Eastern Connecticut State University

Joseph J. Funaro was the first player in the baseball program’s history to be named to the All-New England team as many as four times and was the program’s first shortstop to be named to the All-America first team. A three-time team MVP and  batting leader from Hamden, the 5-foot-9 inch, 175-pound right-handed hitting shortstop twice led the Warriors to New England championships and berths in NCAA Division III national tournaments.  Funaro earned countless honors as the team’s four-year starter at shortstop in becoming the first player between 1992 and 1995 to earn Hall of Fame honors. In addition to becoming the first player and one of only two players in program history to be named All-New England as many as four times (three times as a first-team choice), Funaro was selected first-team All-America and ECAC Player-of-the-Year when he hit safely in the final 31 games of his career as a senior. That year, he was named MVP of the New England Regional Tournament and was the starting shortstop in the New England College All-Star Game at Fenway Park. Funaro started 131 of the 132 games in which he appeared in his career. As a senior, he started all 40 games and led all Eastern players in 13 individual categories. He batted over .400 (.433) for the second straight year in 1995 with 24 stolen bases, 68 hits and what was then a season record 20 doubles. He struck out only six times all season (once every 26.2 at-bats for the fifth-best ratio in a season to date in program history). During his record 31-game hitting streak in 1995 – the longest in Division III that year– Funaro batted .468 with 18 doubles and 36 RBI. With the exception of the 1994 season when he was limited to 23 games due to an assortment of injuries, Funaro led the team in batting average and runs scored every season. He topped all Eastern players in on-base percentage all four years and in stolen base, slugging, and assists twice.