Michael Donadio
OTD: Nine-Run Sixth Powers St. John’s to 21st Win
(Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on April 2, 2017.) When you’re hot, you’re hot. The St. John’s Red Storm overpowered the Hofstra Pride, coming away with a 14-3 win for their ninth consecutive victory. “It feels good when you win, it’s nice to see our guys start swinging the bat in the middle of the game.” Head Coach Ed Blankmeyer said after the win. “Another game, another step.” The Red Storm took the lead early on a single from Jesse Berardi scoring Michael Donadio. Later in the game the Johnnies tacked on another run on a single from Anthony Brocato, scoring Troy Dixon from second. The Pride scored their only three runs in the top of the fifth inning. They scored on an error, wild pitch and an RBI single by Nick Bottari to score Steven Foster. The Red Storm came up...
Ed Blankmeyer Reflects on Successful 2017
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...
Seelinger Headlines Day 3 of MLB Draft
It took longer than anticipated but a handful of Long Island natives were selected on Day 3 of the 2017 MLB Draft. Here’s a rundown of the selections: Matt Seelinger, FSC (Pittsburgh Pirates, 28th round) The 2013 graduate of Clarke HS became the first player to get drafted out of Farmingdale State College since Tadeusz Nowakowski in 1978. He had a brilliant stretch of two seasons for the Rams, being named Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2016 and followed that up with a 4-1 season in ’17, in which he compiled a 1.39 ERA with 69 strikeouts over 51.2 IP. He finishes his career just ahead of me in the program-record book for highest strikeouts per nine (10.6). Their early postseason exit prevented him from compiling some of the numbers that other elite pitchers did. Still...
Which Players From Long Island Could Get Drafted? Part 2
Back in January, we did the first part of this series. I promised there would be a Part 2, and here it is. This is based off of my observations and the opinions of the local scouts. Rob Andreoli (LIU Post) The ECC Player of the Year was spectacular from day 1. He compiled 73 hits, walked more times (24) than he struck out (22) and was successful on 22 of 26 stolen base attempts. Despite hitting leadoff, he was able to drive in 44 runs and launch five home runs. He is 6’2″and plays a terrific center field as well–leading the team in outfield assists with six. He did battle an injury towards the end of the season that compromised his speed, but he continued to play at a high level. Ben Brown (Ward Melville) As I stated yesterday, Ben returned to the mound after a serious ap...
St. John’s Continues Red-Hot Start
by Troy Mauriello If the St. John’s Red Storm weren’t on the national radar after a 7-0 start to their season, they certainly are now. The No. 16 ranked Johnnies came from behind yesterday to knock off No. 7 North Carolina on the road, giving them their best start since 1981, the days of John Franco and Frank Viola. Yesterday’s victory was anything but easy for St. John’s. After outscoring their opponents 63-16 through their first seven wins this season, the Red Storm actually trailed 4-2 heading into the seventh inning in Chapel Hill. It appeared as though the perfect start and upset bid were falling apart before the Johnnies got a jolt of offense thanks to the long ball. In that seventh, after John Valente walked to lead off the inning, Jesse Berardi smashed a two-run, game-tying home ru...
