St. John's University Athletics
John Valente Named Assistant Coach at St. John’s
8/31/2023 3:59:00 PM | Baseball
The program’s lone BIG EAST Player of the Year makes his return to Queens after five years in professional baseball
QUEENS, N.Y. – The only Johnnie in program history to capture BIG EAST Player of the Year honors, John Valente, has been named assistant coach of the St. John's baseball team on Thursday. The former Red Storm standout will serve as the team's hitting coach.
A lifetime .353 hitter, Valente produced one of the most successful careers in the history of the St. John's Baseball program. He helped the Red Storm record four winning seasons, three 40-win campaigns and a pair of BIG EAST Championships during his tenure in Queens.
After making 20 appearances as a freshman during the program's BIG EAST championship-winning season of 2015, Valente found his way into the starting lineup consistently midway through the 2016 campaign before going on to lead the team with a .341 batting average. In his final two seasons with the Red Storm, Valente earned a pair of First Team All-BIG EAST selections, hitting .375 as a redshirt junior before batting .360 as a graduate student in 2018.
Valente capped his St. John's career with 218 hits, good enough for 13th in program history. In 173 appearances across four seasons with the Red Storm, Valente struck out just 38 times. He was also named the NCAA Clemson Regional All-Tournament Team in both 2017 and 2018, going 3-for-6 with three doubles in two games at the 2017 NCAA Regional before going 6-for-14 with a pair of extra-base hits in 2018.
Following his storied collegiate career, the New Rochelle, N.Y., native was selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft, servicing the team over the last five seasons. The two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection played 295 games in the Minors, amassing a .304 batting average and posting one hit per game with 309 in total. The third baseman rattled off 130 runs scored and 106 RBIs within Detroit's farm system. As of July 28, Valente officially retired from professional baseball.
Valente also made an appearance in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, joining his fellow Red Storm teammate and recent MLB call-up Joe LaSorsa.
A lifetime .353 hitter, Valente produced one of the most successful careers in the history of the St. John's Baseball program. He helped the Red Storm record four winning seasons, three 40-win campaigns and a pair of BIG EAST Championships during his tenure in Queens.
After making 20 appearances as a freshman during the program's BIG EAST championship-winning season of 2015, Valente found his way into the starting lineup consistently midway through the 2016 campaign before going on to lead the team with a .341 batting average. In his final two seasons with the Red Storm, Valente earned a pair of First Team All-BIG EAST selections, hitting .375 as a redshirt junior before batting .360 as a graduate student in 2018.
Valente capped his St. John's career with 218 hits, good enough for 13th in program history. In 173 appearances across four seasons with the Red Storm, Valente struck out just 38 times. He was also named the NCAA Clemson Regional All-Tournament Team in both 2017 and 2018, going 3-for-6 with three doubles in two games at the 2017 NCAA Regional before going 6-for-14 with a pair of extra-base hits in 2018.
Following his storied collegiate career, the New Rochelle, N.Y., native was selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft, servicing the team over the last five seasons. The two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection played 295 games in the Minors, amassing a .304 batting average and posting one hit per game with 309 in total. The third baseman rattled off 130 runs scored and 106 RBIs within Detroit's farm system. As of July 28, Valente officially retired from professional baseball.
Valente also made an appearance in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, joining his fellow Red Storm teammate and recent MLB call-up Joe LaSorsa.
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