St. John's University Athletics
Photo by: Tim Cowie/Tim Cowie Photography
Red Storm Rolls into Presbyterian for a Midweek Matchup
3/2/2020 3:55:00 PM | Baseball
Johnnies will look to snap a four-game skid
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 2, 2020) – After coming on the wrong side of a series sweep at Charlotte this past weekend, the St. John's baseball team will look to stop its skid with a midweek matchup at Presbyterian on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch from PC Baseball Complex is set for 2 p.m.
The Johnnies suffered three close losses in the Queen City this past weekend, including a 6-5 falter in game two and a 10-8 defeat in game three. On Saturday, the Red Storm erased a late three-run deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth before Charlotte walked off in the home half of the frame. The following day, the Red Storm whittled an eight-run deficit to just two before the 49ers managed to hang on for the victory.
Anchored by a strong Sunday showing, Sean McGeehan led the way offensively for the Johnnies against Charlotte, hitting .385 with a double. In the finale, the senior outfielder from Hamilton, N.J., matched a pair of career-highs by going 4-for-5 with three RBIs. On the season, McGeehan leads the team with nine RBIs in as many games.
Ryan Hogan reached base at a .545 clip against the 49ers, registering three hits to go along with a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. Two Johnnies left the yard over the weekend, as Justin Folz hit his second homer of the year on Saturday before Ryan Markey added a solo shot on Sunday to help spark a late rally. Mike Antico scored three times, drove in three runs and stole three bases, improving to a perfect 6-for-6 on the season in stolen base attempts.
The Red Storm will look to replicate the success it experienced two weekends ago in The Bay Area, as the Johnnies took two wins from the Cal Golden Bears at Evans Diamond. The series victory was the first in program history against a Pac-12 foe and marked the second straight season that St. John's has taken a series from a Power Five opponent after the Johnnies swept Kansas in 2019. Those two wins against Cal immediately followed a Sunday drubbing of then-No. 19 Georgia Tech on Feb. 16, as Ian Murphy fanned nine in five innings of work to improve the Red Storm record to 3-0 in regular season play against the ACC since 2017.
Over the opening two weeks of the season, few hitters in the country swung a hotter bat than freshman Jake Lazzaro. In the first five starts of his St. John's career, the shortstop from Oceanside, N.Y., recorded three three-hit games, batting .526 with an OPS of 1.242. Prior to Lazzaro, no St. John's freshman had registered a three-hit game since Josh Shaw in 2016, a campaign that saw the three-time All-BIG EAST selection garner conference freshman of the year honors. Lazzaro will look to rebound from a tough weekend in Charlotte, as he went 1-for-11 with a walk and seven punch-outs.
Brian Hendry will take the hill on Tuesday for his first start as a member of the Red Storm. In 10 appearances spanning two seasons, the sophomore is 1-0 with a 9.90 ERA, seven strikeouts, six walks and a .333 opponent batting average.
Presbyterian welcomes the Red Storm on the heels of a three-game sweep at the hands of Notre Dame at home this past weekend. In total, the Irish outscored the Blue Hose, 32-9, including a 9-0 margin in the Sunday finale.
Both of Presbyterian's wins this year have come against teams from the Northeast, as the Blue Hose knocked off Brown and Manhattan at the Wofford/USC Upstate Tournament two weekends ago.
As a team, the Blue Hose is hitting .211 on the year, led by Graham Mitchell at .273. Two other Presbyterian hitters are batting .250 or better, as Kyle Decker checks in at .261 and Zacchaeus Rasberry is hitting .250.
Tuesday's projected starter, right-hander Kyle Benson, is 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA in four appearances.
St. John's and Presbyterian will meet for the first time in the history of the two programs on Tuesday afternoon.
The Johnnies suffered three close losses in the Queen City this past weekend, including a 6-5 falter in game two and a 10-8 defeat in game three. On Saturday, the Red Storm erased a late three-run deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth before Charlotte walked off in the home half of the frame. The following day, the Red Storm whittled an eight-run deficit to just two before the 49ers managed to hang on for the victory.
Anchored by a strong Sunday showing, Sean McGeehan led the way offensively for the Johnnies against Charlotte, hitting .385 with a double. In the finale, the senior outfielder from Hamilton, N.J., matched a pair of career-highs by going 4-for-5 with three RBIs. On the season, McGeehan leads the team with nine RBIs in as many games.
Ryan Hogan reached base at a .545 clip against the 49ers, registering three hits to go along with a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. Two Johnnies left the yard over the weekend, as Justin Folz hit his second homer of the year on Saturday before Ryan Markey added a solo shot on Sunday to help spark a late rally. Mike Antico scored three times, drove in three runs and stole three bases, improving to a perfect 6-for-6 on the season in stolen base attempts.
The Red Storm will look to replicate the success it experienced two weekends ago in The Bay Area, as the Johnnies took two wins from the Cal Golden Bears at Evans Diamond. The series victory was the first in program history against a Pac-12 foe and marked the second straight season that St. John's has taken a series from a Power Five opponent after the Johnnies swept Kansas in 2019. Those two wins against Cal immediately followed a Sunday drubbing of then-No. 19 Georgia Tech on Feb. 16, as Ian Murphy fanned nine in five innings of work to improve the Red Storm record to 3-0 in regular season play against the ACC since 2017.
Over the opening two weeks of the season, few hitters in the country swung a hotter bat than freshman Jake Lazzaro. In the first five starts of his St. John's career, the shortstop from Oceanside, N.Y., recorded three three-hit games, batting .526 with an OPS of 1.242. Prior to Lazzaro, no St. John's freshman had registered a three-hit game since Josh Shaw in 2016, a campaign that saw the three-time All-BIG EAST selection garner conference freshman of the year honors. Lazzaro will look to rebound from a tough weekend in Charlotte, as he went 1-for-11 with a walk and seven punch-outs.
Brian Hendry will take the hill on Tuesday for his first start as a member of the Red Storm. In 10 appearances spanning two seasons, the sophomore is 1-0 with a 9.90 ERA, seven strikeouts, six walks and a .333 opponent batting average.
Presbyterian welcomes the Red Storm on the heels of a three-game sweep at the hands of Notre Dame at home this past weekend. In total, the Irish outscored the Blue Hose, 32-9, including a 9-0 margin in the Sunday finale.
Both of Presbyterian's wins this year have come against teams from the Northeast, as the Blue Hose knocked off Brown and Manhattan at the Wofford/USC Upstate Tournament two weekends ago.
As a team, the Blue Hose is hitting .211 on the year, led by Graham Mitchell at .273. Two other Presbyterian hitters are batting .250 or better, as Kyle Decker checks in at .261 and Zacchaeus Rasberry is hitting .250.
Tuesday's projected starter, right-hander Kyle Benson, is 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA in four appearances.
St. John's and Presbyterian will meet for the first time in the history of the two programs on Tuesday afternoon.
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