Heartland’s Sam Antonacci named NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year

A standout Heartland Community College student athlete has been recognized with a national award. 

The National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) announced Sam Antonacci from Heartland Community College (Heartland), along with Eliana Bommarito from Indian Hills Community College (IHCC), as the 2024 NATYCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients. 

To accommodate sports that extend into the summer, this award is given for the contributions of students from the previous academic year. 

Antonacci, a Sacred Heart Griffin High School (Springfield) grad, helped lead Heartland to a 2023 Division II Baseball World Series championship. 

During his time at Heartland, Antonacci was a member of the Heartland baseball team with a 3.90 cumulative GPA in pursuit of an Associate of Arts degree. In addition to giving his time as a volunteer coach for a local U13 baseball team, he also volunteered for the Normal Cornbelters, Town of Normal, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, and the Heartland athletics department. 

Antonacci has received several notable honors including but not limited to:

Academic

• Two-time Academic All-Conference
• Two-time NJCAA All-Academic Team
• Four-time Dean's List recipient

Athletics

• 2022-23 NJCAA DII National Player of the Year
• 2023 NJCAA Region 24 Player of the Year
• Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) Player of the Year
• Two-time NJCAA Region 24 All-American
• Two-time MWAC First Team
• Two-time NJCAA DII 1^st Team All-American 

The Sacred Heart Griffin High School (Springfield) grad helped lead Heartland to a 2023 Division II Baseball World Series championship. 

Antonacci, a Spring 2023 Heartland graduate, is currently playing at DI Coastal Carolina University.