St. John's University Athletics
Friday, April 8
Storrs, Conn. (Elliot Ballpark)
6 p.m.
St. John's University
at
No. 25 Connecticut
St. John’s to Open BIG EAST Slate against No. 25 Connecticut
4/7/2022 4:30:00 PM | Baseball
Red Storm and Huskies to face off in Storrs for the first time in nine years
QUEENS, N.Y.- After dropping a hard-fought battle with Fairfield on Tuesday, the St. John's baseball will open up its BIG EAST schedule when it travels to Storrs, Conn., to take on No. 25 Connecticut. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. while Saturday and Sunday's games are both slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Fans can stream all three games live on FloSports and listen on the UConn Sports Network. Live stats for this weekend's series are available on StatBroadcast.com.
Joe Joe Rodriguez will make his second consecutive Friday start while Brandon Backman and Sonny Fauci will be taking the hill on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Backman leads all pitchers with a 1.62 ERA and was instrumental in the Johnnies' first shutout win of the season, a 9-0 victory over Rider in the opening game of a Saturday doubleheader. The graduate righthander tossed 5.2 scoreless innings with a career-high eight strikeouts and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.
At the plate, Tate Ballestero continues to lead the way with a .377 batting average and .472 on-base percentage. The Virginia transfer paces the team with 40 total hits, including 11 for extra bases, and boasts a squad-best 1.010 OPS. The Morristown, N.J., native holds the longest active on-base streak, reaching safely in 18 consecutive contests, and has recorded two hits or more in a team-high 12 games. Ballestero remains one of two hitters to start all 29 games for St. John's this season.
The other half of the newcomer dynamic duo, Kevin Michaels is hitting at a .354 clip in his 26 starts in 2022. The Encinitas, Calif., native is tied for the team lead with 26 RBIs and ranks second on the team in slugging percentage (.542). The BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 21 paces the Johnnies with seven games with multiple RBIs, including two starts with 5 or more RBIs.
Rounding out the hitters with a batting average of .300 or better, David Glancy is hitting .306 and has shown impressive power at the plate, leading the team with .586 slugging percentage and eight home runs. The redshirt sophomore also paces the Red Storm with 27 runs scored and has crossed the plate at least once in his last seven appearances. The Neptune, N.J., native joins Ballestero as the only other position player to start every game in 2022.
Jayson Kramer enjoyed a career day at the dish against Fairfield on Tuesday, tallying a career-high four RBIs in a 2-for-4 effort. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native has now logged four multi-hit games, good for sixth among active hitters.
In his fourth start of the season on Tuesday, Dylan Johnson completed 3.0 scoreless frames against Fairfield, fanning five batters while only allowing two hits in a strong effort on the mound. The freshman out of Selden, N.Y., has now pitched 4.2 shutout innings over his last three appearances.
UConn enters this weekend series with a record of 21-7 and a 6-1 record at home. The Huskies are riding a two-game win streak, defeating Merrimack and Central Connecticut State in the midweek by a combined 28 runs.
Connecticut leads the BIG EAST in several categories, including cumulative batting average (.286), doubles (45) and team ERA (3.00).
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Erik Stock leads the Huskies with a .404 batting average with 11 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs and 22 RBIs. Stock is one of six position players with an average of .300 or better.
On the mound, Friday starter Andrew Peterson boasts a 5-0 record in seven starts with a 2.78 ERA. Peterson ranks third in the nation with 70 strikeouts and first in the BIG EAST with 13.90 strikeouts per nine innings.
The all-time series between St. John's and Connecticut is tied at 60 wins apiece.
The Johnnies edged the Huskies, 4-3, in seven innings in the opener of a Saturday twin-bill in 2021 but dropped the series, 3-1. Friday's matchup will mark the first matchup in Connecticut since 2013.
Fans can stream all three games live on FloSports and listen on the UConn Sports Network. Live stats for this weekend's series are available on StatBroadcast.com.
Joe Joe Rodriguez will make his second consecutive Friday start while Brandon Backman and Sonny Fauci will be taking the hill on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Backman leads all pitchers with a 1.62 ERA and was instrumental in the Johnnies' first shutout win of the season, a 9-0 victory over Rider in the opening game of a Saturday doubleheader. The graduate righthander tossed 5.2 scoreless innings with a career-high eight strikeouts and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.
At the plate, Tate Ballestero continues to lead the way with a .377 batting average and .472 on-base percentage. The Virginia transfer paces the team with 40 total hits, including 11 for extra bases, and boasts a squad-best 1.010 OPS. The Morristown, N.J., native holds the longest active on-base streak, reaching safely in 18 consecutive contests, and has recorded two hits or more in a team-high 12 games. Ballestero remains one of two hitters to start all 29 games for St. John's this season.
The other half of the newcomer dynamic duo, Kevin Michaels is hitting at a .354 clip in his 26 starts in 2022. The Encinitas, Calif., native is tied for the team lead with 26 RBIs and ranks second on the team in slugging percentage (.542). The BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 21 paces the Johnnies with seven games with multiple RBIs, including two starts with 5 or more RBIs.
Rounding out the hitters with a batting average of .300 or better, David Glancy is hitting .306 and has shown impressive power at the plate, leading the team with .586 slugging percentage and eight home runs. The redshirt sophomore also paces the Red Storm with 27 runs scored and has crossed the plate at least once in his last seven appearances. The Neptune, N.J., native joins Ballestero as the only other position player to start every game in 2022.
Jayson Kramer enjoyed a career day at the dish against Fairfield on Tuesday, tallying a career-high four RBIs in a 2-for-4 effort. The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native has now logged four multi-hit games, good for sixth among active hitters.
In his fourth start of the season on Tuesday, Dylan Johnson completed 3.0 scoreless frames against Fairfield, fanning five batters while only allowing two hits in a strong effort on the mound. The freshman out of Selden, N.Y., has now pitched 4.2 shutout innings over his last three appearances.
UConn enters this weekend series with a record of 21-7 and a 6-1 record at home. The Huskies are riding a two-game win streak, defeating Merrimack and Central Connecticut State in the midweek by a combined 28 runs.
Connecticut leads the BIG EAST in several categories, including cumulative batting average (.286), doubles (45) and team ERA (3.00).
Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Erik Stock leads the Huskies with a .404 batting average with 11 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs and 22 RBIs. Stock is one of six position players with an average of .300 or better.
On the mound, Friday starter Andrew Peterson boasts a 5-0 record in seven starts with a 2.78 ERA. Peterson ranks third in the nation with 70 strikeouts and first in the BIG EAST with 13.90 strikeouts per nine innings.
The all-time series between St. John's and Connecticut is tied at 60 wins apiece.
The Johnnies edged the Huskies, 4-3, in seven innings in the opener of a Saturday twin-bill in 2021 but dropped the series, 3-1. Friday's matchup will mark the first matchup in Connecticut since 2013.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballSt. John's Baseball vs Villanova Highlights 5.11.25
Sunday, May 11
St. John's Baseball vs Villanova Highlights 5.10.25
Saturday, May 10
St. John's Baseball vs Iona Highlights 4.29.2025
Tuesday, April 29
St. John's Baseball vs Rutgers Highlights 4.22.2025
Tuesday, April 22