UIC Athletics

Sport: Baseball

Years: 2003

Inducted: 2015

After beating Butler in the 2003 Horizon League Championship, the UIC baseball team qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the first time in school history. That season, the Flames set or tied the school record for wins (39), hits (630), batting average (.329), fewest funs allowed (219), fewest earned runs allowed (167) and ERA (3.19). UIC ranked seventh nationally with their 3.19 ERA, and 11th in batting average with a .329 average. Chuck Peters was named Horizon League Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-League First Team alongside Mike Hughes, Bryan Russo, Nelson Gord and Ryan Gehrig, while Ryan Martin collected Newcomer of the Year honors. Head coach Mike Dee earned his fourth Horizon League Coach of the Year accolade in five years as UIC finished the season with a 39-18 overall record.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1951-1953, 1956

Inducted: 1998

Behrns was a contributor to the early years of baseball at UI-Navy Pier. He helped lead teams to prominence in the Chicagoland College Baseball League, with championships in 1952-53 and 1956. He co-captained the 1953 squad that finished with 25 wins and 1 loss, which remains a school record for winning percentage.

Of his experience at UIC, Behrns says "While the wins and championships were nice, the lifelong relationships with teammates and coaches are far more priceless to me."

After UIC Behrns coached 19 years at the high school level and was inducted into the Illinois High School Hall of Fame in 1987. He also was an assistant coach at Northwestern and for 12 seasons was an assistant at UIC.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1957-1959

Inducted: 1993

Bergnach compiled an impressive 23-3 record over his three seasons at the Navy Pier campus. He pitched the school's fourth no-hitter ever in 1958 against Illinois Institute of Technology. At the end of the 1958 season, Bergnach had an ERA of only 0.96 across 90 innings. He also recorded 105 strikeouts in that season. Bergnach anchored the pitching for Les Miller's club when Navy Pier won three consecutive Chicago Collegiate Baseball League titles in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Bergnach is credited with 40 percent of UIC's 59 victories across those three seasons.

Sport: Baseball, Basketball

Years: 1956-1959

Inducted: 1999

Bill Bonk was a multi-sport athlete earning three varsity letters in basketball and four in baseball (3 at Navy Pier and 1 at the Urbana campus). During the 1958 campaign he batted .341 helping the team reach a 25-4 record. "Playing baseball at Lincoln Park and being part of the famous double play team of Bonk and Ron Klein: 'Bonk to Klein to the outer drive!'"

After UIC Bonk taught for more than 30 years at the high school level, 23 of those years were at Quigley South High School. He also served as a varsity baseball coach for 28 years winning 477 games. In 1980, he was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Hall of Fame and in 1981 was named "Man of the Year" by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1992-1995

Inducted: 2004

When Brown completed his stellar career as a shortstop for the Flames, he left his mark on the UIC record book as the career leader in doubles with 52. A two-time All-Mid-Continent Conference First Team selection, Brown helped UIC to a Mid-Con Tournament title in 1993 with a .323 batting average and 53 runs scored on the year while batting .563 during the tourney. For his effort he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player as a sophomore. As a junior he batted a team best .362.

Brown capped off his UIC playing career in 1995, hitting .297 and leading the team in runs scored, doubles, triples, walks, and stolen bases. That year he earned CoSIDA Academic All-District V accolades while wrapping up a tenure that saw him hit .321 for his career.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1962-1963

Inducted: 2008

Christopher was a standout second baseman and the 1963 team captain his two seasons at Navy Pier. At UIC Christopher played under legendary Hall of Fame coach Les Miller, whom he calls the "most influential coach and friend in my student and professional life."

He went on to become a very successful high school coach at Steinmetz. For his dedication to the game of baseball, Christopher was inducted into the Illinois Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1991.

Sport: Baseball, Football

Years: 1962-1965

Inducted: 1993

Compton was a four-year letterwinner for the UIC (Navy Pier) baseball team from 1962 to 1965. During his time, Compton played catcher and hit clean-up for legendary head coach Les Miller. Compton helped UIC achieve back-to-back Gateway Conference Tournament Championships in 1963 and 1964.

