The reigning BIG EAST Champions St. John’s baseball team is set to kick off its 2025 campaign on Friday, Feb. 14, with a doubleheader against Liberty Flames at Liberty Baseball Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The action begins at noon, with the second game slated for a 4 p.m. start due to adjustments from expected inclement weather.
Friday’s first game and Sunday’s contest, which is set for a 1 p.m. start, will be available for streaming on ESPN+, while the second game on Friday will be broadcast with an audio-only feed. Fans can also follow live statistics on RedStormSports.com.
The Johnnies are coming off a remarkable 2024 season in which they captured their 10th BIG EAST Tournament Championship, a conference record, and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the 38th time in program history. St. John’s posted an impressive 38-18-1 overall record and finished second in the BIG EAST with a 14-7 mark.
Under the guidance of BIG EAST Coach of the Year Mike Hampton, the Red Storm swept through the conference tournament, defeating Georgetown in dramatic fashion, 11-9, in the opening round and edging Xavier, 8-7, the following day. The team then secured the BIG EAST Championship with a 4-2 win over Georgetown.
The Johnnies’ NCAA run continued as they were selected to participate in the Charlottesville Regional. In a thrilling game, they defeated Penn, 10-9, in extra innings, marking their 67th win in the NCAA Tournament. Anthony Brienza’s walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning provided the decisive blow in the victory.
St. John’s pitching staff was dominant in 2024, boasting a 4.35 ERA, ranking 17th in the nation, with four shutouts. The team’s pitching depth was highlighted by three pitchers with six or more wins and four top-10 BIG EAST hurlers in ERA.
For 2025, the Johnnies have been picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll, the highest preseason ranking since 2020. Four players – Jackson Tucker, Luke Orbon, Evan Chaffee, and Louis Marinaro – earned spots on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, the program’s most selections since 2019.
Chaffee, who will take the mound as the Johnnies’ season-opening starter, had a stellar 2024 season, registering a 3-1 record with 55 strikeouts over 70.1 innings. Orbon returns as the team’s shortstop after slashing .271/.367/.427 with 52 hits, 38 runs, and 33 RBIs in 2024.
Tucker, a dynamic center fielder, contributed a .293 average, a team-leading 55 runs, and 21 stolen bases last year. Brienza, entering his final season in Queens, posted a .282 batting average and 55 hits last season.
Marinaro returns as a lockdown reliever after finishing the 2024 season with a 6-3 record, a 3.38 ERA, and 58 strikeouts in 48 innings.
This weekend’s series will mark the 15th meeting between St. John’s and Liberty. The Red Storm swept the Flames in their last series in 2018 at Jack Kaiser Stadium.
Coming off a 24-34 season, Liberty enters 2025 under the leadership of new head coach Bradley LeCroy. The Flames are looking to rebound after an 11-13 finish in their inaugural season in Conference USA.
Right-handed pitcher Ben Blair, a Preseason All-Conference USA selection, will anchor the pitching staff for Liberty after a promising freshman season.
After the opening series against Liberty, St. John’s, based out of Jamaica in Queens, will travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for a three-game set against Wake Forest from Feb. 21-23.
