St. John's University Athletics
Baseball to Compete in First Ever Orlando Baseball Classic
8/28/2026 11:05:00 AM | Baseball
Red Storm will participate in the three-day, six-team tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort from Feb. 26-28
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Following an historic 2026 campaign, the St. John's baseball team has earned an invitation to a premier early-season event, as the Johnnies will take part in the inaugural at the Orlando Baseball Classic from Feb. 26-28 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.
The reigning BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament champions will be part of a loaded six-team field in Orlando. Half of the squads qualified for last spring's NCAA Tournament while two of the teams, St. John's and West Virginia, advanced out of the regional round.
All three of the Red Storm's opponents hail from power conferences.
St. John's will open the weekend with a Friday morning tilt against Michigan. The following day, the Johnnies will face off against former BIG EAST foe West Virginia, which is coming off its first-ever College World Series trip in 2026. The Red Storm will wrap the weekend on Sunday morning against another former league opponent in Pitt. First pitch for all three games is slated for 11 a.m.
UCF and Indiana State will also be participating in the Orlando Baseball Classic, but will not face the Red Storm.
Last spring, the Red Storm finished as a consensus top-25 team and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the second time since the format was adopted in 1999. The Red Storm rolled through the Tallahassee Regional, knocking off No. 10 Florida State twice en route to the program's first Super Regional appearance since 2012.
In his seventh season at the helm, Head Coach Mike Hampton led the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year and was named the 2026 ABCA/ATEC Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Seven of his players earned All-BIG EAST honors, the program's highest total since 2018.
Tickets for the Orlando Baseball Classic can be purchased by clicking here. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
St. John's face Michigan for the first time since 2011 and the 10th time overall. The Red Storm and West Virginia have played one another 48 times with the Johnnies holding a 30-18 edge all-time in the series. St. John's and Pitt will meet for the 70th time, as the programs spent nearly three decades in the BIG EAST together from 1985-2013. The Red Storm is 47-22 all-time against the Panthers.
2027 Orland Baseball Classic Schedule
Friday, Feb. 26
St. John's vs. Michigan – 11 a.m.
Indiana State vs. West Virginia – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Pitt – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27
West Virginia vs. St. John's – 11 a.m.
Pitt vs. Indiana State – 3 p.m.
Michigan vs. UCF – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28
St. John's vs. Pitt – 11 a.m.
West Virginia vs. Michigan – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Indiana State – 7 p.m.
The reigning BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament champions will be part of a loaded six-team field in Orlando. Half of the squads qualified for last spring's NCAA Tournament while two of the teams, St. John's and West Virginia, advanced out of the regional round.
All three of the Red Storm's opponents hail from power conferences.
St. John's will open the weekend with a Friday morning tilt against Michigan. The following day, the Johnnies will face off against former BIG EAST foe West Virginia, which is coming off its first-ever College World Series trip in 2026. The Red Storm will wrap the weekend on Sunday morning against another former league opponent in Pitt. First pitch for all three games is slated for 11 a.m.
UCF and Indiana State will also be participating in the Orlando Baseball Classic, but will not face the Red Storm.
Last spring, the Red Storm finished as a consensus top-25 team and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the second time since the format was adopted in 1999. The Red Storm rolled through the Tallahassee Regional, knocking off No. 10 Florida State twice en route to the program's first Super Regional appearance since 2012.
In his seventh season at the helm, Head Coach Mike Hampton led the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year and was named the 2026 ABCA/ATEC Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Seven of his players earned All-BIG EAST honors, the program's highest total since 2018.
Tickets for the Orlando Baseball Classic can be purchased by clicking here. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
St. John's face Michigan for the first time since 2011 and the 10th time overall. The Red Storm and West Virginia have played one another 48 times with the Johnnies holding a 30-18 edge all-time in the series. St. John's and Pitt will meet for the 70th time, as the programs spent nearly three decades in the BIG EAST together from 1985-2013. The Red Storm is 47-22 all-time against the Panthers.
2027 Orland Baseball Classic Schedule
Friday, Feb. 26
St. John's vs. Michigan – 11 a.m.
Indiana State vs. West Virginia – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Pitt – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27
West Virginia vs. St. John's – 11 a.m.
Pitt vs. Indiana State – 3 p.m.
Michigan vs. UCF – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28
St. John's vs. Pitt – 11 a.m.
West Virginia vs. Michigan – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Indiana State – 7 p.m.
Monday, June 08
Saturday, June 06
Friday, June 05
Monday, June 01