St. John's University Athletics
Four Johnnies Earn ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Honors
6/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ABCA/Rawlings Release
QUEENS, N.Y. - The awards continue to roll in for members of the St. John's Baseball program, as four Johnnies garnered spots on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings NCAA Division I Northeast All-Region teams announced this afternoon.
Three members of the Red Storm found places on the area's top squad, as Jesse Berardi, Michael Donadio and Sean Mooney earned spots on the All-Region First Team. In addition, John Valente was honored with a nod to the All-Region Second Team.
Berardi, a 10th Round selection by the Cleveland Indians in this week's MLB Draft, earned his spot on the All-Region team after a breakout junior season that saw him solidify himself as one of the nation's premier talents. The Commack, N.Y., native hit .356 and tied for the team lead with 47 RBIs, the latter of which was good enough for third in the conference. Also tied for the team lead in walks with 38, Berardi reached base safely in each of his last 37 contests, a tear that included a 19-game hitting streak. An All-BIG EAST First Teamer, Berardi led the squad with 13 multi-RBI games and tallied 21 multi-hit efforts, including three four-hit performances.
One of just two student-athletes in 30-plus years of BIG EAST play to earn a spot on the all-conference first team four times, Donadio put the finishing touches on one of the finest careers in St. John's history this spring. The program's career leader in both runs scored (195) and walks (138), Donadio finished his tenure in red and white ranked second on the school's all-time hits list with 268 and placed inside the top 10 in RBIs, doubles and triples. A career .330 hitter, Donadio batted a career-best .374 as a senior, tallying 15 doubles, five triples and four home runs for a Red Storm squad that won 42 games. Earlier today, Donadio heard his name called by the Miami Marlins in the 30th Round of the MLB Draft.
Already one of the most decorated players in program history after just one year, Mooney adds yet another trophy to his collection with his all-region selection. A Third Team All-American according to both Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA, Mooney was also recognized by each organization as the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Boasting an 8-2 record and ranking inside the top 10 nationally in both ERA (1.71) and WHIP (0.86), Mooney became just the second player in BIG EAST history to be named the conference's Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year simultaneously, joining Boston College's Chris Lambert, who accomplished the feat in 2002 before being selected in the First Round of the MLB Draft in 2004.
An integral part of the Red Storm's success this season, Valente finished second on the squad with a .375 batting average, tallying a team-best 84 hits during his redshirt junior campaign. After starting the year on an 18-game hitting streak-- 30 if you include his 12 game hitting streak to end 2016--the New Rochelle, N.Y., native maintained his position as a consistent threat at the top of the Red Storm lineup all season long, driving in 35 runs and tallying 14 extra-base hits. An All-BIG EAST First Team selection, Valente was the only Red Storm player named to the Clemson Regional All-Tournament team, going 3-for-6 with three doubles, a walk and a sacrifice hit in the Johnnies' two NCAA outings.
By virtue of their selection to the All-Region First Team, Berardi, Donadio and Mooney are now nominated for the ABCA All-America Team, which will be released on Saturday.