During his junior campaign, Compton was named a co-captain for UIC and ultimately the squad's MVP, owning a season batting average of .380. Compton followed that up with a stellar senior year, driving in 42 runs and hitting .375 from the dish. He finished his UIC career with a batting average of .305 and was offered an opportunity to play pro ball with the Boston Red Sox.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1963-1966

Inducted: 1997

Darrah was a four-year letterwinner for the Navy Pier baseball team, he enjoyed an outstanding career as a pitcher and a third baseman. Over his career he batted .312 and an on-base percentage of .491 and on the mound he compiled a 10-3 record. In 1965 he led the team to the Chicagoland College Baseball League Conference championship and was named All-Conference.

After graduating from UICC, Darrah served as an assistant baseball coach from 1971 through 1978. He left UICC to become the Athletic Director and head baseball coach at Illinois Institute of Technology. He served in both of those positions until his retirement in 2003.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1988-1991

Inducted: 2005

Davis etched his name all over the UIC record books as a late-inning standout on the mound from 1988-1991. He left as the Flames' career leader in saves (30), earned run average (2.68), and appearances (112), Davis also set single-season school records for saves (14) and appearances (33) in 1989. He also finished in the school's top ten in career wins (21), career winning percentage (.618), and career strikeouts (175), as well as single-season ERA (1.37 in 1988) and single-season wins (8 in 1988).

A four-time All-Mid-Continent Conference pitcher, Davis helped guide UIC to a Mid-Continent Blue Division crown and a Mid-Con Tournament title in 1990. As a senior in 1991 he made the All-Mid-Continent Conference First Team by leading the Flames with a 6-3 record, a 3.94 ERA, 56 strikeouts and seven saves, all without starting a single game.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1950

Inducted: 1991

DiLeonardi started his baseball career with UIC in 1950, hitting .355 with an on-base percentage of .478. He played first base and outfield, where he compiled a .959 fielding average. As captain of the squad in 1950, he led his team to an 11-5 record. DiLeonardi earned the team's most valuable player honor in both 1950 and 1951. After his career at UIC, the baseball star went on to become a member of the Chicago Police Department, where he worked for 36 years. In 1991, DiLeonardi was an inductee of the Navy Pier Hall of Fame. DiLeonardi became notorious as a homicide detective, and he was named Commander of the City-Wide Homicide Division in 1974.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1964-1967

Inducted: 2004

While the legendary Les Miller said that he was "the toughest small player I ever coached," Dunlop was a huge contributor as both a student-athlete and a coach for UIC. As a four-year player on the baseball team at both Navy Pier and Circle Campus, he played all nine positions. In 1964 and 1965 he hit .367 (career high) and .357 respectively. During his senior season he was named team captain.

After his playing career, Dunlop focused his efforts on coaching and eventually returned to UIC as an assistant baseball coach in 1969-70 and again in 1983-84. Dunlop is the all-time winningest baseball coach in Thornwood High School history.

Sport: Baseball, Football

Years: 1954-1956

Inducted: 1991

Eichstaedt played football and baseball at UIC from 1954 to 1956. In his first season of football, Eichstaedt averaged 4.66 yards per carry. Eichstaedt was named team captain of the football team in 1955 starting at left halfback. That season he scored eight touchdowns and helped lead the team to a 5-2 record. Eichstaedt was a member of the UIC baseball team in 1955 and 1956 at center field. He was named co-captain in 1956 and earned the team's nomination for the UIC Athlete of the Year award. Eichstaedt was a first team selection to UIC's all-time football squad and was also inducted into the Navy Pier Hall of Fame in 1991.

Sport: Baseball, Football

Years: 1961-1964

Inducted: 1992

Engemann was a key member of the UIC baseball and football teams. As a baseball player, he was hard throwing pitcher and a clutch hitter. His talents on the field helped lead UIC to a first place finish in the 1962 Gateway Conference Tournament. In the 1963 season he was selected as UIC's Most Valuable Player. In 1964 he was invited to try-out for the U.S. Olympic baseball team to play exhibition games in Japan.

Not only was Engemann an excellent baseball player, he was an exceptional football player as well. He played three years and was named the Most Valuable Back in 1962 and 1963. He set an individual record for kickoff averages with 43.8 yards and in 1963 was awarded with UIC's Athlete of the Year.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1952-1954

Inducted: 1996

The former Navy Pier shortstop was a three year letter winner and led the team in hitting for two of those three years. In the 1952 season he hit .352 leading the team to a 14-5 mark and a Chicago College Baseball League championship. That was just a warm-up, in 1953 he batted .400 and had an on-base percentage of .562 which garnered him Most Valuable Player honors. He hit .362 in his final year and the ballclub captured their third straight Chicago College Baseball League championship.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 2000-2002

Inducted: 2008

A three-year letter winner as the Flames' centerfielder from 2000-2002, Granderson left UIC as the career leader in runs scored (178) and the all-time single season best batting average (.483, 2002). He was named Horizon League Player of the Year in 2002 after setting single season school records in hits (100) and runs (76). His .483 batting average was the second highest in the nation that year.

