St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Baseball Players Enjoying Stellar Summers
7/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 14, 2004
QUEENS, NY - After one of the most exciting seasons in recent years, St. John's baseball players have continued their stellar play in wood-bat summer leagues throughout the country.
The Red Storm, who finished 37-23 overall, finished second in the BIG EAST and reached an NCAA Regional, have team members competing in the famed Cape Cod League in Massachusetts, the Northwoods League in the Midwest, the Coastal Plains League in North Carolina, the New England Collegiate Baseball League, the Pacific International League, the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League and the Atlantic Baseball Confederation.
Leading the way are juniors Craig Hansen (Glen Cove, NY) and Anthony Varvaro (Staten Island, NY), who are pitching for the Harwich Mariners of the famed Cape Cod League in Massachusetts. Varvaro, a starter and 2004 second-team All-BIG EAST selection, is 2-1 with a 1.04 earned run average. In four starts, he has thrown 26.0 innings, giving up three earned runs on 13 hits with 12 walks and 27 strikeouts.
Hansen, who set a school record with 10 saves this season, is among the league leaders in appearances (11) for the Mariners, who are 10-11 overall and in fourth place in the East Division. The junior is 1-1 with a league-high five saves and a 0.00 earned run average. In 11.2 innings pitched, he has allowed two unearned runs on five hits, with two walks and 18 strikeouts.
Another classmate, junior Greg Thomson (Levittown, NY), is a starting outfielder for the Madison (Wisc.) Mallards (18-13 first half, third place; 6-2 second half, first place) and was named to the Northwoods League All-Star team. It was the second-straight season a Red Storm player was named to the League's All-Star team, as recent graduate Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, NJ), who is playing for the Class A Danville Braves now, was selected last year. Thomson, who plays in the all-star game tonight, is second on the team in batting (.325) and in stolen bases (18). Madison
Senior shortstop P.J. Antoniato (Levittown, NY) is playing for the Manchester (Conn.) Silkworms of the New England Collegiate League. The Silkworms, who are 13-12 overall and in second place in the league's Southern Division, have been led by the Red Storm's infielder. Antoniato is batting a team-high .342, and leads the team in at-bats (111), runs (14), hits (38), doubles (5) and total bases (43).
Senior catcher Joe Burke (Brooklyn, NY) and Jim Martin (Norwood, MA) are playing for the Keene (N.H.) SwampBats, who are 18-9 and in first place in the league's Northern Division. Martin, who led the Red Storm with a .394 average in BIG EAST games during the 2004 season, was a late addition to the SwampBats roster and has been used at several positions, mainly playing left field, but also appearing at third base, shortstop and in right field. He is batting .250, leads the team in at-bats (92) and is second on the team in RBI (18). Burke, who has started 16 games behind the plate, is batting .156 and has thrown six runners out.
Junior first baseman Eddie Schultz (Flemington, NJ) is playing for the Concord (Mass.) Quarry Dogs, who are 14-12 overall and tied for third place in the Northern Division. Schultz, who has also seen time in right field, is batting .234, has hit a team-high four home runs and driven in 12 runs. Sophomore Anthony Sullivan (Arlington, MA) has been among the top starters in the league, carrying a 2-1 record with a 2.97 earned run average in five starts. He has thrown 30.1 innings, given up 10 earned runs on 17 hits, with 14 walks and 22 strikeouts.
Senior Jim Wladyka (Rutherford, NJ) is pitching for the Vermont Mountaineers, who are 13-15 overall and in fifth place in the league's Northern Division. Wladyka is third on the team in appearances (11), and carries an 0-2 record with a 5.40 earned run average. He has walked seven batters and struck out 19 in 16.2 innings pitched.
Senior outfielder Blake Hershelman (Georgetown, DE) recently joined the Edenton (N.C.) Steamers of the Coastal Plains League. Hershelman joined the team late due to a nagging injury, but has started four of the last eight games, including a 2-for-4 outing in a 4-3 win over Fayetteville on Monday night. He is currently batting .188.
Senior third baseman Matt Robinson (Sacramento, CA) is the starting third baseman for the Spokane (Wash.) RiverHawks of the Pacific International League. The RiverHawks, who are managed by former Major League shortstop Kevin Stocker, are 5-20 overall and in fifth place in the International Division. Robinson has started 15 of 17 games and is batting .232, with a double, triple and six RBI.
Two Red Storm players - junior outfielder Ken Devenney (Philadelphia, PA) and sophomore pitcher Justin Muir (Plainsboro, NJ) - were named to the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League's All-Star team. Devenney and Muir, who play for the Long Island Collegians in the Kaiser Division, will play in the ACBL All-Star game on Monday, July 19 at 7 p.m. at The Ballpark at St. John's. Devenney is second on his team, and second in the ACBL, in batting with a .371 average. He leads the league in doubles (11), ranks eighth in slugging percentage (.529) and 10th in on-base percentage (.425). Muir, meanwhile, is 1-1 with a 3.95 earned run average. He has started five games, thrown 24.2 innings, walked 11 and struck out 26 while hurling one complete game.
Sophomores Ryan Crespi (Sparta, NJ) and Brendan Monaghan (Wayne, NJ), are playing for the Jersey Pilots, who are 17-10 overall and stand in first place in the Wolff Division. Monaghan has started 14 games and appeared in 19 at catcher for the Pilots. He is batting .286, fourth among all regulars. Crespi, meanwhile, has been starting at second base and is batting .183.
Two Red Storm players are on the roster for the Toms River (N.J.) Black Sox of the Atlantic Baseball Federation, redshirt freshmen Cole Kimball (Great Meadows, NJ) and James Lally (Floral Park, NY). Lally carries a 1-1 record with three saves and a 1.83 earned run average for the Black Sox, who are 11-11 overall. He has thrown 19.2 innings, walked three and struck out 19 batters. Kimball is 1-1 with one save a 6.55 earned run average in 22.0 innings pitched.
More updates on St. John's baseball players, as well as an update on former Red Storm players who are in the minor leagues and in the majors, will follow in the next week.