Eastern Connecticut State University

Donald Fusari is the only three-time NCAA Divison III All-America in the program’s history and is generally considered to be the program’s most gifted athlete in the last quarter-century. A 6-foot 3 inch left handed pitcher and batter, Fusari played first base and designated hitter, earning second-team All-America honors at the latter position in each of his final three years. A .368 lifetime hitter, the New Britain native still holds New England Division III records for career total bases (371) and season pitching ERA (0.26 in 1977) and is second with 159 career RBI. He was the first player in New England Division III history to collect 200 hits and still holds the program record with 38 home runs. As a pitcher, Fusari won 12 of 18 decisions with three saves and a 2.33 ERA in 150.6 innings. As a junior in 1977, Fusari pitched four complete-game shutouts in five starts. Fusari is best remembered for belting three successive home runs in 1978 off University of New Haven’s Steve Bedrosian, who would go on to win the 1987 National League Cy Young Award.