General | 3/6/2023 1:07:06 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on March 6, 2023, for games played from February 27-March 5. It is the 26th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2022-23 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Zach Parr, Houghton, Sr., IF, Olean, NY/Olean
Parr went 11-for-19 from the plate for a .579 batting average with three doubles, while collecting four RBI and scoring six runs. The Highlander posted a 1.337 OPS for the week. He had two three-hit efforts and two two-hit games, while reaching base in all five contests.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kooper Knabe, Utica, Fr., P, Cortland, NY/Cortland
Knabe impressed in his collegiate debut with a complete game shutout victory over Yeshiva on Sunday. Knabe tossed all six innings of a game that was called due to darkness in a 27-0 Utica win. Over his six innings of work, Knabe allowed just four hits while striking out eight hitters and giving up two walks.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dylan Sullivan, Utica, Fr., P, West Orange, NJ/Columbia
Sullivan excelled in his collegiate debut, firing 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win in an 8-3 win over Yeshiva on Sunday. Sullivan came in with the bases loaded and just one out in the fifth inning and picked up a strikeout and groundout to keep the game tied at 3-3. He then retired the next six batters he faced, the final two by strikeouts after Utica scored five times in the top of the seventh inning to pick up the win.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Arianna Papas, Russell Sage, Gr., OF, Castleton, NY/Maple Hill
Papas, the reigning 2022 Empire 8 Co-Player of the Year, began 2023 on a high note, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with a 1.145 OPS, six RBI, three runs scored, three doubles, two stolen bases and a triple over six games. She recorded three multiple-hit games and drove in four runs against Allegheny on Saturday.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Ainsley Evanetski, St. John Fisher, So., P, Rochester, NY/Brighton
Evanetski began her 2023 season in fine fashion, firing a four-hit shutout in a win over Centenary College on Sunday. She scattered four hits and walked two batters, while striking out in the complete-game effort for her first win of the season.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kevin Matson, Alfred, Jr., A, Chenango Bridge, NY/Chenango Forks
Matson was instrumental in his first game of the season to pick up a big win over Westminster College on Wednesday, as he had seven points from five goals and two assists while placing 11 of his 17 shots on goal. He followed with a hat-trick performance at Skidmore College, taking another 17 shots with eight on target. Two of his goals on Sunday were during man-up situations. He had eight ground balls on the week, and one caused turnover.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Jake Bowen, Utica, Fr., G, Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union
Bowen earned his first collegiate victory in Utica's 4-1 win over SUNY Poly on Thursday. After allowing a first quarter goal, Bowen held the Wildcats scoreless over the final three quarters while collecting nine saves in the win.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Katelynn Deveans, Medaille, So., M, Clinton, NY/Clinton
Deveans was the offensive leader for the Mavericks in two games, finishing with 11 goals, three assists, 14 points, 16 shots on goal, 10 ground balls, four caused turnovers, and 15 draw controls in a 1-1 week. She tallied seven points at Grove City on Tuesday and six goals and seven points to go along with 11 draw controls in a win over Morrisville on Sunday. It is her second straight E8 weekly honor to start 2023.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emma States, Nazareth, Sr., A, Phoenix, NY/C.W. Baker
States finished the week with five goals and four assists including five goals and an assist in the 13-12 win at RIT for the first win of the season for Nazareth on Saturday. She also added three assists against nationally-ranked SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Breese Burlinggame, Utica, Fr., G, Binghamton, NY/Northfield Mount Hermon
Burlinggame began her collegiate lacrosse career with a perfect 2-0 record in goal for the Pioneers allowing just 2.67 goals per game while recording 21 total saves over 90 minutes of play for an .833 save percentage. She freshman played 30 minutes in Utica's 20-0 win over SUNY Poly on Wednesday and collected five saves. Burlinggame went on to earn her second win the following day at New Paltz allowing four goals and making 15 saves.
MEN’S TENNIS
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jaimie Staerkle, Houghton, So., Kelowna, British Columbia/Immaculata
Staerkle went 4-2 last week with two wins at first doubles and two more wins at the first and second singles positions. The Highlander's only two losses on the week were both versus NCAA Division I St. Bonaventure.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Kaleb Luton, Nazareth, Sr., Sprints/Jumps/Hurdles
Luton took third in the 60-meter hurdles at the All-Atlantic Regional Championships over the weekend with a time of 8.22 seconds in the prelims and 8.23 in the finals. He finished just outside the NCAA selection with a tie for 22nd in the country with his 8.17 time earlier this season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – John Coddington, Russell Sage, Sr., Throws, Amsterdam, NY/Broadalbin-Perth
Coddington had a banner day while competing in the weight toss at the All-Atlantic Region Championship from the Armory in New York City. Coddington opened the action on Saturday with his first throw going 16.66 meters. He then bettered his own school record throw of 16.70 meters with his mark of 16.89 meters. That school record did not have a chance to stand for long as Coddington bettered that throw with a toss of 16.95 meters and finished with a program-best seventh place finish at the championship.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton, Sr., Distance, Houghton, NY/Fillmore
Burrichter finished third in the 3,000-meter run at the All-Atlantic Region Championships at the Armory in New York over the weekend with a new career-best time of 10:05.40.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lea Richard, Nazareth, Jr., Throws, Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls
Richard won the weight throw and qualified for nationals at the All-Atlantic Region Championship over the weekend. She tied her previous best (17.03 meters) with her first throw, improved her school record with a 17.22 meters (56' 6") on her third effort and also went over the previous school record with a 17.09 on her fifth throw to claim the individual title.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Malachi Jackson, Medaille, Sr., OH, Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga
Jackson slammed 21 kills with a tremendous .500 hitting percentage with two service aces, eight digs, and one solo block in a four-set win over Hilbert on Thursday. He averaged six points per set in the win.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Casey Jackson, St. John Fisher, Fr., OH, Spencerport, NY/Spencerport
Jackson hit .500 with a team-best total of six kills, five digs, two service aces and a block in St. John Fisher’s three-set win over Hilbert on Saturday. It is his second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
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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