St. John's University Athletics
Baseball
Hampton, Mike
Mike Hampton
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- hamptonm@stjohns.edu
- Phone:
- 6148
Mike Hampton, who spent 18 seasons on Ed Blankmeyer’s staff as the program’s hitting coach and recruit coordinator, was named the program’s head coach on Jan. 9, 2020.
The Red Storm’s skipper increased the Johnnies’ win totals in each of his first five seasons since taking over the program. After logging 28 wins in the 2023 campaign, Hampton led his team back to the top of the BIG EAST with a 38-18-1 overall record in 2024. Hampton became the first head coach in conference history to guide his program to a BIG EAST Tournament Championship in his first postseason appearance, sealing a 4-2 victory over Georgetown to capture the program’s BIG EAST-leading 10th conference title.
With the league’s at-large bid, Hampton guided the Johnnies to its 38th NCAA Tournament appearance and first under his direction. St. John’s also picked up its first win in the national postseason slate since 2018 with a 10-9 victory against Penn after Anthony Brienza walked off in the 12th inning on an RBI single to end the longest Red Storm postseason game in 43 years.
St. John’s, who was picked sixth in the conference’s 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll, opened the campaign with a 9-5 victory at No. 2 Florida, earning the highest ranked regular season victory in program history. The Johnnies also strung together a 15-game unbeaten streak that marked the fourth-longest in the team’s storied history. St. John’s also managed 21 wins at Jack Kaiser Stadium, a feat accomplished for just the seventh time since the home field was built in 2001. Hampton led his squad to a 14-7 in conference play to secure the second seed in the conference tournament, earning BIG EAST and ECAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Furthermore, four Johnnies earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2024, including three on the conference’s first team.
A former collegiate All-American and fourth round draft choice, Hampton’s keen eye for talent has given St. John’s a presence in every level of competitive baseball. Hampton has recruited 10 Major Leaguers, including first round draft pick and World Series champion Joe Panik, and has seen 68 players drafted or signed to professional contracts in his tenure.
The 2018 Red Storm turned its third 40-win campaign in its four tries thanks in large part to one of the nation’s best offenses, as the Red Storm’s .297 team batting average ranked 20th in the Division I. The Johnnies mashed 47 home runs, the most by a St. John’s team since the squad hit a school record 65 round trippers. Six members of the Red Storm hit five or more home runs, led by 11 from Anthony Brocato. Six members of the team heard their names called in the 2018 MLB Draft, tying a program record.
In 2017, Hampton helped the Red Storm form one of the nation’s most feared offensive units, as the team finished third nationally in batting average (.323), 17th in scoring average (7.4 runs per game) and fourth in winning percentage (.764). At the conclusion of the season, three Johnnies heard their names called in the draft, as Jesse Berardi was taken by the Indians in the 10th round, Troy Dixon was selected by the Mariners in the 20th and Michael Donadio was grabbed by the Marlins in the 30th. Two more Johnnies, Ryan McAuliffe and Kyle Cunningham, signed free agent contracts with the Mets and Rockies, respectively.
Two Johnnies were drafted in the summer of 2016, as Thomas Hackimer was taken in the fourth round by the Minnesota Twins before Ty Blankmeyer was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round. Hampton also helped mentor BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Josh Shaw, the fifth player in program history to earn the honor.
A program-record-tying six players were taken in the 2015 MLB Draft, including five that were drafted in the top 498 picks. St. John’s also had a program-record 11 All-BIG EAST selections, a total that featured eight first team honorees. Alex Caruso posted a league-leading .382 average as a Red Storm player won the BIG EAST batting title for the second-straight season.
Hampton guided an offense in 2014 that ranked ninth nationally in on-base percentage (.393), 20th in scoring (6.4 runs per game) and 23rd in batting average (.296). Freshman All-American Michael Donadio was also a first team All-BIG EAST choice and earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Year accolades. Robbie Knightes, who ranked eighth in the nation and won the batting BIG EAST batting title with a .399 average, also earned both Freshman All-America and second team All-BIG EAST honors.
St. John’s had five players selected in the 2013 MLB Draft, including a fourth round pick in Ryan Horstman. The five-man 2013 draft class came just one season after St. John’s also had five players taken in the 2012 MLB Draft, including four in the top six rounds. Jeremy Baltz, the second two-time All-American in program-history and the first BIG EAST player since 2002-04 to earn three first team All-Conference selections, highlighted the 2012 draft class with a second round selection.
All-American and eventual World Series Champion Joe Panik, a first round selection of the San Francisco Giants, highlighted a group of four players that went on to play professionally in 2011. St. John’s had four players drafted in 2010 and had two 2009 draft picks after a five-man 2008 draft class that featured future Major Leaguer Scott Barnes, who was drafted by the Giants in the eighth round.
