With two outs, the Red Storm put two men in scoring position after Jimmy Brennan singled and Talbut’s groundball to the second baseman was fielded and thrown out of play, putting on Brennan third base and Talbut on second. Panik then drove the both of them in with a single through the right side of the infield, giving St. John’s a 7-2 lead.

A home run by Cochrane in the bottom of the frame caused Medina to be lifted in favor of Matt Carasiti. Carasiti induced two groundballs to end the inning and then worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to end the game.

St. John’s travels to Greensboro, NC to take on UNC-Greensboro on Mar 8 at 4 p.m.

That would be me in the sporting goods section at Statesboro, GA's K-Mart. Also in the sporting good section, 75 varieties of crossbows.

A Weekend in Atlanta

We just arrived back in New York after playing a three-game set against No. 21 Georgia Tech down in Atlanta. After getting shut out in the first two games, we bounced back nicely Sunday, erupting for 13 runs and holding the Yellow Jackets offense to score just three times. This three day road trip to Atlanta was a decent tune up for the squad as we head back down south for a long, 10-day road trip next weekend against Georgia Southern, UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina, and Gardner-Webb. Quite a way to spend Spring Break. The following are the three game recaps I wrote this past weekend as well as some pictures I snapped.

Friday, Feb 25:

No. 23 St. John’s Drops First Game of Series at No. 21 Georgia Tech, 13-0

The Red Storm stranded 13 base runners and was held scoreless by the Yellow Jackets, who pushed across ten runs in the first inning. St. John’s starting pitcher, Sean Hagan, did not survive Georgia Tech’s big inning.

After scoring 34 runs in their three games the previous weekend, the Red Storm offense was held in check by Georgia Tech pitching – the first time St. John’s has been shut out in 122 games.

            Atlanta, Ga. – Georgia Tech (4-2) sent 15 men to the plate in the first inning and opening Day starter, sophomore Sean Hagan (1-1), was lifted after recording just two outs. Hagan gave up ten runs on nine hits in his 0.2 innings of work and left the game with runners on first and second. St. John’s (2-2) used four relievers the rest of the way in an attempt to limit the damage, but the offense struggled to conjure up a rally, stranding runners in all but one inning. Jimmy Brennan did, however, go 3-for-5. Sean O’Hare and Joe Panik picked up two hits a piece in the losing effort. Eddie Medina inherited Hagan’s base runners and gave up an RBI single to Daniel Palka before recording the third out. Palka was one of five Yellow Jackets to record multiple base hits. Matt Skole went 3-for-6, hit his first home run of the season, and drove in four runs, all of them in the first inning. Mark Pope (2-0) took the hill for Georgia Tech and shut out St. John’s over 6.0 innings, yielding six hits, walking only one, and striking out six. Clay Dalton, Zach Brewster, and Brad Markey pitched an inning of scoreless relief each to extinguish any hopes St. John’s had for a late-inning rally.

The Red Storm appeared ready to grab an early lead when leadoff man, Brennan, singled to start the game and Panik moved him into scoring position with a single of his own. A balk by Pope gave St. John’s second and third with Paul Karmas at the plate. Karmas, however, could not draw first blood for the Red Storm and grounded out to end the inning. This was the first of five innings in which St. John’s stranded runners in scoring position.

Georgia Tech’s offense got going right away with back-to-back singles by Kyle Wren and Jacob Esch. Skole’s subsequent three-run homer to center field gave the Yellow Jackets a 3-to-0 lead. After another set of back-to-back singles, Hagan recorded his first out – a strikeout of Mott Hyde. Hyde was the only Georgia Tech starter to fail to reach base more than once. After Brandon Thomas drew a walk to load the bases with Yellow Jackets, Hagan plunked DeAndre Smelter to give Georgia Tech its fourth run. A two-run single by Chase Butler a sacrifice fly by Kyle Wren increased the Yellow Jackets lead to seven with two outs. Although just one out away from escaping further damage, Hagan could not retire Georgia Tech, giving up three singles in a row to Esch, Skole, and Zeke Evans. With the score 9-to-0, Hagan was relieved by Medina. Palka immediately greeted Medina with an RBI-single, giving the Yellow Jackets a double-digit lead.

Medina gave way to Miguel Valcarcel in the fifth inning, but not before allowing a two-run double to Kyle Wren in the second inning, both of which were earned runs. In 3.1 innings of work, Medina struck out two, walked four, and gave up three hits.

