St. John's University Athletics
Friday, February 8
Boca Raton, Fla.
3:45 p.m.
St. John's University
vs
Georgia
St. John’s Opens 2019 at the FAU “First Pitch” Classic
2/7/2019 6:12:00 PM | Softball
The Red Storm will kick off its season against No.6/7 Georgia on Friday
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2018) – The St. John's softball team will kick off its 2019 campaign on Friday afternoon at the FAU "First Pitch" Classic. The Johnnies are slated for five games over the course of three days in Boca Raton, including a matchup against No. 6/7 Georgia in the squad's season opener.
St. John's opens against the Bulldogs on Friday at 3:45 p.m. before taking on the host school, Florida Atlantic, at 8:15 p.m. On Saturday, the Johnnies will battle their second NCAA Regional team in as many days, facing 2018 MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman at 1:30 p.m. before squaring off with Indiana at 3:45 p.m. The Red Storm will then close out the tournament on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. against Virginia.
Leading the way for the Red Storm is Head Coach Bob Guerriero, who enters his first season at the helm of the program after succeeding longtime head coach Amy Kvilhaug, who retired in August 2018. Guerriero spent six years on Kvilhaug's staff as an assistant and associate head coach, helping the Johnnies reach their highest points in program history during his time on staff.
The Johnnies return 12 letter winners from last year's roster, including two All-BIG EAST First Team selections in Kaitlin Mattera and 2018 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Gretchen Bowie.
As a sophomore, Mattera smacked 21 of her 42 hits against conference opponents. She batted .356 with 20 RBIs, 11 doubles and five roundtrippers over the course of her 2018 campaign. Much like her junior counterpart, Bowie was one of five Johnnies to hit over .300 for the season, batting .346 with 15 home runs and 40 RBIs.
The Sparta, N.J., native is one of just four Johnnies in program history to earn two First Team All-BIG EAST selections alongside Krysal Puga, Lauren Zick and Erin Burner.
The Red Storm and Georgia will meet for the sixth time in the history of the two programs. St. John's has yet to claim a victory against its SEC counterpart led by Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer, who has claimed more than 1,000 victories as a Division I softball coach. The Bulldogs finished the 2018 campaign with a 48-13 record and earned their second Women's College World Series berth in the last three seasons.
In the nightcap, the Red Storm will face FAU for the 10th time in school history. The Owls have had the upper hand since their first meeting in 1995, going 8-1 against the Johnnies. St. John's lone win against FAU came in 2014. The Owls, led by legendary Head Coach Joan Joyce, completed last season with a 30-26 record and went 15-8 against C-USA opponents to claim the conference's regular season title.
On Saturday, the Johnnies clash with 2018 MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman, a team that clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth a season ago. The Red Storm has posted a 4-0 record all-time against the Wildcats, including a 1-0 victory in 2017 behind a eight-strikeout, complete game shutout from Tori Free, who recently returned to Queens as an assistant coach.
After taking on the Wildcats, the Red Storm will undertake its first-ever matchup against Indiana. Senior standout Tara Trainer returns for her final hurrah in 2019 after posting a 17-18 record in 2018. The expected ace registered a 2.64 ERA, struck out 216 batters and held opponents to a .199 batting average.
The Johnnies will wrap up the FAU "First Pitch" Classic with a tilt against Virginia. The Cavaliers have had six-straight losing seasons, including a 2018 campaign that included just 12 wins. St. John's will look for its first victory against Virginia after dropping its first two meetings in program history.
This will be the third time in the last six seasons that the Johnnies have traveled to Boca Raton to take on elite teams in a tournament at FAU. In its last appearance in 2017, the Red Storm finished with a 3-2 record, earning wins over Savannah State, Toledo, and Tulsa.
The FAU "First Pitch" Classic is the first of four premier early-season tournaments for the Red Storm before heading back to Queens for its home opener on March 15.
To keep up to date with this weekend's games, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@StJohnsSoftball).
St. John's opens against the Bulldogs on Friday at 3:45 p.m. before taking on the host school, Florida Atlantic, at 8:15 p.m. On Saturday, the Johnnies will battle their second NCAA Regional team in as many days, facing 2018 MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman at 1:30 p.m. before squaring off with Indiana at 3:45 p.m. The Red Storm will then close out the tournament on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. against Virginia.
Leading the way for the Red Storm is Head Coach Bob Guerriero, who enters his first season at the helm of the program after succeeding longtime head coach Amy Kvilhaug, who retired in August 2018. Guerriero spent six years on Kvilhaug's staff as an assistant and associate head coach, helping the Johnnies reach their highest points in program history during his time on staff.
The Johnnies return 12 letter winners from last year's roster, including two All-BIG EAST First Team selections in Kaitlin Mattera and 2018 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Gretchen Bowie.
As a sophomore, Mattera smacked 21 of her 42 hits against conference opponents. She batted .356 with 20 RBIs, 11 doubles and five roundtrippers over the course of her 2018 campaign. Much like her junior counterpart, Bowie was one of five Johnnies to hit over .300 for the season, batting .346 with 15 home runs and 40 RBIs.
The Sparta, N.J., native is one of just four Johnnies in program history to earn two First Team All-BIG EAST selections alongside Krysal Puga, Lauren Zick and Erin Burner.
The Red Storm and Georgia will meet for the sixth time in the history of the two programs. St. John's has yet to claim a victory against its SEC counterpart led by Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer, who has claimed more than 1,000 victories as a Division I softball coach. The Bulldogs finished the 2018 campaign with a 48-13 record and earned their second Women's College World Series berth in the last three seasons.
In the nightcap, the Red Storm will face FAU for the 10th time in school history. The Owls have had the upper hand since their first meeting in 1995, going 8-1 against the Johnnies. St. John's lone win against FAU came in 2014. The Owls, led by legendary Head Coach Joan Joyce, completed last season with a 30-26 record and went 15-8 against C-USA opponents to claim the conference's regular season title.
On Saturday, the Johnnies clash with 2018 MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman, a team that clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth a season ago. The Red Storm has posted a 4-0 record all-time against the Wildcats, including a 1-0 victory in 2017 behind a eight-strikeout, complete game shutout from Tori Free, who recently returned to Queens as an assistant coach.
After taking on the Wildcats, the Red Storm will undertake its first-ever matchup against Indiana. Senior standout Tara Trainer returns for her final hurrah in 2019 after posting a 17-18 record in 2018. The expected ace registered a 2.64 ERA, struck out 216 batters and held opponents to a .199 batting average.
The Johnnies will wrap up the FAU "First Pitch" Classic with a tilt against Virginia. The Cavaliers have had six-straight losing seasons, including a 2018 campaign that included just 12 wins. St. John's will look for its first victory against Virginia after dropping its first two meetings in program history.
This will be the third time in the last six seasons that the Johnnies have traveled to Boca Raton to take on elite teams in a tournament at FAU. In its last appearance in 2017, the Red Storm finished with a 3-2 record, earning wins over Savannah State, Toledo, and Tulsa.
The FAU "First Pitch" Classic is the first of four premier early-season tournaments for the Red Storm before heading back to Queens for its home opener on March 15.
To keep up to date with this weekend's games, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@StJohnsSoftball).
Players Mentioned
St. John's Softball Highlights at UConn 5.4
Sunday, May 04
St. John's Softball vs Villanova Highlights Game 3 4.27.25
Sunday, April 27
St. John's Softball vs Villanova Game 2 Highlights 4.25.2025
Friday, April 25
St. John's Softball vs Villanova Game 1 Highlights 4.25
Friday, April 25