Granderson has enjoyed life in the Majors, being named Detroit Tiger Rookie of the Year in 2005 and in 2006, he became the first UIC player to appear in the World Series.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1966-1967

Inducted: 2001

Gregory played just two seasons at UIC and made the most of the opportunity. As a sophomore in 1964, Gregory hit .422 to lead the squad. "When I was struggling as a freshman, Coach Les Miller and said, 'you could be a good hitter if you did one thing.' He told me to swing the bat every night before I went to bed. So I swung the bat 100 times every night from then until my sophomore year, and it's the season I really hit well. Since college, I've always kept a bat with me to remind me of the lesson Les Miller taught me."

After his sophomore year Gregory was drafted by the California Angels in 1966. He hit over .300 in his first season as a pro, but then Gregory's diamond career was cut short by an eye injury forcing him to retire from the game he loved. Gregory graduated in 1967 with a degree in Business Administration.

Sport: Baseball, Basketball

Years: 1957-1958

Inducted: 2004

Hornacek was a two-sport contributor while at UIC in 1957-58. Under UIC's first basketball coach, Leo Gedvilas, Hornacek was a starting forward for the Navy Pier squad. He was also a letter winner on the baseball team.

Hornacek went on to be a P.E. Teacher and the Dean of Students at St. Joseph's High School in Westchester. During his tenor he coached basketball for 30 years and baseball for 27, winning 12 conference titles in basketball and a regional baseball title.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1967-1970

Inducted: 1992

As a pitcher and first baseman, Husarik was an integral part of Les Miller's UIC baseball team in the late sixties. As a freshman he pitched consecutive no-hitters in his first two collegiate starts. He added a third no-hitter in his junior year. His pitching skills ranked him fourth in the nation with an average of 13.5 per game.

He was no slouch at the plate putting together a career high .402 batting average as a sophomore. His all-around baseball skills earned him Co-Athlete of the Year in 1968 and he also received honorable mention for the NCAA District All-American Team. He concluded his career at UIC by being named the Athlete of the Year and being named a member of the Outstanding Athletes in America.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 2004-2006

Inducted: 2017

Johnson was a highly regarded backstop during his time at UIC. He ended his UIC baseball career with a .377 batting average, 19 home runs, 118 RBI and 94 runs scored. He was selected for the All-Horizon League First Team in both 2004 and 2006, and the ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Regional First Team in 2006.

Upon graduation, Justin held the fourth, sixth and ninth spots in single-season RBI with 61, 57 and 55, respectively. He also ranked seventh in doubles (18) and runs scored (52) in a single season, and sixth in single-season home runs, by posting 11.

Sport: Football, Basketball, Baseball

Years: 1956-1958

Inducted: 1990

Klein was not just an athlete that played three sports, he was an athlete that excelled at football, basketball and baseball. He was so proficient at each that he captained all three squads during the 1957-1958 season. A year earlier he had been chosen as Navy Pier's Athlete of the Year for his performance in those three sports.

Klein quarterbacked the football team in the fall and set a single season school record of 413 yards passing and 5 TD passes in 1957. During the winter, he played basketball and earned team MVP honors twice. When spring rolled around, Klein took to the diamond at the shortstop position and in 1956 he led the team in RBIs.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1950-1952

Inducted: 2000

UIC Hall of Fame Legend Les Miller, remembered Kriz as one of the hardest hitters on all of his baseball teams. The pitcher turned outfielder finished with a career batting average over .300 and was the top power hitter of the UIC teams of the early 1970's. He one victory as a pitcher, which was quite memorable, for it was Les Miller's 400th career victory.