Valcarcel, who made his first appearance since breaking his ankle in March of 2010, tossed 2.0 innings of one-run ball, yielded four hits, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out two Yellow Jackets. Valcarcel’s earned run came when Georgia Tech loaded the bases in the fifth inning with one out. Smelter hit a groundball down the third base line that 3B O’Hare snared and attempted to turn an inning-ending double play by stepping on third for the force out and then firing over to first. Smelter, however, beat out the throw and picked up an RBI.

Freshman Jake Woodward made his collegiate debut when he was brought in to pitch the seventh inning. Woodward recorded two strikeouts, walked one, gave up one hit, and was the first St. John’s pitcher to hold Georgia Tech scoreless.

Anthony Cervone, bouncing back from a rough outing last weekend, was the only other pitcher to blank the Yellow Jackets. Cervone walked one batter, didn’t give up a hit, and struck

out two.

St. John’s takes on Georgia Tech in game two of the three-game set at 2 pm tomorrow Feb 26, at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

Sean O'Hare, aka "Heezy", takes dry hacks in the dugout before Friday's game.

Saturday, Feb 26:

No. 23 St. John’s is blanked by No. 21 Georgia Tech for Second Consecutive Game, loses 5-0

The Red Storm has been held scoreless in their last 26 innings.

            Atlanta, Ga. – Sophomore Kyle Hansen, an All-Big East selection, struck out six batters in the first two innings and appeared to be in the midst of a pitching duel with Georgia Tech starter, Jed Bradley, who also recorded six strikeouts in the first and second innings. However, Hansen (0-1) allowed the Yellow Jackets to score in the third and again in the fourth – a deficit in which St. John’s (2-3) could not come back from. Hansen pitched a total of 4.0 innings, struck out seven, gave up one earned run, but was tagged with the loss. Bradley (1-0) earned the win for Georgia Tech (5-2), striking out ten, and no-hitting the Red Storm over 7.0 innings. St. John’s could only put five men on base over the course of the game, two of which were Frankie Schwindel and Joe Witkowski, who broke up the no-hitter in the eighth with singles. Matt Skole had another big game for the Yellow Jackets, going 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.

           Four of Hansen’s seven strikeouts came in the first inning. After Bradley struck out the side in the top of the frame, Hansen answered right back with strikeouts of Kyle Wren and Jacob Esch. After Skole reached on a two-out single, Daniel Palka went down swinging on a slider in the dirt, but was able to take first base by beating out the throw from catcher Joe Witkowski. Zane Evans, the ensuing batter, ended the inning by also going down swinging at a slider, this time not in the dirt, which gave Hansen four strikeouts in one inning.

            Hansen struck out two more Yellow Jackets in the second inning, but Georgia Tech was able to draw first blood in the third. After Esch led off with a walk, he was able to advance to third base on Skole’s second single of the game. The following batter, Palka, drove in Esch with a single of his own to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead with men on first and second. Hansen, however, was able to escape trouble with his seventh strikeout and an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

            Following the Red Storm going down 1-2-3 in the fourth inning, Georgia Tech increased their lead to two runs in the bottom of the frame. After Mott Hyde reached second base on a shallow fly ball that was SS Joe Panik and CF Kyle Richardson had trouble communicating on, Kyle Wren singled up the middle to drive Hyde in.

            Hansen did not return to pitch the fifth and instead was replaced by Stephen Rivera. The junior put together a scoreless fifth and sixth innings, but ran into trouble in the seventh when he allowed a leadoff single to Kyle Wren and balked him over to second. After Wren reached third by tagging up on a deep fly ball to center field, Rivera was relieved by Kevin Kilpatrick. Skole immediately doubled down the right field line, scoring Kyle Wren, tagging Rivera with the earned run, and putting the Yellow Jackets on top, 3-0. Rivera’s one earned run came on two hits, one walk, and one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work. A walk drawn by Evans and another double, this time by Brandon Thomas, gave Georgia Tech a 5-0 lead. After retiring the side, Kilpatrick did not return to pitch the eighth inning. He tossed 0.2 innings, yielding two runs on two hits and one walk.

         

            St. John’s went down 1-2-3 again in the seventh inning – their fifth time in nine chances to put a man on base – but were able to break up Georgia Tech’s no-hit bid when Schwindel singled off of Yellow Jackets reliever, Dusty Isaacs. Witkowski’s single a batter later gave St. John’s a runner in scoring position with one out. However, Schwindel was picked off of second with a delayed throw from the catcher to prematurely end a potential St. John’s rally.