Future Major Leaguer Rob Delaney signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and a record seven players were signed to professional contracts in 2005, including a then-record six selected in the MLB Draft. Among the players selected that season were two future Major Leaguers: first rounder Craig Hansen and 12th round pick Anthony Varvaro.
St. John’s set new school-records in runs (473), hits (750), RBI (457) and doubles (150) in 2010 as a prolific offense helped the squad win a program-record 43 games. Jeremy Baltz earned NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year honors and was named the Louisville Slugger National Freshman Player of the Year after leading the nation’s freshman, and setting new single-season school-records, in both home runs (24) and RBI (85). The second consensus All-American in school-history, Baltz and classmate Kyle Hansen each earned Freshman All-America honors to give St. John’s at least one freshman All-American in four-straight seasons.
The offense ranked sixth in the country with a school-record .349 batting average in 2009. For a third-straight season, St. John’s had a freshman All-American as Joe Panik earned the accolades after a rookie campaign in which the shortstop batted .332 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 47 RBI. Tim Morris also earned third team All-America honors and first team All-BIG EAST accolades after batting .415 with 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 62 RBI.
Led by eight All-BIG EAST selections, the 2008 team finished 42-16 to set what was then a program-record for victories. For the second-straight season, the Red Storm had a Freshman All-American as Paul Karmas earned the honors after batting .312 and leading the team in both doubles (17) and RBI (45).
St. John’s finished seventh in the country in average (.326) and 12th in the country in scoring in 2007, while Brian Kemp earned Freshman All-America honors after batting .348 with a team-best 53 runs and 25 stolen bases. The 2006 squad ranked eighth in the country with a .328 batting average.
Hampton came to St. John’s from BIG EAST Conference rival West Virginia, where he served as the Mountaineers hitting coach from 2000-01. He spent the 1999 season as a volunteer assistant on Jack Leggett’s staff at Clemson.
Prior to his stay at Clemson, Hampton played professionally in the Cincinnati Reds organization and advanced to High-A before retiring due to injury.
A fourth-round draft choice by the Reds, Hampton was an All-American third baseman for Leggett at Clemson, helping the Tigers to a 57-18 record and the nation’s No. 1 ranking for a portion of the 1994 season.
A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Hampton spent the summer of 2001 in the Coastal Plain League as the head coach for the Wilmington Sharks and the summer of 1999 as an assistant for the Thomasville Hi-Toms, also of the CPL.
Hampton earned his master’s degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia in 2001, and his bachelor’s degree in biological science from Clemson in 1997.
Hampton resides in Seaford, N.Y., with his wife, Lisa, and son, Jack.
The Red Storm’s skipper increased the Johnnies’ win totals in each of his first five seasons since taking over the program. After logging 28 wins in the 2023 campaign, Hampton led his team back to the top of the BIG EAST with a 38-18-1 overall record in 2024. Hampton became the first head coach in conference history to guide his program to a BIG EAST Tournament Championship in his first postseason appearance, sealing a 4-2 victory over Georgetown to capture the program’s BIG EAST-leading 10th conference title.
With the league’s at-large bid, Hampton guided the Johnnies to its 38th NCAA Tournament appearance and first under his direction. St. John’s also picked up its first win in the national postseason slate since 2018 with a 10-9 victory against Penn after Anthony Brienza walked off in the 12th inning on an RBI single to end the longest Red Storm postseason game in 43 years.
St. John’s, who was picked sixth in the conference’s 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll, opened the campaign with a 9-5 victory at No. 2 Florida, earning the highest ranked regular season victory in program history. The Johnnies also strung together a 15-game unbeaten streak that marked the fourth-longest in the team’s storied history. St. John’s also managed 21 wins at Jack Kaiser Stadium, a feat accomplished for just the seventh time since the home field was built in 2001. Hampton led his squad to a 14-7 in conference play to secure the second seed in the conference tournament, earning BIG EAST and ECAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Furthermore, four Johnnies earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2024, including three on the conference’s first team.
A former collegiate All-American and fourth round draft choice, Hampton’s keen eye for talent has given St. John’s a presence in every level of competitive baseball. Hampton has recruited 10 Major Leaguers, including first round draft pick and World Series champion Joe Panik, and has seen 68 players drafted or signed to professional contracts in his tenure.
The 2018 Red Storm turned its third 40-win campaign in its four tries thanks in large part to one of the nation’s best offenses, as the Red Storm’s .297 team batting average ranked 20th in the Division I. The Johnnies mashed 47 home runs, the most by a St. John’s team since the squad hit a school record 65 round trippers. Six members of the Red Storm hit five or more home runs, led by 11 from Anthony Brocato. Six members of the team heard their names called in the 2018 MLB Draft, tying a program record.