Kriz made the transition to the outfield his sophomore year and hit .300. In 1974 he was a co-captian on the ballclub and he hit .333 for the season. That year he also set school records at the time with seven home runs and 10 doubles.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1950-1952

Inducted: 2000

Maksud was a two sport athlete at the Navy Pier campus as a guard for the basketball team and an outfielder on the baseball squad. During the 1952 season he batted .329 and was named the team Most Valuable Player. In 1960 Maksud joined the UIC staff as an assistant baseball and basketball coach.

Former UIC coach Les Miller said of Maksud "His skill, knowledge, and exceptional ability to impart it to the athletes was most instrumental in the winning seasons we enjoyed each year."

Sport: Baseball 

Years: 1952-1954

Inducted: 1991

McMahon was an accomplished pitcher at UIC, earning a career record of 19-5. In his first season in 1952, McMahon allowed just 25 hits in 52 innings pitched. 1952 brought great success for McMahon, as he recorded a one-hitter against George Williams, a two-hitter against University of Chicago and a three-hitter against Wright Junior College. During his 1953 season, McMahon recorded a 7-1 record and also played outfield. In the following season, UIC won its third straight Chicagoland College Baseball Title with a record of 21-8. That season McMahon posted a record of 8-3 and hit a grand slam against Glenview Naval Air Station.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1985-1986

Inducted: 1999

At the time of Metz induction he held the UIC career batting average at .391 and the single season record for doubles (25). Metz also has the distinction of batting .409 during a single season. While at UIC Metz also earned varsity letters in ice hockey.

"During a game against Northwestern, I was given a sacrifice-bunt sign with runners on first and second. I elected to swing away and hit a three-run home run that ultimately won the game. Needless to say, I didn't start the next game," said Metz. It was also during that game that he stole two bases off former Chicago Cubs catcher Joe Girardi.

Sport: Baseball Coach

Years: 1949-1979

Inducted: 1991

Miller is one of the biggest names in UIC baseball. Miller coached for the Flames for 31 years, winning 58.3 percent of his games. Miller also earned 10 Chicagoland College Baseball League Championships and six CCBL Tournament titles during his time at UIC. The Flames coach is credited for originating the UIC Baseball Coaching and Umpiring Clinics, which were recognized as the first clinics in the country for coaches and umpires and attracted more than 400 participants. Miller was named assistant secretary/treasurer and membership chairman for the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1965 and received the ABCA's Lefty Gomez award in 1974 for "his outstanding contributions and distinguished service to college baseball."

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1967-1970

Inducted: 2002

Niezgoda helped the Circle Campus to the 1967 Chicagoland Baseball Conference title playing shortstop and second base. In the same season, Niezgoda set school records for at bats, runs scored and hits. He is one of only two players to be named to the Chicagoland Baseball Conference All-Star Team for four consecutive years. In 1970, Niezgoda was named an Outstanding College Athlete of America.

After UIC Niezgoda spent three decades as a federal agent for the Social Security Administration and for the Office of the Inspector General.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1980-1983

Inducted: 1994

Noble was a four year letter winner at UIC and was one of the best offensive players in the history of the program. At the time of his career he led the Flames in career categories for batting average (.354), doubles (40), and home runs (23). Noble's junior year was a special one as he hit .381 tagged seven home runs and pounded out a school record 83 hits. His 52 RBI's his junior year broke a 27-year old record set in 1955 and his 21 doubles also set a new mark.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 2004-2007

Inducted: 2023

The winningest pitcher in UIC history (27 career wins), Peterson was the 2007 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, a three-time All-Horizon League First Team selection and member of both the 2006 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Rawlings NCAA All-Mideast Region Second Team.

A key member of UIC's 2005 and 2007 NCAA Regional programs, Peterson finished his career with 206 strikeouts over 333.1 innings pitched. The Minnetonka, Minn., product ranks second in Flames history for innings pitched, third in career winning percentage (.771), fourth in career strikeouts and fourth in career starts (42). He went on to play three seasons of minor league baseball in the Kansas City Royals organization, as well as one year with the independent St. Paul Saints of the American Association.

Sport: Baseball, Hockey

Years: 1984-1987

Inducted: 1995

On the field and on the ice Provenzano spent his first two years at UIC as a two-sport athlete, playing both baseball and hockey. His final two years he focused exclusively on baseball. He set numerous career and single season records including ending his career at the top of the UIC record book with 160 RBI's and 41 home runs.