With DeAndre Smelter in to pitch the top of the ninth, Matt Wessinger led off the inning with a walk, but was taken off the base paths after an ensuing 4-6-3 double play. With two outs, Jeremy Baltz walked, reaching base for the first time of the game. Looking to plate the Red Storm’s first run in 26 innings, Paul Karmas stepped up to the plate, but grounded out to end the contest.

St. John’s takes on Georgia Tech in the final game of the series at 1 pm tomorrow, Feb 27 at Russ Chandler Field in Atlanta, Ga.

Matt Carasiti deep in thought. Probably about who he will prank phone call later.

Sunday, Feb 27

The Bats Come Alive for No. 23 St. John’s as they Defeat No. 21 Georgia Tech, 13-3

The Red Storm snapped a 26 inning scoreless streak, grabbing the lead in the first inning and holding onto to it for the remainder of the game.

            Atlanta, Ga. – St. John’s (3-3) avoided a sweep at the hands of Georgia Tech (5-3) with a solid pitching performance by starter Brendan Lobban and by plating 13 runs on 12 hits, four of which were for extra bases. After being shut out in the first two contests against the Yellow Jackets, the Red Storm offense rebounded in the first inning by scoring the game’s first run, snapping a scoreless streak that dated back to Feb 20 against Ohio State. Joe Panik and Matt Wessinger hit home runs in the same inning and finished the game with a 3-for-5, three RBI effort and a 3-for-5, four RBI effort respectively. Pre-season All-American, Jeremy Baltz, responded to being dropped to sixth in the lineup by reaching base four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Matt Skole had multiple base hits again for the Yellow Jackets, going 2-for-4 with two RBIS. The St. John’s lineup knocked Georgia Tech starting pitcher, Buck Farmer, out of the game after just 4.0 innings. Farmer (0-1) gave up seven runs, four of them earned, on five hits and four walks. Contrarily, Lobban (1-0) tossed 7.2 innings of three-run ball, yielded six hits, walked three, and struck out five. Sophomore Matt Carasiti finished the game, striking out one and giving up one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings of work.

            The Red Storm loaded the bases in the first inning when Pat Talbut, Panik, and Sean O’Hare all walked to load the bases. Farmer, struggling to throw strikes, walked Panik and O’Hare on four pitches and walked in Talbut when he threw another four straight balls to Baltz.

            Georgia Tech looked to answer back with a run of their own when they loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Lobban, however, was able to induce a groundball to end the threat.

            With a 1-0 lead entering the third inning, St. John’s sought to take advantage of an error when Georgia Tech 2B Jacob Esch fielded leadoff man Talbut’s ground ball and threw it into the Red Storm dugout, putting Talbut in scoring position. Panik promptly put St. John’s up, 3-0, by yanking the next pitch over the right field wall. After a single by Baltz, Wessinger launched a two-run homer of his own, this one over the left field wall.

            After a four-run third inning by the Red Storm, the Yellow Jackets plated a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Kyle Wren got on base with an infield single to lead off the inning, but was thrown out attempting to steal second by catcher Joe Witkowski. Esch, who was at bat when Wren was caught stealing, tripled, giving Skole an RBI-opportunity. Skole promptly lined the first pitch he saw into right field, giving the Yellow Jackets their first run. Lobban induced a 4-6-3 double play groundball from the following batter to end the Georgia Tech rally.

            The Red Storm knocked Farmer out of the game in the fifth inning when Panik singled to lead off the fifth inning and Paul Karmas drove him in with a double. Baltz promptly greeted Yellow Jackets reliever Taylor Wood with a sacrifice fly to score Karmas, giving St. John’s a 7-1 lead.

In the sixth inning, Panik increased the Red Storm’s lead to eight runs by driving in the Witkowski on a single to left field, scoring Witkowski had reached base on a single of his own and was put into scoring position with a base knock by Jimmy Brennan. After tossing 1.2 innings and giving up one earned run on three hits, Wood was lifted in favor of Luke Bard to record the final out of the inning. Bard tossed just 0.2 innings before he was relieved by Devin Stanton.

