By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
For the past decade, the Maine-Endwell Michittis have proudly represented SUNY Broome as talented student-athletes. After a long line of Michitti Lady Hornets made their mark on the soccer field, the family’s caboose and only son arrived at his community’s college ready to follow in his sisters’ footsteps – almost. Much to the dismay of his older sisters, Santino “Tino” Michitti traded in his soccer cleats for a catcher’s mask.
Though their academic and athletic programs differ, Michitti is just as impressive as the siblings who preceded him. During his time at SUNY Broome, the Business Administration student and Baseball Team Captain has amassed an impressive list of accolades for his performance both in the classroom and behind home plate.
As the youngest of six in a tried-and-true soccer family, it only made sense for Michitti to join his sisters and embrace the world’s most popular sport. On a whim, the 9-year-old stepped into uncharted territory and picked up a baseball. From then on, he was hooked.
After four seasons as a catcher for the Maine-Endwell Spartans, Michitti hoped to continue playing baseball at the collegiate level. Recruited by SUNY Niagara, he packed his bags, headed north, and enrolled as a business student. But halfway through his first semester, he started to rethink his decision.
“I wasn’t getting as much playing time as I had hoped for, and I really missed my family,” Michitti explained. “ I felt like it wasn’t smart financially to pay for housing when I could come home to SUNY Broome, transfer my business credits, and live with my family.”
Michitti transferred to Broome for the Spring 2025 semester, just in time for baseball season. He was initially nervous about making the transition to a new college and a new team, but his fears quickly subsided when several of his fellow Hornets turned out to be former teammates and competitors from local and travel baseball programs. Plus, professors like Dr. Lee Heron made him feel right at home in his business administration classes.
Michitti appreciates the value of a business administration degree, especially for budding entrepreneurs. (Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers)
“I loved having classes with Dr. Heron,” Michitti shared. “She almost convinced me to join the Business Club, but I didn’t think that I could balance it with baseball. Instead, I just tried to make the most out of all of my courses with her. She always made her classes really interesting by sharing examples from her career.”
It didn’t take long for Michitti to flourish at SUNY Broome. As catcher, he guided his fellow teammates from behind the plate, signaling pitches, coordinating the team’s defense, and instinctively monitoring opposing baserunners. His leadership and skill on the field earned him selection to join the 2024-25 & 2025-26 Mid-State Athletic Conference All-Conference Team, the 2024-25 NJCAA Region 3 All-Region Third Team, and Team Captain for the 2025-2026 season.
Michitti’s success carried over to the classroom, where he maintains a nearly perfect cumulative GPA, earning back-to-back spots on the Dean’s and President’s lists each semester.
As Michitti maps out his future, he’s keenly aware of the winning combination of mixing preparation with playing the long game. While he ultimately hopes to follow his father and uncles into public service as a local firefighter, Michitti understands the value of having a SUNY Broome business administration degree under his belt.
“I’d love to open a youth baseball coaching and training center one day,” Michitti shared. “It never hurts to have the knowledge from a business degree to access throughout your life.”
Although SUNY Broome wasn’t initially part of Michitti’s plan, he’s genuinely appreciative of the community college in his backyard, and for the opportunities, experiences, and connections it offered him.
“The Michittis were always meant to be Hornets,” he said with a smile. “Some of us just didn’t realize it right away.”
Tino’s Advice for Future Broome Students: “Pay attention when you’re making your schedule, especially if you’re a student athlete. Once I realized that I had games every Tuesday and Thursday, I knew to load my classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so that I wouldn’t fall behind. Work with your academic advisor and make a schedule that prioritizes being a student first, then an athlete.”
Michitti’s leadership and skill on the field earned him selection to join the 2024-25 & 2025-26 Mid-State Athletic Conference All-Conference Team, the 2024-25 NJCAA Region 3 All-Region Third Team, and become Team Captain for the 2025-2026 season. (Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers)
Tags: Athletics, Business and Professional Studies Division, Business: Business Administration AS
