Torch Photo / Sebastian Zelaya
Fresh off the heels of a conference-leading 11th Big East Tournament Championship, the St. John’s Red Storm held an open practice at Jack Kaiser Stadium with one goal in mind: To stay hot at the right time and win with house money.
Throughout the practice, the Johnnies were focused , showing how they have blossomed into the team they are now. They are coming off a five-game winning streak, highlighted by a perfect 3-0 showing at the Big East Tournament in Mason, Ohio.
The Johnnies now have their eyes set on the regionals, with an important first matchup on Friday vs. the 10th-seeded Florida State Seminoles in their own backyard in Tallahassee.
For other teams, being in the regionals with a ranked team can really put pressure on the squad. Yet for this group led by head coach Mike Hampton, it truly feels like the sky is the limit.
“Really just nothing to lose. I mean, we had an amazing Big East Tournament, All-Big East First Team selection Adam Argresti said.“We’re going into Tallahassee with just really nothing to lose. Just have some fun out there and play some baseball.”
“As a group, we don’t get intimidated by stuff like that,” outfielder Jon LeGrande said, “We just stick to ourselves, and just worry about our brand of baseball, honestly.”
Liam O’Leary, who also received All-Big East First Team honors, emphasized that when facing teams that are ranked like the Seminoles, everyone is going to have a role in this push for Omaha.
“We’re going to just have to execute really well all weekend long,” said O’Leary.“It’s going to be all hands on deck. We’re going to need everyone, and just we’re all super excited to get down there and go after it.”
This version of the Red Storm, which started the season at 1-10, battled the toughest challenges and has overcome adversity, allowing it to stand out from St. John’s teams of the past few years.
“I mean, similar to the 2024 team that won it as well, I think our team camaraderie is just amazing,” Agresti “Off the field, we’re really a family, so when we’re on the field, we can just play even better with that mentality.”
It seems that the mindset they’ve picked up ever since February was that it was the next man up, from the first pitch till the final out for these Johnnies. It shows them that not only will they be on the road facing difficult competition, but they are going to fight tooth and nail for it.
“I just don’t know who’s going to pick us up on any given day, which we’ve had really good games from Adam Agresti, Shaun McMillan, Jader Raifestanger, big hits from Ayden Fry and Dylan FitzSimmons, and you go through the list, and there’s not just one guy that you can say. Hey, if he doesn’t do well, we’re not going to have a good game,” Coach Mike Hampton said about his players stepping up.
However, one thing is clear in the whole team’s mind: Play their style of baseball.
“We’re a hard-nosed team. That’s what we preach, said Hampton. “We play the game and play it hard until that last out is made. You know, I just want them to have fun and enjoy the experience. This is what it’s all about in the postseason.”
The Red Storm have a chance to rewrite the wrongs of the 2024 season by winning a tournament game, which starts Friday, May 29, vs the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles at 3 p.m. on ACC Network.