St. John’s Baseball Shines in NCAA Tournament

St. John’s baseball is certainly making a mark in the NCAA Tournament this year.

The Red Storm aimed to secure their seventh trip to the College World Series with a 6-5 upset win against No. 10 Florida State during the NCAA regional first round in Tallahassee on Friday.

This victory was significant as it marked St. John’s first win in an NCAA regional opener since 2012.

At one point, the Johnnies found themselves trailing 5-2 but rallied to tie the game in the top of the eighth. They took control in the ninth inning when junior infielder Jader Reifstanger hit a crucial single that brought in the go-ahead run.

Right-hander Evan Hockele was instrumental in closing out the game, securing the final five outs.

Florida State kicked off the scoring with a solo home run from freshman outfielder John Stuetzer in the first inning. However, St. John’s hit back quickly, with sophomore Adam Agresti launching a solo shot in the second.

The Seminoles built a three-run lead, buoyed by six consecutive hits and solid pitching from Bryson Moore. In his five innings, he struck out six and allowed just two earned runs, effectively keeping St. John’s at bay for a while. But eventually, St. John’s found their footing.

Red Storm outfielder Dylan Fitzsimmons homered in the eighth, narrowing Florida State’s lead to just two runs. Then, with two runs scored due to a wild pitch and a passed ball, they tied it up.

After holding the Seminoles scoreless in the latter half of the game, Reifstanger’s RBI homer in the ninth gave St. John’s their first lead. Although Hockele allowed two singles, he managed a weak grounder to third base, which turned into a double play to wrap things up.

St. John’s is set to face the winner of the Northern Illinois-Coastal Carolina matchup on Saturday at 6 p.m.

In a remarkable turnaround, after a tough 1-10 start to the 2026 season, St. John’s has won 23 of their last 30 games.

John LeGrande, a two-time All-Big East first-team player who was 2-for-4 with a hit and a walk in the latest game, mentioned that the late March sweep by California Baptist was a pivotal moment for the team. It forced them to reflect and regroup.

“We all locked in and looked at ourselves in the mirror. We had to find our identity as a team, and that’s exactly what we did right after the sweep,” LeGrande shared. “Once we got swept away, our eyes opened a little bit and we realized that if we don’t fix it now, the season is going to be over quickly.”

He added, “We started becoming more selfless, similar to the way the Johnnies played baseball.”