By Dylan Butler
It’s a game that is permanently etched in the memory of each of the 18 returning players on the St. John’s baseball team.
Even if he wanted to, Greg Holmes couldn’t forget.
And he doesn’t want to.
Needing a win to advance to the Big East tournament for the first time since 1999, the Red Storm had runners at first and second in the bottom of the ninth, trailing Rutgers 11-10. But the season came to a crashing end on the final day of the regular season for surging St. John’s following a double play and a line out.
It’s that loss that is the motivation for the 2003 Red Storm.
“There isn’t a guy on this team that doesn’t remember,” said Holmes, one of six healthy returning pitchers. “It’s probably the toughest loss we ever had and it’s something we definitely want to take care of.”
If the Big East coaches are right, St. John’s will finish in fifth place again, again on the outside looking in for the four-team tournament, which will take place May 22-24 in Bridgewater, N.J.
Notre Dame was picked to finish first, followed by Virginia Tech, Boston College and Rutgers.
But last year’s heartbreak, which came after St. John’s won five straight, has taught the Red Storm the importance of every Big East series.
“We came so close, it left a bad taste in our mouth,” said junior shortstop Mike Rozema. “If we start out bad this year, we’ll have no chance to finish it out.”
After opening the season 8-11, St. John’s embarks on its Big East schedule this weekend with a three-game home stand against Pittsburgh.
The Red Storm have shown promise in the early season, as evidence from winning the Baseball at the Beach tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. earlier this month.
St. John’s played solid defense, received timely hits and had quality pitching to beat Costal Carolina, then-No. 18 North Carolina and Michigan after losing its first three games of the season.
But the word of the season for the Red Storm so far has been inconsistency.
“We don’t have a lot of team speed, we strike out too much and we can’t get guys in motion, which spells disaster,” said St. John’s coach Ed Blankmeyer, who is 218-152-3 in his eighth year at the helm. “We need to improve in a lot of different capacities and we’re not swinging the bat well but we’re doing enough to win.”
The Red Storm has won four straight games, their first four at The Ballpark at St. John’s. After committing 12 errors in the opening three games, St. John’s has 22 errors in their last 16 games.
Sophomore Joe Reid (1-1, 4.61 earned run average) is the lone sure Big East starter right now and five others — returnees Holmes, Jim Wladyka and Geno Orsogna and freshmen Chris Hansen and Anthony Varvaro — will compete for the other two spots.
Senior Tom Klemm will come out of the bullpen while Mike Tamulionis will be the closer when he returns from elbow strain in his right (pitching) arm.
Hansen, who has topped out at 96-mph on radar guns, Varvano, first-baseman Eddie Schultz (.357 batting average) and outfielder Greg Thompson make up a solid group of freshmen who should make an immediate impact.
Leading the returnees for the Red Storm are Rozema, leftfielder/designated hitter Anthony DeRosa, who moved from third after struggling early in the season, Jim Martin, who moved across the diamond from first to play third, outfielder Billy Graiser and catchers Asa Grunenwald and Blake Hershelman.
“These guys set their goal to get into the tournament,” Blankmeyer said. “The conference has become very tough with some very, very good teams. Just to get into the tournament is quite a feat.”
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
