GO FIGHTING SAINTS

Maffie Named CSC NAIA Academic All-America Baseball Player

of the Year

University of St. Francis two-sport studentathlete Eric Maffie reached the apex of his collegiate career when he was named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) NAIA Academic All-America Baseball Player of the Year for 2023. The award is one of the most prestigious in all of college athletics combining one’s success in the classroom with their accomplishments on the field. Maffie, who also played football, proved his mettle by earning both his bachelor’s (Marketing) and master’s degrees (Business Administration) in just five years with a combined 3.91 grade point average and being named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Baseball Player of the Year both last year and this spring. He becomes just the third St. Francis student-athlete in any sport to gain the elite CSC distinction, joining Brian Mazurek (1996) and Andy Reeb (2000), both of whom also played baseball for the Fighting Saints. Named a NAIA Preseason All-American over the winter, he did not disappoint. Despite playing in two fewer games this spring compared to last (51-53), he turned in elevated numbers in eight areas topped by big advances in home runs (20-5), runs batted in (62-41), total bases (160117) and slugging percentage (.851-.616). Nationally, Maffie ranked sixth in doubles (24), seventh in slugging percentage and 19th in home runs en route to NAIA All-America Second Team recognition. A three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete in both baseball and football, Maffie also made a name for himself in USF’s record books in 2023 with his home run and doubles counts. His per-game averages for a single season in both categories now rank him atop the leader board for the 51-year history of the program, while his 20 and 24 numbers both jump him up to the No. 2 spot for a single season.

Tennis Player Bintsarovskaya Makes History

The USF women’s tennis program made history this spring when freshman Anna Bintsarovskaya was named a NAIA Second Team All-American, becoming the first-ever player in the 47-year history of USF's program to gain the elite status. The honor came less than two weeks after Bintsarovskaya swept the top two individual conference women’s tennis awards when she claimed both Freshman and Player of the Year accolades. She went 13-5 at No. 1 singles and 8-9 in doubles play during her first collegiate season and finished 6th regionally and 27th nationally in the final ITA rankings.

Softball Players Callahan, Vachon and Sippel Shine On the Diamond

USF softball players Danielle Callahan, Hannah Vachon and Kaylie Sippel all came away with top recognition upon completion of the 2023 season. Callahan was named both the conference Player of the Year as well as an honorable mention choice to the NAIA Softball All-America Team for 2023 after leading the league in home runs and total bases (99), while placing second in batting average (.414), runs batted in (46) and slugging percentage (.707). Vachon was just as impressive in the circle en route to CCAC Pitcher of the Year accord. She went 15-3 with a 1.72 earned run average. The senior boasted Top 6 conference marks in nine categories topped by her league-best six shutouts. Sippel was recognized as a CSC NAIA Academic All-America Second Team selection. Her .392 batting average and .447 on-base percentage both ranked among the top ten on the conference level.

USF Bowling Places In Top Ten Twice

USF’s men’s and women’s bowling teams closed out their seasons at a pair of championship events. The women placed fifth in the NAIA and ninth at the USBC Team Championships, while the men were ninth in the NAIA and third amongst USBC qualifiers.

Two Track & Field All-Americans

Katherine Bakken closed out her illustrious career by notching one more All-American performance at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while Ana Mendoza Pineda used a record-setting effort to notch the same status. Bakken finished fifth in the 10,000-meter race (36:39.51), while Pineda registered a personal-best time of 4:35.67 in the 1,500-meter race to place seventh.

Three Conference Champs

USF’s baseball, softball and women’s tennis teams all brought home conference championship hardware this spring. The Fighting Saints baseball team claimed its first crown since 2015, while the softball Saints did so for the first time since 2018 and the tennis team for the first time since 1984. Head baseball coach Brian Michalak and head softball coach Amanda Jensen were recognized as the CCAC Coaches of the Year for leading their respective teams to the league titles.

Pat Sullivan Golf Outing

More than 130 friends of the University of St. Francis, including nearly 40 alums, took part in the annual Pat Sullivan Golf Outing on Friday, June 2. The day included 18 holes of golf, a live auction, raffles and a steak dinner to close the event. Combined, the group—along with numerous area businesses—helped raise close to $35,000 for athletics and USF. The outing took place at Inwood Golf Course, which is managed by USF alumnus Brian Legan ’01 and home to USF’s men’s and women’s golf teams.

"One of my favorite spots on campus is the butterfly garden, especially in the spring time when all the flowers are in bloom. As I was walking past this spot in the spring, the sun was shining, there was a beautiful breeze, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Standing among the flowers, with a serene look on his face, was the statue of St. Joseph. I was trying to find an idea for this illustration centered on the idea of gratitude, and I saw this moment as a perfect embodiment of that virtue. In our world it's so easy to feel discontent, to always want more, and believe what we have isn’t enough. Gratitude stands in direct opposition to that. It reminds us to consider the beauty that can be found in what we already have, the kind of beauty that cannot be bought or manufactured."