In 1985 Provenzano led UIC in seven offensive categories including setting single season records with 57 runs scored, 17 home runs and 66 games played. In his junior season he earned AMCU-8 All Conference honors, and led UIC in batting average(.337), 44 RBI's and nine home runs.

Sport: Baseball, Football

Years: 1950-1955

Inducted: 1991

Rogers was an all-around athlete, playing several positions in both football and baseball. In football Rogers kicked, punted, played running back and even played some linebacker. On the baseball diamond, Rogers played all nine positions, and even earned four wins in relief pitching with an ERA of 0.00 in 1955. In his first season on the baseball team in 1952, Rogers posted a .287 batting average and played at three infield positions as well as catcher. Rogers was captain of the 1952 squad, and in 1953, Rogers left UIC for duty in the military service. Rogers returned to UIC in 1954 and became a member of the football team where he was first string fullback. Rogers rejoined the baseball team in 1955 where he played second base and pitched, not allowing an earned run in 19 innings. Following such a successful season, Rogers was named Most Valuable Player.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1981-1985

Inducted: 1995

Ryan was a four-year starter in centerfield for the Flames from 1981-1985 and co-captain in his final two seasons. His .350 career batting average in one of the best in school history. As a junior he led UIC in nine offensive categories and was named the team Most Valuable Player and chosen AMCU-8 All-Conference. His final year he set a single season record by hitting .431 and was co-MVP and an All-American candidate.

Ryan was arguably one of the biggest supporters/fan of UIC. He was a member of the President's Council and a recipient of the Chancellor Silver Service Award. Ryan was a floor seat Season Ticket Holder at UIC Basketball games, kept his seat adjacent to the UIC bench for more than 20 years. UIC lost one of its own February 2012 at the age of 50.

Sport: Football, Baseball

Years: 1953-1957

Inducted: 1990

Ryley ranks as one of the top running backs in UIC-Navy Pier football history, although his career was interrupted by a stint in the military service. In 1953, he set a then school record with 510 yards rushing and 33 points. He was the squad's Most Valuable Player and the team leader in passing, punting, and interceptions.

Returning from his time in the military, Ryley picked up where he left off being named the football MVP. He led the team in rushing during the 1958 season with 578 yards and was also the team captain. He also had an impact on the baseball field helping Navy Pier compile a three year record of 69-22-1.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1955-1958

Inducted: 1991

Sedlacek was notorious for being a clutch hitter for the UIC baseball team. Sedlacek played both shortstop and third base at UIC and was named the team's most valuable player in 1956 following a 32 hit and 26 RBI campaign. That season Sedlacek came up big against the University of Chicago where his bases-loaded single led UIC to a 4-3 victory. He also hit a game-tying home run against the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. In his final season with UIC in 1958, Sedlacek went on a nine-game hitting streak and finished the season with 44 RBI's, which was a school record at the time. Sedlacek once again earned the MVP honor in his final season.

Sport: Football

Years: 1981-1984

Inducted: 1996

A dominating pitcher, Villasenor re-wrote the pitching records for UIC. He set single season marks for wins (9), complete games (11), earned runs (2.44), innings pitched (96.0), games started (13), strikeouts (68) and walks (22). As a freshman he set a school record with 21 appearances.

As a junior Villasenor earned Mid-Continent First Team All-Tournament and First Team All-Conference honors. As a senior he was voted the squad's Most Valuable Player and was named to Chicago Magazine's All-Illinois College Baseball Team.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1974-1976

Inducted: 2001

Webster played a major role in the success of the Chikas' 1975 season, when they won 19 games en route to a third-place finish in the Chicagoland College Baseball League. David was selected team MVP and All-Conference in 1975 and 1976.

"Taking road trips to Murray State and playing ball for Les Miller and Jim Darrah coaching the junior varsity baseball team in 1977 and being a member of UIC intramural championship teams in football and basketball in 1975 and 1976." Are some of Webster's fondest memories of his time at UIC.

Sport: Baseball

Years: 1953-1955

Inducted: 1992

Weltman was a standout pitcher for Navy Pier posting a career record of 19-3, over his four years with the team. His domination on the mound helped lead UIC to a 25-1 record in 1953 and a 21-8 mark in 1954. Weltman and his teammates won three Chicago College Baseball League titles.

During his career Weltman threw two no-hitters and compiled an earned run average of under 2.00. He was also the first four-year letterman in baseball for the university. After Navy Pier he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played two seasons in the major leagues.