FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Baseball outfielder Matthew Bucciero added another award to his postseason honors, as he was named the MAAC Student-Athlete of the Year as announced by the league's office. He becomes the second Fairfield male student-athlete ever to receive the award and the second baseball player in the last four seasons.
 
"Matthew has been emblematic of our Stags Athletics core values and cultural commitments throughout his exceptional career," Vice President for Athletics Paul Schlickmann said. "He is one of the most decorated athletes in the storied history of our baseball program, not only garnering a host of individual accolades but also serving as a driving force to continued team success, including a conference tournament championship and two regular season titles. Matthew has been and will continue to be an incredible ambassador of Fairfield University and we look forward to following his journey as member of the Chicago White Sox organization."
 
Bucciero capped off an historic four-year career with the Stags' baseball program, graduating as the school's all-time leader in: home runs (55), RBI (225), total bases (494), runs scored (221), triples (12), walks (153), and tied for the program standard with 271 hits.
 
Individually, he was recognized with several awards including the 2026 MAAC Player of the Year after leading the conference in: home runs (20), RBI (57), and slugging percentage (.688), where he ranked top-50 nationally.
 
Through his career he also received three All-MAAC First Team honors, two All-Northeast Regional selections, two ECAC All-Star accolades, and last year's MAAC Championship MVP.
 
In the classroom, Bucciero has shined by amassing a 3.83 overall GPA and graduating from Fairfield's nationally-ranked Dolan School of Business as a Business Analytics major. His scholarly success was recognized among the best in the nation as he earned Academic All-American First Team honors by the College Sports Communicators, becoming the second Fairfield baseball player to ever earn that distinction.
 
All of that historic success was culminated as he was drafted in the 10th round by the Chicago White Sox in the 2026 MLB Draft. He became just the third Stag to be chosen in the top 10 rounds of the draft and the first since Keefe Cato in 1979.
 
In his career, Bucciero helped the Stags to four-straight 30 win seasons, two regular season titles, and the 2025 MAAC Championship and NCAA Regional appearance.