Alfred looks to repeat as Empire 8 Champions, as 2022 Softball Season Gets Underway

Softball | 3/2/2022 11:38:55 AM

Alfred University will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champions, as eight teams will battle for the 2022 league title. The upcoming season is set to get underway in early March with league play beginning on April 1. Four teams will advance to the double-elimination Empire 8 Tournament, which will take place at the home of the regular season champion and top-seed from May 5-7. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
 
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.
  Ally Barr, Elmira, Gr., P, Pine City, NY/Elmira – Barr returns for her final season for the Purple and Gold after winning six games and firing 13 complete games in 2021.
 
Jordan Cole, Keuka, Sr., 3B, Campbell, NY/Campbell Savona – Cole hit .328 last season for the Wolves with 11 RBI and will be a key bat in the middle of the order.
 
Emily Joss, Utica, Sr., SS, South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls – Joss earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2021 after hitting .393 with 15 extra-base hits and 25 RBI.
 
Allie Klonowski, St. John Fisher, Jr., OF, Buffalo, NY/Clarence – Klonowski earned All-Empire 8 and NFCA All-Region first team accolades after hitting .400 and slugging .783 with 22 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs and 36 RBI.
 
Kayla Loomis, Houghton, Jr., P, Selkirk, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk – Loomis will be counted on to lead the Highlanders in the pitching circle after earning All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2021.
 
Ashley Lugo, Alfred, Sr., SS, Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills – Lugo was an NFCA All-American in 2021 after hitting .416 with 29 RBI, 52 runs scored, and an AU and Empire 8-record 52 stolen bases, which were second in all of Division III. She enters her senior year with an Empire 8 career record 89 stolen bases.
 
Arianna Papas, Russell Sage, Sr., OF, Castleton, NY/Maple Hill – Papas earned All-Empire 8 and NFCA All-Region first team accolades after hitting .535 and slugging .826 with 16 extra-base hits and 17 RBI.
 
Sarah Simmons, Nazareth, Sr., OF, Victor, NY/Victor – Simmons enters the 2022 season with a .419 career batting average (72-for-172). She was an All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2021 after hitting .463 with three home runs.
   
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher will look to win its eighth Empire 8 Championship in 2022. Despite falling in the 2021 E8 Championship game, the Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship, while compiling an impressive 31-7 mark. While the Cardinals will try and replace a decorated Class of 2021, led by 2021 NFCA All-American and Empire 8 Player of the Year Emily Trotman, there is plenty of returning firepower to make another deep run into May. Junior Allie Klonowski returns as one of the top power hitters in the region. She earned All-Empire 8 and NFCA All-Region first team accolades after hitting .400 and slugging .783 with 22 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs and 36 RBI. Senior Abby Flakus, a two-time All-Empire 8 first team pick, is a career .339 hitter. Junior pitcher Jess Patterson earned NFCA All-Region and All-Empire 8 first team accolades last season after finishing 16-4 with 15 complete games, five shutouts and 127 strikeouts in 129 innings. Patterson enters the season as one of the top pitchers in Division III. St. John Fisher enters 2022 ranked 15th in the NFCA Division III national poll.
 
Russell Sage
The Gators enjoyed a tremendous season in 2021, finishing 17-6 overall, while earning the No. 2 seed in the Empire 8 postseason tournament. Russell Sage returns 12 players, including three All-Empire 8 first team performers from a season ago, seniors Arianna Papas and Taylor DiCranian, along with junior Makayla Lindsay. Papas earned NFCA All-Region first team accolades after hitting .535 and slugging .826 with 16 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. DiCranian also garnered NFCA All-Region accolades after batting .488 with 20 RBI in addition to winning 15 games in the pitcher’s circle with nine complete games. Lindsey batted .338 with 22 RBI and also hurled 46 innings in the circle for the Gators. Katelyn Rice will also be counted on to provide offense for the Gators in 2022
 
