A hard worker, a great teammate, and a tough competitor are all ways to describe Brian Behnke who played both baseball and basketball for the V-Hawks.

"Brian is a great example of what Viterbo wants in a student-athlete," commented Kevin Johnston, who served as Behnke's baseball coach. "Brian brought more than athletic ability to our program as he was a leader, a coach on the field, and most importantly, a great teammate."

In Behnke's first two seasons as a pitcher on the baseball team, he struck out 62 batters in 80 innings. After missing his third season due to an injury, Behnke came back and set single-season records for innings pitched (77.3) and strikeouts (72) during his final two seasons. Upon graduation, he had career school records for innings pitched (235), complete games (19), and strikeouts (203).

Behnke, a three-time Academic All-Conference recipient, was also a member of the basketball team for two years. During this time, the V-Hawks compiled a 48-20 record, won the National Catholic Basketball Tournament in 1990-91 and advanced to the NAIA District 14 finals twice. V-Hawk fans will always remember Brian for "the shot." As a freshman in 1991, he hit a three-quarter court shot at the buzzer against UW-Eau Claire in the NAIA District 14 championship game to send the game into overtime. The shot, estimated at nearly 75 feet, made the David Letterman Show and ESPN's Plays of the Year.

After his playing days were over, his contributions to Viterbo continued as he served as an assistant baseball coach under Sean McDermott. Perhaps Coach McDermott summed up Brian's career as a V-Hawk best when he said, "that guy absolutely bled Viterbo. His passion for the college was awesome."