Live from the heart of the Citi

Posted by Anthony Morreale

The Torch is here covering the 50th baseball game between St. John’s and Georgetown.

It is also the first-ever game played at Queens’ new ballpark paradise, Citifield.

Here you will find some thoughts and musings about the game and stadium, complete with some blurry photos.

This is the office of Mr. Met found in the bowels of the stadium.

Mr. Met's office where he does his deepest thinking

Ex-Met and Johnnie John Franco threw out the game’s first pitch: an 0-2 curve ball in the dirt.

John Franco talks to reporters

“I’m just glad they got a new ballpark,” Franco said. “It’s about time that happened. Shea Stadium was a great place, but things were starting to fall apart there.”

For those worried that the ole’ Shea Sweet Caroline tradition would be forever lost in rubble of the old stadium can breathe easy. Neil Diamond made an appearance (on the PA)  in the middle of the 4th inning. Good times never felt so good. So good.

7th inning stretch update:

Heading into the bottom of the 7th inning, the Red Storm lead Georgetown 4-2.

Here is a brief list of Citifield firsts.

The first hit in stadium history came off the bat of Georgetown shortstop Tom Elliot in the bottom 1st. Elliot lined a Brendan Lobban 3-1 pitch into center field.

The first strikeout was of Georgetown’s Sean Baumann in the bottom of the first. St. John’s freshman Lobban got Baumann looking on an 0-2 count.

Georgetown’s Sean Lamont hit the stadium’s first homer in the bottom of the 3rd. Lamont muscled a 0-0 pitch from Lobban over the leftfield wall.

Get your fix

Posted by Anthony Morreale

Don’t fret. Just in case the 2008-09 basketball season didn’t provide you with enough Norm Roberts, you’ll be able to satisfy your cravings today and tomorrow.

Roberts will once again be participating in CBS’s online version of March Madness. Roberts will join Jason Horowitz, Rutgers coach Fred Hill and Iona’s Kevin Willard in providing halftime analysis for the NCAA Tournament’s “Sweet Sixteen” games.

CB-I mean NCAA bracketology

Posted by Bill San Antonio

Those of you who read our print edition of the Torch last week were told to flock to the Backpage for CBI coverage. By the time you did that, St. John’s had already lost to Richmond.

The loss didn’t quite give me enough time to get my bracket up on the blog, partly because my original bracket was thrown away in haste as we scurried to put last week’s issue together. So my brackets disappeared quicker than Chuck from relevance on Happy Days, and the Torch was left with one fewer bracketologist.

Storm fall in CBI opener

Posted by Bill San Antonio

Despite a 25-point outburst by Sean Evans and 17 from D.J. Kennedy, the St. John’s Red Storm lost to Richmond in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational, ending its postseason run.

Adam Waddell, you are my hero

Posted By Matt Choquette

In my last season covering St. John’s sports, I really would have enjoyed filling out a NCAA Tournament bracket with the Red Storm occupying one of those seeded horizontal lines.

Hell, I would have even thrown my $20 into an NIT bracket pool if the Johnnies made the prestigious Best of the Rejects list.

Alas, I will take what I can get. I have spent the last hour or so getting my degree in CBI (College Basketball Invitational…haven’t heard of it??) Bracketology and I believe that qualifies me to publish my picks for the entire tourney. You know, so the gamblers have somewhere to go for advice.

Storm selected to postseason tourney

Posted by Anthony Morreale

The St. John’s men’s basketball team was chosen to participate in the second annual College Basketball Invitational on Selection Sunday.

They will face off against Richmond in the tournament’s opening round on Wednesday.

The CBI is a single-elimination tournament, up until the best-of-three championship series. Tulsa beat Bradley two games to one in last year’s inaugural final.

You can check out the rest of the teams in the tournament here.

Stephenson one week away from committing

Posted by Bill San Antonio

Following Abraham Lincoln High School’s 76-64 win over Boys and Girls  Sunday, guard Lance Stephenson made a big announcement as he left Carnesecca Arena.

Louisville crowned Big East champs

Posted by Bill San Antonio

After playing three games in as many days, the Louisville Cardinals have won the Big East tournament.

Orange and Huskies go historic six OT

Posted by Bill San Antonio

The stars aligned for the most recent chapter of the Syracuse-Connecticut rivalry.

Storm recordholders in tourney loss

Posted by Bill San Antonio

Yesterday’s win over Georgetown must have been enough for the St. John’s Red Storm.

When head coach Norm Roberts said that his team was ‘just happy to be here’ in regard to the team’s first Big East tournament appearence in five years yesterday, he must have meant it.

Because his team accomplished a new Big East-low on Wednesday.