Even by the lofty standards of St. John’s skipper Ed Blankmeyer–758 wins and four Big East tournament crowns–there is much to be excited about when reflecting on the 2017 season of his Red Storm.
They burst out of the gate red-hot with their best start since the days of MLB legend John Franco and Frank Viola in 1980. They began the season with nine consecutive wins and were nationally ranked by every major publication from the jump.
They wound up with a record of 42-13 and had their dreams cut short in the NCAA Regionals against Vanderbilt and UNC Greensboro.
The legendary Head Coach spoke to Vinny Messana and here’s what he had to say…
It was an unbelievable season for you. What made this group so special?
Well, it came down to getting off to a good start. It was a mature and indebted ball club. Our young pitching came around fast, faster than we could’ve expected.
When it comes to young pitchers, Sean Mooney was head of the class. He was just the second pitcher in Big East history to be named Freshman Pitcher of the Year and Big East Pitcher of the Year. When you were recruiting him, did you envision this type of success?
We’ve had cycles when we’ve had a good class before. We expected that entire class to contribute. To expect any freshman to come in right away and win Big East Pitcher of the Year is a pipe dream.
Let’s discuss some of the Long Island players. We’d be remiss not to mention Jesse Berardi who was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 10th round. What did he mean to the program for the past three seasons?
Every year Jesse got better. His freshman year was a transition season. By his sophomore year, he had solidified himself as a starting player. This past year he became a draftable, top-10 round player. That’s a credit to him for his hard work. What really stood out to me is his time clock–as I call it. He has very good instincts. He also has surprising power for his frame. He’s also a super kid.
From your experience, do players that fit that mold typically perform better in the professional game as opposed to a player that may have superior measurables but not quite the instincts?
He’s a baseball player. Some teams prefer those baseball players over the “toolsy guys”. Ideally, you would have a guy with both. Not to compare him to Joe Panik, but they are both baseball players and obviously the San Francisco Giants preferred that. It’s not to say Jesse doesn’t have the tools. His arm to the left side is strong enough, he has average speed and his swing is sound.
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I noticed Michael Donadio had a nice first professional season with the Miami Marlins. Did that surprise you at all?
Michael can hit. I just hope and pray he gets the opportunity to show that. Sometimes in the minor leagues you don’t get the substantial at bats to show that. He had an outstanding four-year career for us. I know he didn’t have the junior year he would’ve liked–and at the end of the year the numbers were there, but I think that made him a better player for us as a senior.
Thomas Hackimer has been lights-out for the Minnesota Twins through two minor league seasons.
He has the uniqueness in his delivery. He’s durable and strong. He has the low arm slot with low 90s velocity and not many guys can do that. He’s a special talent. If he continues to throw like he has, he will be in the bigs.
Chris Stefl is a local kid that I had the chance to watch. What did you see from him in the fall? Will he be a two-way player as he was at Floral Park?
Chris had a nice fall for us. He is transitioning–he’s working on some things. The ball does get off his bat. He needs to work on some things. We pulled off the pitching. I noticed he looked a little fatigue on the mound. He has nice size. He needs to work on his frame, his athleticism a bit.
Luke Stampfl transferred from Fordham. Is he eligible? How did that come to be?
Luke is a fifth-year player. He’s eligible to play. He was looking for an opportunity to continue to play and we had a need being that we were losing Berardi and Robbie Knightes. He can really help us in our year of transition.
Will he pitch?
No. Does he have the arm to? Yes. But we have a need on the left-side of the infield right now.
St. John’s will begin their season on February 16 at Campbell !