The Red Storm took advantage of another Yellow Jackets error by scoring another run in the seventh inning. Following a walk drawn by Baltz and a single by Wessinger, Georgia Tech catcher Skole attempted to throw out Wessinger advancing to second on a wild pitch by Stanton, but the throw sailed into the outfield, giving Wessinger third base and allowing Baltz to come around to score.

After Lobban turned in his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, the St. John’s offense strung four more runs together in the top of the eighth. Jonathan Roberts, who came on in relief for Stanton, got leadoff man Brennan to rollover to first base, but a fielding error by the first baseman allowed Brennan to reach. Following walks drawn by Talbut and Karmas to load the bases, O’Hare drove in Brennan for the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to deep left field. Baltz followed up with a single that plated both Talbut and Karmas, giving St. John’s a 12-1 lead. A double by Wessinger, driving in Karmas, extended the Red Storm’s lead to 12 runs over the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame, knocking Lobban out of the game, but it was too little, too late. Carasiti recorded the final out of the eighth inning and then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to end the game.

St. John’s heads back to Georgia on Friday, March 1 to play a three-game set against Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. The first game is to begin at 6 pm.

The Revival of Ryan's Baseball Blog

Ok ladies and gents, in honor of the arrival of baseball season, I'm back. I just returned from Tampa, Florida where my St. John's Red Storm baseball team took on Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio State in the Big East-Big Ten Challenge. We took two out of three from the Big Ten teams, routing Minnesota and Michigan and losing in extra innings to Ohio State. Included with this post are recaps I wrote for each game as well as some pictures I snapped over the course of the weekend. Next up, we take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta in a three-game set beginning on Friday, February 25th. I'm crossing my fingers that I will be included on the travel roster again.

St. John’s Baseball vs. Minnesota

2/18/11

St. John’s Routs Minnesota in First Game of 2011 Season

            Clearwater, FL -- The Red Storm blew out the Golden Gophers by a score of 14-1 in their 2011 opener and first contest of the Big East-Big 10 challenge at Jack Russell Stadium. The sunny Florida skies played a major factor in the game as several fly balls were misplayed by the Golden Gophers, who committed four errors. Contrarily, the Red Storm defense was stellar, committing no errors. The St. John’s offense overpowered Minnesota pitching, stringing together 18 hits, nine of which were for extra bases.

           

            The Red Storm drew first blood in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two runs and knocking the Minnesota starting pitcher out of the game. A six-run fifth inning gave St. John’s a commanding lead that the Golden Gophers could not come back from. Every Red Storm starter contributed at least one base hit and seven mashed extra base hits. Amongst the offensive leaders was junior shortstop Joe Panik, who drove in two runs, scored twice, stole a base, and doubled on his way to reaching base four times. Senior first baseman Paul Karmas reached base three times, doubled, drove in a run, swiped a bag, and scored once. Redshirt senior catcher Joe Witkowski doubled twice, plated a run, and scored twice. Sophomore third baseman Sean O’Hare also scored twice in addition to hitting the fourth triple of his college career. Newcomers, freshman outfielder Rowan Wick and freshman designated hitter Frank Schwindel, also made significant contributions to the Red Storm offense. On a full count in the bottom of the third, Wick launched a shot over the right field wall for the first home run and base hit of his college career. Schwindel reached base three times, doubled, and scored twice.

            Sophomore left-handed pitcher Sean Hagan got the opening day nod and shut down the Golden Gophers over 5.0 innings, earning the win. Hagan struck out four, yielded only three hits, and walked just one. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Kyle Hansen -- a pre-season All-Big East selection -- came on in relief and gave up only one run en route to finishing the game. Hansen allowed just five base runners in his 4.0 innings of work and was credited with the save.

            St. John’s is set to take on the Michigan Wolverines at Al Lang/Progressive Energy Park in St. Petersberg tomorrow at 1 pm. Sophomore right-hander Matt Carasiti will take the hill for the Red Storm. Carasiti was 7-4 with a 5.94 ERA in 53.0 innings of work in 2010.

