Softball | 6/22/2021 10:14:06 AM
Emily Trotman of the St. John Fisher College softball team was named the 2020-21 Empire 8 Conference Woman of the Year. This award honors a senior female student-athlete who has distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.
Trotman is the second student-athlete from St. John Fisher chosen as the Conference’s Woman of the Year, joining softball and women’s volleyball standout Katie Mazierski, who was named in 2017-18. Trotman is also the fifth student-athlete in Empire 8 history to be named both the Woman of the Year and the Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year, which she earned on June 14.
"I’d like to thank St. John Fisher and the Empire 8 for this nomination as well as all the opportunities and experiences that have been provided for me over the last four years,” said Trotman. “My success would not be possible without the amazing environment that Fisher and the Empire 8 have created for female student-athletes like me. The environment at Fisher encompasses many of the same values my family has raised me with, giving me countless community service opportunities and a place to live out my faith and my dream to play college softball."
Trotman wrapped up a stellar four-year career on the diamond by earning 2021 National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Second Team All-American honors. She was named the 2021 Empire 8 Player of the Year and earned All-NFCA Northeast Region first team plaudits. She helped lead St. John Fisher to a 31-7 record, including a 19-1 mark in E8 league play, while the Cardinals advanced to the championship game of the Penn State Behrend NCAA Regional.
Trotman, who played in all 38 games for the Cardinals, finished with a .445 batting average and 1.236 OPS with 15 doubles, eight home runs and 33 RBI at the plate. She had 57 hits, 37 runs scored and 96 total bases, recording a .750 slugging percentage. Trotman also excelled in the pitcher’s circle, finishing 15-3 with a 1.55 earned run average, 13 complete games and six shutouts over 108.2 innings. She threw a no-hitter with a season-high total of eight strikeouts in a 4-0 win at Elmira on May 1.
“Emily is a natural leader and has the poise to go with it,” said St. John Fisher Softball Head Coach Bari Mance. “Throughout her four years as a member of the softball team, she emerged as the person that people admire. In big games, she stepped up her play on the national stage and her demeanor allows other players to follow. Her devotion to push herself and make the most of out her experience at St. John Fisher, is not only an example for our current players to follow, but also an example to recruits when we describe the life of a student-athlete.”
A native of East Amherst, N.Y., Trotman recently earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. John Fisher, while carrying a tremendous 3.80 grade-point average. She was a two-time NFCA Scholar Athlete and was a seven-time member of the Empire 8 President's List for student-athletes with GPAs of 3.75 and an eight-time Dean’s List recipient at Fisher. Trotman also earned Beta Gamma Sigma honors.
Trotman finished her St. John Fisher career with a .380 batting average (150-for-395), 100 runs scored, 30 doubles, 23 home runs and 80 runs batted in. Trotman was 43-18 in the pitching circle with 39 complete games and 13 shutouts in 381.1 innings. She was a three-time All-Empire 8 and three-time NFCA All-Region selection. The Cardinals won a pair of Empire 8 Championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. Overall, St. John Fisher compiled a 100-37 record in Trotman’s four seasons.
Outside of the classroom, Trotman served as vice chair and chair of the Teddi Dance for Love, which is the largest and longest running student fundraiser at St. John Fisher. Trotman’s effort, initiative, and creativity led to a completely reimagined Teddi Dance in 2021, resulting in the highest total of funds (over $130,000) raised in the history of the event.
In addition, Trotman’s commitment to serving others was recognized with the awarding of a Fisher Service Scholarship, a role that has enabled her to serve the Rochester community at the Urban Choice Charter School, Ronald McDonald House, and Camp Good Days & Special Times, among others. Trotman was honored with St. John Fisher’s 2021 Community Engagement Award.
When coaches assess an athlete’s effectiveness you often hear them question the individual’s leadership skills and their intangibles,” said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “Emily Trotman is an All-American pitcher with the leadership skills of an experienced professional. Her intrinsic drive and discipline not only serve her athletically and academically, but in her quest to do good for the community. She is a selfless servant and a shining representative for everyone as the Empire 8 Woman of the Year.”
Trotman began her collegiate softball career by enjoying an excellent freshman season in 2018, batting .339 to go along with four home runs and 29 runs batted in, while stealing 10 bases on her way to earning All-Empire 8 second team and NFCA All-Region third team accolades. The following season, Trotman emerged as a standout on the mound, going 23-11 with 23 complete games and seven shutouts. She also hit .324 with a homer and 13 RBI, garnering All-Empire 8 and NFCA All-Region accolades. Trotman was off to a hot start in 2020, hitting .457 in 10 games with a 1.278 OPS and was 4-2 on the mound before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on March
“I’d like to thank my family who has supported me through my four years at St. John Fisher,” said Trotman. “In addition, I want to thank my Fisher Family. My teammates, committee members, coaches, advisors, and mentors who helped make the impossible possible through one of the toughest years. These people and opportunities have contributed greatly to my success."
Trotman will now be forwarded to the national NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee. She joins an elite group of student-athletes from across NCAA Division I, II and III nominated for the award.
The committee will choose the top ten nominees in each division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. From those nine, the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be chosen.
Trotman led a strong contingent of four outstanding nominees considered by the Empire 8 Woman of the Year Committee:
2020-21 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists
Holly Passetti, Alfred University
Elena Ceja, Alfred University
Hannah Daniels, Houghton College
Emily Trotman, St. John Fisher College
For more information on the NCAA Woman of the Year,
CLICK HERE.
Past E8 Woman of the Year
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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