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The St. John's Red Storm entered this season with high hopes as they featured a strong group of recruits and had a positive end to their 2014 campaign. However, the Johnnies have come out of their first 12 contests with a record of just 5-7, leaving much to be desired.
St. John's came out of its opening weekend with a 1-2 record. The Johnnies showed some promise with a win over a formidable Kennesaw State team (RPI: 61). St. John's then went on to win 4 of its next 5 games and it appeared that they were ready to go on a hot streak.
Despite that, the Red Storm have since been mired by a 4-game losing streak; including dropping 3 straight to the University of Oregon in Eugene.
While the peripheral numbers may paint a somber image of the team's performance, it may not actually be as bad as it seems.
For example, 3 of their losses have come on the road against a team that is currently ranked eighth in the country by Baseball America. It's worth noting that the first game of the series ended on a 12th inning walk-off and the final game of the set was an 8-6 loss in a game that the Johnnies simply let slip away.
On top of that, St. John's has yet to play a game at home this season. Their 5-7 record isn't far off the pace of their 12-12 one away from Queens in 2014. Last season, Jack Kaiser Stadium was a source of domination for the Red Storm as they went an impressive 22-4 (.846 win pct.) on their home field.
Lastly, the biggest offer of hope for St. John's are the outstanding performances that some players have been turning in thus far. Zach Lauricella's discipline at the plate has been outstanding (.500 OBP), evident in his 12 walks in as many games. Meanwhile, Cody Stashak has impressed in his first Division I season, earning BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors twice in the first 3 weeks.
St. John's boasts an RPI of 71, leaving them just one hot streak away from potentially moving into the top 50. The coming weeks will help the world get a feel for what this team really is and it all will begin with an afternoon match-up today at Fairleigh Dickinson University.