St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Hosts Villanova To Open BIG EAST Play
3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's, the two-time defending BIG EAST regular season champions, hosts Villanova in a three-game set to open conference play this weekend. The Red Storm has gone 20-7 in BIG EAST play in each of the past two seasons and has won three regular season crowns in the past four years. The three-game series opens at 3 p.m. on Friday. After a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, the teams will play on Sunday at noon to close out the series.
Stat Of The Week
40-14, .741: The Red Storm's record and combined winning percentage in BIG EAST play in the past two seasons.
Inside The Series With Villanova
St. John's and Villanova have met 60 times in a series that began in 1960 and St. John's holds a 39-21 all-time advantage. The teams split four meetings in 2008. After St. John's took two of three at Villanova to clinch the BIG EAST regular season crown, the squads met again in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament. The Wildcats took that contest, 12-0, giving the Red Storm its first loss in the double elimation tournament. The Red Storm had won 11-straight against the Wildcats before dropping the second game of the 2008 series.
Scouting The Wildcats
Riding an eight-game winning streak, Villanova comes to Queens with a 10-6 record on the year. The Wildcats were 30-28 (12-15) a year ago, including a 2-2 showing in BIG EAST Tournament play. Joe Cotter paces the offense with a team-best 16 RBI to go with a .327 average. Dain Hall is batting .358 with 15 RBI and a team best eight doubles, while adding nine steals in 11 attempts. Matt McFolling has two home runs and 14 RBI and Matt Szczur has a .382 average to go along with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts.
Projected Villanova Rotation
RHP Brian Streilein: 2-2, 5.85, 18K, 20.0 IP, .314 opp/avg
RHP Chris Pack: 3-1, 2.49, 12K, 21.2 IP, .247 opp/avg
LHP Kevin Crimmel: 2-1, 3.86, 18K 21.0 IP, .275 opp/avg
STORMTRACKER
Benedetti Named To Johnny Bench Award Watch List
Senior catcher Danny Benedetti has been named to the official watch list for the Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza. Benedetti is one of 44 catchers on the watch list for the award, given to the top catcher in Division I baseball.
Benedetti is batting .324 with one double, one home run and eight RBI in 11 games. The senior also has a 1.000 fielding percentage in 81 chances and has thrown out 3-of-5 (60.0 percent) base stealers. As a second team All-BIG EAST selection in 2008, Benedetti batted .342 with 14 doubles and 19 RBI, and threw out 19-of-37 (51.4 percent) of runners.
The watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists, which will be announced on May 14. Three finalists will be determined on June 3, while the winner will be announced at the 12th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26.
