General | 5/2/2022 12:54:01 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on May 2, 2022, for games played from April 25-May 1. It is the 33rd Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2021-22 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jourdan Plaisted, Elmira, Gr., C, Walworth, NY/Gananda
Plaisted hit .462 (6-for-13) to go along with seven runs batted in on the week and helped Elmira clinch the final spot in the Empire 8 Baseball Tournament. Plaisted saved his biggest outing of the season for the regular-season finale on Sunday as he went 5-for-5 at the plate with six RBI, two doubles, and one triple, as the Soaring Eagles rallied from a 13-1 deficit to defeat Russell Sage, 15-14. He set Elmira’s single-game records for hits, total bases, and RBI. Plaisted also posted a .769 slugging percentage to go along with a .632 on-base percentage.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – James Roeschlaub, Utica, Sr., P, Auburn, NY/Auburn
Roeschlaub picked up his third win of the season after pitching seven innings in the Pioneers’ 4-1 win over Houghton College on Thursday. Over his seven frames, Roeschlaub allowed one run on seven hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. The southpaw kept the game scoreless before the Utica offense provided him with three runs of support in the fourth inning which proved to be all he needed to earn the win.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Alec Teska, St. John Fisher, Sr., P, Cato, NY/Cato-Meridian
Teska continued his incredible run through league play as the as he blanked Keuka on Saturday. Teska threw a complete-game shutout and allowed just four hits over five innings while finishing with three strikeouts. The senior has allowed just one unearned run over his 31.0 innings. It is his third E8 weekly honor of the 2022 season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Jimmy McCardle, St. John Fisher, Fr., OF, Hurley, NY/Kingston
McCardle played a large role in helping lead the Cardinals to four wins last week as the Cardinals closed out their conference schedule with a sweep of Keuka. Over five games, McCardle was 7-for-17 (.412) with a triple, five RBI and three runs scored. The freshman slugged .529 overall and stole one base. He also drew two walks out of the nine hole and played a perfect center field for the Cardinals. It is McCardle’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Arianna Papas, Russell Sage, Sr., OF, Castleton, NY/Maple Hill
Papas slashed .667/1.111/.739 (12-for-18) across six games last week. The outfielder, who recorded seven RBI and seven runs scored, with a pair of home runs, recorded four multi-hit efforts to help Russell Sage go 4-2 and secure a spot in the E8 Championship Tournament. It is Papas’ second E8 weekly accolade of the 2022 season.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Arden Hatch, Alfred, Jr., P, Orangevale, CA/St. Francis
Hatch was undefeated on the week as she picked up the No. 1 seed-clinching win for Alfred at Russell Sage College on Sunday. She totaled 18 strikeouts on the week and only gave up eight hits and two runs in 11 innings of work. Hatch scattered four hits and did not allow a run over five innings with seven strikeouts in a win over RIT on Thursday. Hatch followed that up by striking out a career-high 11 batters in the 3-2 win at Russell Sage. Hatch also got some time in the batters’ box on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a run. Defensively, she had three assists on the week with two on Sunday.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ryan Fecco, Oswego, Sr., Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker
Fecco finished second overall by carding an 83 to help lead Oswego to the team win at the Elmira College Spring Invitational on April 27. It is Fecco’s second E8 weekly honor of the 2021-22 season.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nicholas Miller, St. John Fisher, Gr., A, Ithaca, NY/Ithaca
Miller produced a career-high 10 points in his final regular season game, tallying four goals and six assists to lead the No. 5 Cardinals to a win over Russell Sage. With six assists in the game, he eclipsed the Fisher program record of 117 career assists, as Miller now sits at the top with 119 assists in his remarkable career. It is Miller’s fourth E8 weekly accolade of the season.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Scott Kimiecik, Alfred, Sr., G, Randolph, Nj/Randolph
Kimiecik played his final game on the turf at Yunevich Stadium in style as he made nine saves on 10 shots on goal to pick up another Empire 8 win as the Saxons defeated Keuka College, 18-2. Kimiecik added three ground balls and a caused turnover in the win. It is Kimiecik’s third E8 weekly accolade of the 2022 season.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emma States, Nazareth, Jr., A, Phoenix, NY/C.W. Baker
States led Nazareth with nine goals and six assists for 15 points in a 1-1 week with a loss to nationally-ranked St. Lawrence and a win over Utica in a preview of the Empire 8 Tournament semifinal. She recorded her 100th career goal with her first goal against Utica on Saturday. States tallied five goals and two assists against St. Lawrence and recorded four goals and four assists versus Utica.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Samantha Miller, Hartwick, Fr., G, Trumbull, CT/St. Joseph
Miller enjoyed her best game of the season in the biggest moment to help lead Hartwick into the E8 Championship Tournament. She stopped 14 of 18 shots on goal for a .778 save percentage and added three ground balls in a 13-4 win over Russell Sage that helped Hartwick clinch the No. 4 seed in the upcoming E8 Tournament. It is Miller’s second Empire 8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Matt Cicero, Houghton, Sr., Perry, NY/Warsaw
Cicero earned the decisive point at fourth singles in lifting the Highlanders to the 2022 Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Regular Season Championship with a 5-4 win at Nazareth on Saturday. He garnered a 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 win in singles and partnered with Micah Schilke for an 8-2 win at third doubles. It is Cicero’s second Empire 8 weekly award of the 2022 season.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jack Howard, Houghton, Sr., Sprints, Owego, NY/Homeschool
Howard placed fourth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.31 seconds and was seventh in the 400-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in 58.95 seconds to help lead Houghton at the University of Rochester Alumni Invitational on Saturday. In addition, Howard finished fourth in the javelin throw with a toss of 42.33 meters.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – John Coddington, Russell Sage, Jr., Throws, Amsterdam, NY/Broadalbin-Perth
Competing at the Capital District Championship at RPI, Coddington won the shot put with a throw of 14.39 meters. He also finished in fifth place in the hammer throw, once again breaking his own school record with his throw on Saturday. This week he posted a toss of 46.36 to break the mark from the previous week of 44.54 meters. He also did the same thing with his mark of 39.95 meters as he finished in fifth in the discus. He broke his mark from two weeks ago competing at the Williams Invitational. It is Coddington’s second E8 weekly honor of the 2022 outdoor campaign.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Alexis Anagnostopulos, Nazareth, Jr., Middle Distance, Altamont, NY/Guilderland
Anagnostopulos ran a personal best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for Nazareth at the University of Rochester Alumni Invitational on Saturday. Her time was 12:56.11 to place fifth overall.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ana Ion, Alfred, Jr., Jumps/Multi Events, Bucharest, Romania/Episcopal School of Jacksonville
Ion defeated 15 competitors in the women’s triple jump during the University of Rochester Alumni Invitational on Saturday. She won the event with a distance of 10.96 meters. Four of her six attempts were beyond the All-Atlantic Regional qualifying distance of 10.80 meters.
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.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram