Hall of Fame
John Ostrowski dedicated 43 years of service to Benedictine University in a wide array of roles that helped grow his faith while influencing countless young adults. Ostrowski is the final member of the Benedictine Athletics Hall of Fame that will be inducted this Saturday, October 21.
"I feel very fortunate to become a member of such an elite group," Ostrowski said. "I know firsthand a number of administrators, coaches and athletes in the Hall of Fame either having coached them or coached with them. They were all very special and I am so very excited to be included with them."Â
Ostrowski held several positions on the staff at Benedictine including football coach, assistant director of athletics, acting director of athletics and head baseball coach. Taking over as head baseball coach in 1973, Ostrowski instantly guided the team to four consecutive winning seasons as part of a stretch that saw eight consecutive conference titles.
"Being at a Catholic School for so long enabled me to grow in my faith and be influenced by so many committed administrators, teachers and coaches," Ostrowski said. "It created an atmosphere where winning was important but developing the concept of the student-athlete was paramount."
The 1974 team finished with a record of 21-13, the first of 32 seasons featuring 20 or more wins. The next year saw a mark of 25-23-1, the beginning of 16 years with 25 or more victories.
Starting with a 22-18 team in 1987, Benedictine rolled off an impressive stretch of 18 consecutive years with 20 or more victories, three times eclipsing 30 wins including a school record 32 in 2000. The 2013 team also won 32 contests, reaching the NCAA Regionals. The 1991 team finished 31-9-1, setting the school mark for fewest losses in a season. Benedictine became a model of consistency in the Midwest.
Ostrowski won his 900th career game in 2012, becoming just the sixth coach in NCAA Division III history to win 900 games at the same school. The 43-year run would come to an end following the 2015 season with 990 victories, most in school history and 11th all-time in NCAA Division III.
Benedictine won 16 conference titles and finished among the top two 33 times under the leadership of the Palos Park, Ill. resident. Ostrowski also steered eight teams to the NCAA Regionals and guided over 50 all-region honorees and eight All-Americans along with helping to mentor countless young men through the baseball program, several of which have gone into coaching at various levels. The Benedictine record book is littered with players who took the field under his guidance.
Benedictine opened a beautiful new baseball facility under Ostrowski's watch in the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex. The facility is consistently viewed as one of the top facilities in the Midwest.
Ostrowski was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Lewis College Hall of Fame in 2007.
Ostrowski began his coaching career as a student assistant at Lewis University under the legendary Gordie Gillespie, who is college baseball's all-time leaders in wins. Ostrowski then served as a graduate assistant at Nebraska State University (now Chadron State) before he was named head varsity coach at Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison.
"I have been very blessed to be at a great school like Benedictine for my entire career," Ostrowski said following his retirement. "I have had outstanding support from administrators, faculty and staff. Add to that the outstanding players that I was fortunate to coach. All of that made this a dream job that I wouldn't have traded for any other."