In 2017, Hampton helped the Red Storm form one of the nation’s most feared offensive units, as the team finished third nationally in batting average (.323), 17th in scoring average (7.4 runs per game) and fourth in winning percentage (.764). At the conclusion of the season, three Johnnies heard their names called in the draft, as Jesse Berardi was taken by the Indians in the 10th round, Troy Dixon was selected by the Mariners in the 20th and Michael Donadio was grabbed by the Marlins in the 30th. Two more Johnnies, Ryan McAuliffe and Kyle Cunningham, signed free agent contracts with the Mets and Rockies, respectively.
Two Johnnies were drafted in the summer of 2016, as Thomas Hackimer was taken in the fourth round by the Minnesota Twins before Ty Blankmeyer was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round. Hampton also helped mentor BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Josh Shaw, the fifth player in program history to earn the honor.
A program-record-tying six players were taken in the 2015 MLB Draft, including five that were drafted in the top 498 picks. St. John’s also had a program-record 11 All-BIG EAST selections, a total that featured eight first team honorees. Alex Caruso posted a league-leading .382 average as a Red Storm player won the BIG EAST batting title for the second-straight season.
Hampton guided an offense in 2014 that ranked ninth nationally in on-base percentage (.393), 20th in scoring (6.4 runs per game) and 23rd in batting average (.296). Freshman All-American Michael Donadio was also a first team All-BIG EAST choice and earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Year accolades. Robbie Knightes, who ranked eighth in the nation and won the batting BIG EAST batting title with a .399 average, also earned both Freshman All-America and second team All-BIG EAST honors.
St. John’s had five players selected in the 2013 MLB Draft, including a fourth round pick in Ryan Horstman. The five-man 2013 draft class came just one season after St. John’s also had five players taken in the 2012 MLB Draft, including four in the top six rounds. Jeremy Baltz, the second two-time All-American in program-history and the first BIG EAST player since 2002-04 to earn three first team All-Conference selections, highlighted the 2012 draft class with a second round selection.
All-American and eventual World Series Champion Joe Panik, a first round selection of the San Francisco Giants, highlighted a group of four players that went on to play professionally in 2011. St. John’s had four players drafted in 2010 and had two 2009 draft picks after a five-man 2008 draft class that featured future Major Leaguer Scott Barnes, who was drafted by the Giants in the eighth round.
Future Major Leaguer Rob Delaney signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and a record seven players were signed to professional contracts in 2005, including a then-record six selected in the MLB Draft. Among the players selected that season were two future Major Leaguers: first rounder Craig Hansen and 12th round pick Anthony Varvaro.
St. John’s set new school-records in runs (473), hits (750), RBI (457) and doubles (150) in 2010 as a prolific offense helped the squad win a program-record 43 games. Jeremy Baltz earned NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year honors and was named the Louisville Slugger National Freshman Player of the Year after leading the nation’s freshman, and setting new single-season school-records, in both home runs (24) and RBI (85). The second consensus All-American in school-history, Baltz and classmate Kyle Hansen each earned Freshman All-America honors to give St. John’s at least one freshman All-American in four-straight seasons.
The offense ranked sixth in the country with a school-record .349 batting average in 2009. For a third-straight season, St. John’s had a freshman All-American as Joe Panik earned the accolades after a rookie campaign in which the shortstop batted .332 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 47 RBI. Tim Morris also earned third team All-America honors and first team All-BIG EAST accolades after batting .415 with 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 62 RBI.
Led by eight All-BIG EAST selections, the 2008 team finished 42-16 to set what was then a program-record for victories. For the second-straight season, the Red Storm had a Freshman All-American as Paul Karmas earned the honors after batting .312 and leading the team in both doubles (17) and RBI (45).
St. John’s finished seventh in the country in average (.326) and 12th in the country in scoring in 2007, while Brian Kemp earned Freshman All-America honors after batting .348 with a team-best 53 runs and 25 stolen bases. The 2006 squad ranked eighth in the country with a .328 batting average.
Hampton came to St. John’s from BIG EAST Conference rival West Virginia, where he served as the Mountaineers hitting coach from 2000-01. He spent the 1999 season as a volunteer assistant on Jack Leggett’s staff at Clemson.
Prior to his stay at Clemson, Hampton played professionally in the Cincinnati Reds organization and advanced to High-A before retiring due to injury.
A fourth-round draft choice by the Reds, Hampton was an All-American third baseman for Leggett at Clemson, helping the Tigers to a 57-18 record and the nation’s No. 1 ranking for a portion of the 1994 season.
A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Hampton spent the summer of 2001 in the Coastal Plain League as the head coach for the Wilmington Sharks and the summer of 1999 as an assistant for the Thomasville Hi-Toms, also of the CPL.
Hampton earned his master’s degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia in 2001, and his bachelor’s degree in biological science from Clemson in 1997.
Hampton resides in Seaford, N.Y., with his wife, Lisa, and son, Jack.
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