St. John's University Athletics
Three Former Johnnies Named to 2023 World Baseball Classic Rosters
2/10/2023 1:03:00 PM | Baseball
Alex Katz, Joe LaSorsa and John Valente will represent Team Israel and Team Italy in the 2023 WBC
QUEENS, N.Y. (Feb. 10, 2023) – Former St. John's baseball standouts Alex Katz, Joe LaSorsa and John Valente have been selected to represent their respective countries in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Katz, representing Team Israel, was selected by the White Sox in the 27th round of the 2015 MLB Draft after helping lead the Red Storm to BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament titles as a junior. That spring, Katz went 3-1 with a 3.40 ERA and 52 strikeouts across 55.2 innings of work. In 19 appearances, six of which were starts, for the 41-16 Johnnies, the Manhasset, N.Y., native held the opposition to a .259 batting average.
In addition to his first stint in the White Sox organization, Katz has also played in the farm systems of the Orioles, Royals and Cubs. Katz also played for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2019.
This will not be Katz's first go-around with Team Israel, as he participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic in South Korea and the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo. The Herricks High School graduate is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel.
Team Italy representatives LaSorsa and Valente will play in their first game together since June 6, 2018, when the duo faced off with Clemson in the NCAA Regional Final. Valente produced a two-hit performance against the Tigers while LaSorsa tossed an inning out of the pen, striking out one.
LaSorsa has spent the last three seasons with the team that drafted him in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Katonah, N.Y., product jumped up to Double-A in 2022, making 19 appearances with the Montgomery Biscuits and tallying 34 punchouts across 34.1 innings of work with a .211 batting average against.
The lefty earned his selection on the heels of a stellar junior season, ranking seventh in Division I with a 1.66 ERA and six wins in his first season as a starter. He struck out twice as many batters as he walked and limited opponents to a .199 batting average in 86.2 innings of work. This came after being a force out of the bullpen during his first two years in Queens, going 11-1 in 47 relief appearances with eight saves to earn a spot on the 2019 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award watch list, presented to the best relief pitcher in college baseball.
Valente produced one of the most successful careers in the history of the St. John's Baseball program. A lifetime .353 hitter, Valente helped the Red Storm record four winning seasons, three 40-win campaigns and a pair of BIG EAST Championships during his tenure in Queens. The program's lone BIG EAST Player of the Year capped his St. John's tenure with 218 hits, good enough for 13th in program history, while striking out just 38 times in 173 games.
The New Rochelle native was selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft, servicing the team over the last five seasons. Entering his sixth with the franchise, Valente has risen through the Minor League Baseball scene, completing the 2022 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, Detriot's Triple-A affiliate, where he put forth career highs with 37 runs scored, 26 RBIs and 14 stolen bases to go with a .293/.355/.390 slash line.
LaSorsa, Valente and Team Italy will open WBC action on Thursday, March 9 against Cuba at 6 a.m. ET on Tubi. Katz and Team Israel will take on Puerto Rico on Saturday, March 11 at noon ET on FS2.
Katz, representing Team Israel, was selected by the White Sox in the 27th round of the 2015 MLB Draft after helping lead the Red Storm to BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament titles as a junior. That spring, Katz went 3-1 with a 3.40 ERA and 52 strikeouts across 55.2 innings of work. In 19 appearances, six of which were starts, for the 41-16 Johnnies, the Manhasset, N.Y., native held the opposition to a .259 batting average.
In addition to his first stint in the White Sox organization, Katz has also played in the farm systems of the Orioles, Royals and Cubs. Katz also played for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2019.
This will not be Katz's first go-around with Team Israel, as he participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic in South Korea and the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo. The Herricks High School graduate is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel.
Team Italy representatives LaSorsa and Valente will play in their first game together since June 6, 2018, when the duo faced off with Clemson in the NCAA Regional Final. Valente produced a two-hit performance against the Tigers while LaSorsa tossed an inning out of the pen, striking out one.
LaSorsa has spent the last three seasons with the team that drafted him in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Katonah, N.Y., product jumped up to Double-A in 2022, making 19 appearances with the Montgomery Biscuits and tallying 34 punchouts across 34.1 innings of work with a .211 batting average against.
The lefty earned his selection on the heels of a stellar junior season, ranking seventh in Division I with a 1.66 ERA and six wins in his first season as a starter. He struck out twice as many batters as he walked and limited opponents to a .199 batting average in 86.2 innings of work. This came after being a force out of the bullpen during his first two years in Queens, going 11-1 in 47 relief appearances with eight saves to earn a spot on the 2019 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award watch list, presented to the best relief pitcher in college baseball.
Valente produced one of the most successful careers in the history of the St. John's Baseball program. A lifetime .353 hitter, Valente helped the Red Storm record four winning seasons, three 40-win campaigns and a pair of BIG EAST Championships during his tenure in Queens. The program's lone BIG EAST Player of the Year capped his St. John's tenure with 218 hits, good enough for 13th in program history, while striking out just 38 times in 173 games.
The New Rochelle native was selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft, servicing the team over the last five seasons. Entering his sixth with the franchise, Valente has risen through the Minor League Baseball scene, completing the 2022 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, Detriot's Triple-A affiliate, where he put forth career highs with 37 runs scored, 26 RBIs and 14 stolen bases to go with a .293/.355/.390 slash line.
LaSorsa, Valente and Team Italy will open WBC action on Thursday, March 9 against Cuba at 6 a.m. ET on Tubi. Katz and Team Israel will take on Puerto Rico on Saturday, March 11 at noon ET on FS2.
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