Hitting Coach Mike Hampton discusses strategy with the outfielders

St. John’s baseball vs. Michigan

2/19/11

The No. 23 St. John’s Offense Powers itself to Victory, Defeating Michigan 13-6

            St. Petersburg, Fla - St. John’s (2-0) defeated another Big Ten opponent by a large margin, taking down Michigan (0-2) by a score of 13-6. The Red Storm bats were alive again today, stringing together 17 hits. Jeremy Baltz contributed three RBIs and three runs scored and Jimmy Brennan and Matt Wessinger drove in two runs each. Paul Karmas reached base four times, scored two runs, and drove in one. Although Michigan only managed to plate three runs through eight innings, the Johnnies used five pitchers on the way to their second victory in the Big East-Big Ten challenge. Sophomore Matt Carasiti started the game, but ran into a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning and was relieved by junior Stephen Rivera after yielding a run. Rivera (1-0) tossed 3.2 innings of shutout ball, allowed only three base runners, and earned the win. Freshman Adam Davis, senior Jose Rodriguez, and junior Kevin Kilpatrick combined to pitch the final two innings. Ben Ballantine (0-1) made the start for Michigan and scattered six earned runs over 3.2 innings, taking the loss. Patrick Biondi was 4-for-5 with one run and one RBI and Coley Crank reached base safely four times for the Wolverines.

The Johnnies stranded runners in the first inning, but drew first blood again today, getting on the board in the second inning when Frankie Schwindel grounded out to second base, driving in Paul Karmas, who reached base on a single.

St. John’s doubled their lead in the third inning when Sean O’Hare singled up the middle, scoring Baltz. Baltz had reached on a fielder’s choice and was moved into scoring position by a Karmas single.

With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Baltz broke the game open in the fourth inning with a bases clearing double in the left field gap, scoring Joe Witkowski, Wessinger, and Joe Panik. Karmas followed up with a solid line drive up the middle, driving in Baltz from second base.

After pounding the strike zone for the first two innings, Red Storm starter, Carasiti, pitched himself into trouble in the third inning by walking three Michigan hitters. However, catcher Joe Witkowski helped out his pitcher by throwing two of them out at second base when they attempted to steal.

It was more of the same for Carasiti in the fourth inning when he loaded the bases for the Wolverines with no outs. After Garrett Stephens drove in the first Michigan run on a sacrifice fly to leftfield, Carasiti was lifted for Rivera.

Rivera promptly struck out the first Michigan batter he faced. Although he gave up an RBI single to Michael O’Neill, Rivera induced a pop out to end the inning immediately afterwards. Rivera struck out three, only allowing one walk and two hits in his 3.2 innings of work.

St. John’s answered right back with two runs in the fifth inning, putting their lead over Michigan back to six runs. The runs came off the bat of Wessinger, who doubled in Rowan Wick and Jimmy Brennan. Wick reached base with his second base hit of his college career and was moved into scoring position by Witkowski’s single and Brennan’s subsequent fielder’s choice.

The Red Storm put together another four-run effort in the sixth inning. Baltz led off the inning with a high-bouncing groundball to the pitcher that caused him to overthrow the first baseman and allow Baltz to advance to second. Karmas then reached base after a four-pitch walk. A hard-hit ball by Schwindel that was misplayed by the shortstop allowed Baltz to score and Karmas to move to third. Witkowski then came through with his second hit of the day, driving in Karmas and moving Schwindel into scoring position. A Brennan double cleared the bases and extended the St. John’s lead to ten runs.

Freshman Adam Davis made his collegiate debut when he came into pitch the eighth inning. He allowed one walk, one hit, and one earned run – a Garrett Stephens sacrifice fly.

St. John’s answered right back in the top of the ninth inning with a run of their own when Pat Talbut’s line drive single scored Brennan, who had reached on a double to the left field gap.

Jose Rodriguez took the hill in the ninth, but struggled, giving up three runs on five straight hits before inducing a double play. After Rodriguez walked the next batter, Kevin Kilpatrick was brought on to record the last out.

St. John’s is set to take on Ohio State in their final game of the Big East-Big Ten challenge on Feb 20 at 10 am at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex in St. Petersburg. Brendan Lobban will make the start for the Red Storm.

A view from the dugout at Progressive Energy Park at Al Lang Field

2/20/11

STJ Baseball vs. Ohio State

No. 23 St. John’s Squanders Six-Run Lead, loses in 11 innings

After winning their first two games against Big Ten opponents by large margins, the Red Storm dropped an extra inning game to Ohio State by a score of 8-7.

