Campanelli Selected as Division III Student-Athlete of the Year

Noah Campanelli, a former member of the St. John Fisher University baseball team, was recognized as the Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year by the Division III Commissioner’s Association (DIIICA).

He was selected as the national winner from a pool of 20 regional honorees; Campanelli was honored alongside women’s sport honoree Sophia Slovenski, a student at the University of Southern Maine.

The Division III Commissioner’s Association is comprised of 43 NCAA Division III conferences, representing over 440 public and private institutions. Selection criteria for the DIIICA Student-Athlete of the Year awards included considerations based on academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership, and a personal statement submitted by each nominee.

“On behalf of the Division III Commissioners Association, it is an honor to recognize both Sophia Slovenski and Noah Campanelli with these prestigious awards,” said D3CA Awards Committee chair and Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. “Out of all the amazing student-athletes that compete under the umbrella of Division III, to be recognized as the best of the best when factoring academic achievement, athletic accomplishments, leadership on campus, and service within the community – that is quite the achievement and an honor that should make both Sophia and Noah extremely proud.”

Campanelli, who was also named the inaugural 2022-23 Empire 8 Man of the Year, recently graduated summa cum laude with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.94 as a finance and accounting double major.

A standout at second base, he earned several accolades this spring for the Cardinals, who won their third straight Empire 8 Championship in 2023. He was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year for the second straight season and garnered D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings Region III Player of the Year accolades. Nationally, Campanelli was named an ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-American and was a D3baseball.com Second Team All-American.

In 2023, Campanelli led all Empire 8 student-athletes with a program record 83 hits, 60 runs scored, 51 stolen bases, 19 doubles, seven triples, 140 total bases, a .435 batting average, .502 on-base percentage, .733 slugging percentage, and a 1.235 OPS in 45 games played. In addition, he was fourth in the Empire 8 with eight home runs and 44 RBI. In 18 regular season E8 contests, Campanelli hit .507 with 34 hits, 28 runs scored, 11 doubles, 20 RBI, and 1.399 OPS. Campanelli’s 51 stolen bases are an Empire 8 single-season record, while he finished second nationally in that category. In addition, he was ninth nationally in hits and ninth in total bases.

Campanelli became the fifth student-athlete to be named a two-time Empire 8 Player of the Year. He earned his first E8 Baseball Player of the Year honor in 2022 after batting .405 over 47 games played with 75 hits, including 15 doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 43 runs batted in. He recorded a .519 on-base percentage, .584 slugging percentage and drew 39 walks, while scoring 63 runs.

In four seasons, Campanelli batted .404 with 226 hits in 559 at-bats, while scoring 194 runs in 140 career contests for the Cardinals. He added 53 doubles, 13 triples, and 16 home runs, while driving in 119 runs. He drew 99 career walks and stole a program record 83 bases, while recording a .504 on-base percentage and .631 slugging percentage. Campanelli was a two-time D3baseball.com All-American and three-time All-Empire 8 first team selection.

“Noah has truly embodied what it means to be a Division III student-athlete at the highest levels,” said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “He attained the most elite accomplishments in the classroom, on the diamond, and his commitment to service to others is impressive. Empire 8 is incredibly proud of Noah and St. John Fisher for earning this prestigious honor from the Division III Commissioner Association!”

Academically, Campanelli earned Dean’s List and Empire 8 President’s List accolades in each of his eight semesters at Fisher. Campanelli was named a 2023 College Sports Communicators Baseball First Team Academic All-America selection. He earned several academic scholarships through the Fisher’s accounting program, including the Otto A. Schultz Scholarship, DuPlessis/Wolfe Scholarship, Frank Stotz Scholarship, and Financial Executive Institute Scholarship—all awarded based on academic excellence and character development through extracurricular activities and leadership potential. During the 2019-2020 academic year, he was also inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

Off the field, Campanelli was a vital and active member of the St. John Fisher University campus community. He was a three-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council at the School of Business for three years. Additionally, he served as chancellor for the Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, a PwC Case Competition Student Advisor, and vice president of Delta Sigma Pi. Campanelli also served as an audit intern at Deloitte U.S.

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the Division III Commissioners Association for this award,” said Campanelli. “Achieving this honor, would not have been possible without the opportunities presented by St. John Fisher University, Empire 8, the guidance of my coaches, and the support of my family. Being a Division III student-athlete has provided me with the ability to grow in all facets of my life and I will forever be grateful for the past four years.”