Stepping into this week’s senior spotlight, out of Thornton, Colorado, standing six feet tall, and a chiseled 185lbs, Gustavus’s most eligible bachelor, John Campisi. Campisi has been a member of the Gustavus Men’s Baseball team for the past three years. I sat down with Campisi to see what life has been like over the past few months and how he is adapting to COVID college life. In our interview, Campisi was quick to express his appreciation for his current place in life.
“It is exciting to know the next chapter of my life is only a year away. The last four have flown by, and it is even crazy to think I am almost done with my educational and baseball careers,” Campisi said.
For many, senior year provides the last kick at the can for athletes to achieve their goals and win championships. It also represents the last time most athletes will ever play on an organized sports team for the rest of their life.
Campisi has embraced the impact of COVID-19 on his baseball season with optimism and positivity. Amongst all the chaos occurring in our country between a presidential election with no clear frontrunner, and a global pandemic with no clear end in sight, Campisi has found light in baseball this fall.
“Getting the chance to play fall ball was a pleasant surprise given COVID and the unpredictable weather. Some of my fondest memories come from fall ball. There is nothing better than competing against your friends. Even if you give up a home run, it is great to see your buddies running around the bases with smiles on their faces,” Campisi said.

In such unpredictable times, people must search for the good, and Campisi speaks directly to that. After having their season canceling last spring, fall ball has instilled hope within the team for the coming spring.
Turning back to quarantine, the period of isolation allowed for Campisi to spend some quality time with his family.
“It was a blessing to be able to go home for another two months. Those are two months I get to spend with my family, and I don’t know how much time I will get with them in the next few years, so I am very grateful for that,” Campisi said.
Campisi stays on the positivity train and recalls how he cherishes the time he was able to spend with family. A lot of people were forced to spend time with their siblings and parents, which would have not been realistic without a global pandemic. With busy lives, quality family time can be hard to find, and Campisi did not hesitate to take advantage of that.
Along with taking advantage of much needed family time, Campisi sought out more time with some of his favorite activities outside of baseball. While he is not putting smiles on his teammate’s faces at the ballpark, Campisi loves to go hunting and fishing. Shortly before arriving back on campus, he set out on a two-week elk hunting trip. While he was not successful in his hunting endeavors, the experience itself was very valuable. Upon completion of his degree here at Gustavus Adolphus College, Campisi intends to enlist into the United States Naval Forces. His hunting trip served as a great challenge to test certain qualities that he will undoubtedly need to make it as a Seal. While hunting for elk, Campisi camped in the mountains and learned to navigate unknown territory. Although far from the baseball diamond, Campisi continues to push his boundaries and take on new challenges.
As for the future of the baseball team in the coming spring, only time will tell. With high hopes, Campisi looks to finish out his time here at Gustavus with his best friends on the baseball field.
“Some of my favorite memories at Gustavus come from our Arizona trip and winning the MIAC Championship. I cannot wait to see all the hard work put in by my teammates finally pay off,” Campisi said.
Spoken like a true teammate, Campisi cannot wait to succeed with his team come springtime. He even went as far as to provide some statistical estimates on their chances of winning this year’s MIAC Championship.
“Our chances of winning the MIAC Championship are exactly 100 percent. Let us just say no one wants to travel to St. Peter to play the Gusties this spring,” Campisi said.
With confidence and positivity, Senior John Campisi looks to take on the coming baseball season with his teammates.