The high-powered Red Storm offense fell flat early, failing to produce a run after the third inning

            St. Petersburg, Fla - Junior Brendan Lobban took the hill for the Red Storm, tossing 4.0 innings of one run ball and leaving the game with a 7-1 lead. Great defensive plays by Sean O’Hare, Matt Wessinger, and Robert Case helped Lobban work out of trouble multiple times. St. John’s (2-1) pushed their seven runs across early in the game due in large part to pre-season All-American Jeremy Baltz’s 4-for-5, two RBI effort. However, Ohio State (1-2) tagged sophomore reliever Anthony Cervone for six runs in the fifth inning, tying the game. After only recording two outs, Cervone was replaced by junior Eddie Medina. Medina pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless ball before giving way to junior lefthander Kevin Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick shutdown the Buckeyes in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings, but an eleventh inning rally left Kilpatrick (0-1) with the loss. Josh Dezse (1-0), who started the game at DH and went 3-for-5 with an RBI, came in to pitch the final two innings for Ohio State and earned the win. Greg Greve made the start for the Buckeyes, giving up all seven of the Red Storm’s runs in 4.0 innings of work. 3B Matt Streng scored the winning run for Ohio State.

            The Buckeyes put two men on in the first and appeared to have drawn first blood when Streng hit a solid line drive down the third base line, but O’Hare made a diving stab to his right to make the catch and get the Red Storm out of the jam.

            O’Hare came through again in the top of the second with a line drive of his own. Baltz, who reached base on one of his three singles in the game, scored on the play and put the Johnnies on the board first.

            The Buckeyes, however, answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the second on two extra base hits -- a double by Desze and a triple by catcher Greg Solomon.

            Entering the third inning with a tie-ball game, St. John’s sent 11 men to the plate and exploded for a six-run inning. Kyle Richardson singled on a line drive down the right field line to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a Jimmy Brennan single to center field. Richardson was taken off the base paths when Matt Wessinger hit into a fielder’s choice, which moved Brennan over to second. Joe Panik’s subsequent single broke the tie, scoring Brennan and putting Wessinger in scoring position. Baltz kept the rally going with a bases-clearing triple, giving the Johnnies a three-run lead. Karmas followed up with a line drive to center field, driving in Baltz. An error by the catcher put Karmas on second. A walk by O’Hare and a beaning of Robert Case loaded the bases for the Johnnies. Richardson, who led off the inning with a single, came through with another base hit – this time a two-bagger. Karmas and O’Hare both scored, giving St. John’s a 7-1 lead.

            Lobban held the Buckeyes in check again in the third inning, getting an out at home plate after O’Hare made a diving stop on a groundball and fired a throw home to Case, who made a spectacular block at home plate. Lobban was removed after recording his fourth strikeout of the day, which ended the fourth inning. Lobban yielded four hits and walked three batters in his 4.0 innings of work.

            After being held scoreless in the fifth, the Red Strom brought in Cervone to pitch. Cervone struggled in his 2011 debut, throwing a wild pitch and loading the bases before recording his first out-- a strikeout. A wild pitch brought in Ohio State’s second run and a sacrifice fly by Dezse brought in their third. Four consecutive singles and a wild pitch plated three more runs for the Buckeyes, bringing the score to 7-6 in the Red Storm’s favor. With men on first and third, Cervone was subsequently relieved by Medina. Medina was able to retire the side, but not before allowing a game-tying single to Tyler Engle.

            Following a 1-2-3 sixth inning, St. John’s threatened to score in the seventh when Baltz got on base with his fourth hit of the day and Karmas reached after getting hit by the pitch. With Baltz in scoring position, O’Hare hit a hard line drive up the middle, but was robbed by the shortstop, who stepped on second base to force out Baltz for an inning ending double play.

            After pitching 2.1 innings without giving up an earned run, Medina gave way to Kilpatrick. The Buckeyes were shut down by Kilpatrick, who gave up just one hit, struck out three, and allowed only one base runner to reach third in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings. The Red Storm offense, however, struggled in those innings as well, going down 1-2-3 in each of them. Leading off the 11^th with a walk, Kevin Grove was able to reach third base with a sacrifice bunt and by tagging up on a fly ball, but was stranded there when Brennan flied out to left field to end the inning.

            Although Kilpatrick retired nine Buckeyes in a row, Streng and Dezse led off the bottom of the 11^th with back-to-back singles, giving Ohio State men on first and second. Upon fielding a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Cypret, Kilpatrick fired to O’Hare at third base for the force out, but the throw was mishandled and ended up in left field, allowing Ohio State’s winning run to score.

            St. John’s is set to take on Georgia Tech in a three game set in Atlanta beginning on Feb 25 at 4 pm.