Alfred
The Saxons are the defending Empire 8 Champions and look to become the first Alfred program in any sport to repeat as league champs. The Saxons went 32-11 in 2021 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Alfred begins the 2022 season ranked No. 25 in the NFCA Division III Preseason poll. While Alfred will have to replace 2021 NFCA All-American and Empire 8 Pitcher of the Year Jessica Wilcox, fellow All-Americans Ashley Lugo and Allison O’Toole return, along with 2021 E8 Rookie of the Year Mya Wells and fellow all-league selections Alyssa Guitron and Megan Bennett. Lugo batted .416 (62-of-149) with 29 RBI, 52 runs scored, and an AU and Empire 8-record 52 stolen bases, which were second in all of Division III. O’Toole batted .427 (35-for-82) batting average in 29 games played, scoring 14 runs and driving in 19 more with six stolen bases. In addition, key veterans Tatianna Mejia, Gillian Flint and Mara Moore will provide leadership on and off the field.
 
Keuka
Keuka advanced to the Empire 8 postseason in its first season as a league member in 2021 and will look to duplicate that feat in 2022. Senior corner infielder Jordan Cole and junior middle infielder Helena Hill will be counted on to lead the Wolves in 2022. Hill hit a robust .417 with 10 stolen bases, while Cole batted .328 with 11 RBI in 2021. Keuka will look to replace pitcher Whitney Tyler, who finished in the top-10 in program history in career earned run average, strikeouts, complete games, shutouts, and wins. Head Coach Jamie Burke has won 300 games at Keuka in her 16-year career, which are the most by any coach in any sport in Keuka College history.
 
Utica
The Pioneers return several impact players from the 2021 squad that won 14 contests and won an Empire 8 first round postseason contest. Senior infielder Emily Joss earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2021 after hitting .393 with 15 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. Senior catcher/first baseman Kaitlyn Paul was an All-Empire 8 second team pick in 2019 and was on her way to putting up tremendous offensive numbers in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury. Sophomore outfielder Julia Phelps returns after garnering All-Empire 8 second team honors as a first-year in 2021. Junior pitcher Jordyn Conte appeared in 23 games for the Pioneers last season and recorded 12 complete games and three shutouts.
 
Elmira
Elmira returns 13 players and eight starters from last season’s team that made its first Empire 8 postseason appearance in eight years. Graduate student Ally Barr looks to record the majority of innings in the pitcher’s circle. As she fired 119 innings in 2021. Senior catcher Felicity Brockhuizen returns after earning All-Empire 8 third team accolades. She batted .303 and stole nine bases in 10 attempts. Sophomore Katie DiStefano returns after hitting .353 with two homers and 11 RBI in just 10 games last season. Alexis Dinga and Jillian Cortez will also be counted on to lead the Soaring Eagles, who will playing their home games at a new facility, Holding Point Complex.
 
Houghton
The Highlanders have a new look in 2022, as head coach Chad Muise takes over for the Highlanders. Fifteen players return for Houghton in 2022, including junior pitcher Kayla Loomis, who earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades after firing 145 innings. Senior infielder Grace Thompson hit .358 with an OPS over 1.000, while slamming four home runs and driving in 20. Outfielder Hannah Haskell will also be counted on to be a leader for the Highlanders after she hit .341 in 2021.
 
Nazareth
Nazareth will look for a return trip to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2022 and have 10 veterans returning. Senior outfielder Sarah Simmons was among the E8’s top players in 2021 as she started 22 games and set single-season program records with a .463 batting average and a .507 on-base percentage to go along with three home runs and 15 runs batted in. Sophomore infielder Megan Pum is back after hitting .338, while junior first baseman Justine Brooks is set to see more time.
 
Final 2021 Empire 8 Softball Standings
St. John Fisher (31-7, 19-1 Empire 8)
Russell Sage (17-6, 16-4 E8)
Alfred (32-11, 1-5 E8) – League Champions
Keuka (8-13, 8-12 E8)
Utica (14-15, 8-12 E8)
Elmira (7-20, 6-14 E8)
Houghton (5-23, 4-16 E8)
Nazareth (5-19, 4-16 E8)
 
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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 and YouTube
 
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