June 7, 2004

Queens, N.Y. - St. John's senior shortstop Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J.) went out shopping with his sister on Monday afternoon. On the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft, it's not unusual to find players doing different things.

Back home in Northern New Jersey, Rozema, one of the Red Storm's senior captains this year, wanted a distraction. He wasn't sure what to expect, but was hoping to hear something over the next two days. The question he had was when it would happen.

He didn't have to wait long, as he received a congratulatory call from one of his teammates, letting him know that he had been selected in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves.

"I'm ecstatic," Rozema said from his home in Fair Lawn. "I can't even really explain it. I had no idea and then had a call from (junior third baseman) Jim Martin. It's pretty amazing and I'm just thrilled for this opportunity."

Rozema capped off his four years at St. John's with one of the most thrilling seasons in recent memory, guiding a team that was picked seventh in the preseason to a second place finish in the BIG EAST with a 17-9 league mark. The Red Storm were selected as an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the only school from the Northeast to receive that honor. Rozema helped guide the team to a 37-23 overall record, the team's most wins since the 1980 squad won 40 and advanced to the College World Series.

A third-team All-BIG EAST selection, Rozema was one of eight regulars on the team with a batting average of at least .300, finishing the season with a .314 average. He finished third on the team with 72 hits, was fourth in runs scored with 42 and led the team with 22 stolen bases.

After two moderate seasons, Rozema broke out in his junior year, earning first-team All-BIG EAST honors and being named a third-team All-American by three different organizations. He led the team, finished third in the BIG EAST and 27th in the country, with a .408 batting average (80-for-196), the fifth-best mark in St. John's history. Rozema's 80 hits were the second-most in a single season, and he had 24 multi-hit games, while leading the team in at-bats (196), runs scored (44), hits (80), total bases (106) and triples (4), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.541) and third in doubles (12) and stolen bases (13). He had a career-high 22-game hit streak and reached base safely in 26-straight games.

Rozema's four-year career places him among the best players in St. John's history. After posting a .276 batting average during his first two years, Rozema leaves the Red Storm with a career batting average of .323 (244-for-755). He hit .360 (152-for-422) in his final two seasons.

Rozema ranks second all-time in hits (244), third all-time in at-bats (755), tied for 10th all-time in doubles (35), fifth all-time in games played (213) and eighth all-time with 301 total bases.

He is the 21st player to be selected in the Major League Draft in nine years under head coach Ed Blankmeyer, and will be one of 28 players to sign a professional contract. Rozema is one of more than 70 former St. John's players to play at the professional level.