Varsity Coaches

Contact Info: bartellp@stfrancishigh.org or (716) 627-1200 ext. 465

Coach Bartell has been the varsity baseball coach at St. Francis since 2001. In his time, he's won 6 Georgetown Cup Championships, and went to the state championship game in 2023. 

Before his coaching days, Bartell was a three year varsity baseball player. He was third baseman, and won two regular season MMAA championships. After his time at St. Francis, Bartell would commit to Hamilton College (Division 3) to play both hockey and baseball. In baseball, he was a four year starter at third base. 

Upon graduation, he returned to St. Francis as an employee. He has taught in the past, but currently works in the business office as the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations. He was later elected into the St. Francis Athletic Hall of Fame.

Under his reign, the baseball program has sent 40 players off to a college program in the last eleven years, including 5 in 2022, and 4 in 2023, and 4 in 2024. In many cases, 40% of each baseball graduating class will continue onto a college baseball program, nearly triple the national average.

Coach "Catz" will be entering his 10th year as a varsity assistant coach here at St. Francis. The team has won three Georgetown Cups since his arrival.

Catanzaro won a baseball state championship with Orchard Park High School in 1988. He would then commit to play baseball at Canisius (Division 1). He would play there for two years before starting his own company.

Catanzaro also coaches two summer teams, the KC Curve (AAABA) and the Orchard Park Sox (MUNY).

Coach Kaczor is entering his ninth season, playing a huge role in the 2018 and 2023 Georgetown Cup Championships.

Kaczor was a three year starter at St. Francis, winning the Georgetown Cup in 1975. He also was elected to three All-Catholic Teams, two All-WNY teams, and won St. Francis' annual Man of the Year Award. Kaczor played college baseball at Cornell University (Division 1), where he was dominant, with a .338 career average with 21 HR, and was elected to two All-Ivy League teams.

His expertise of hitting has helped many position players across the college baseball landscape.