Baseball | 5/1/2023 1:02:04 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on May 1, 2023, for games played from April 24-April 30. It is the 34th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2022-23 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Noah Campanelli, St. John Fisher, Sr., INF, Pittsford, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Campanelli batted .583 in three wins for St. John Fisher, with seven hits in 12 at-bats to go along with four runs scored, five stolen bases, two doubles and two RBI. Campanelli is riding a 15-game hitting streak, batting .600 (45-for-75) over that span with 28 runs scored, 19 extra-base hits and 21 RBI to go along with 19 stolen bases. He has raised his batting average from .358 to .487 over that span. It is Campanelli’s second straight E8 weekly accolade.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Anthony Laurinitis, Keuka, So., P, Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge
Laurinitis had a career day in the rain on Saturday for the Wolves, setting a new Keuka College record by striking out 15 batters in an 8-1 victory over Medaille. He also set a new career-high with eight innings pitched against the Mavericks, allowing just six hits and one run. Not only did he set the single-game record, but Laurinitis also set Keuka’s new single-season record for strikeouts with 60 on the year.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Chris Gross, Houghton, Fr., P, Hancock, NY/Hancock
Gross tossed six shutout innings, allowing just two hits, while earning his first collegiate win in a victory over Fredonia State on Tuesday. He faced 24 batters and threw 85 pitches in the winning effort.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Arianna Papas, Russell Sage, Gr., OF, Castleton, NY/Maple Hill
Papas enjoyed an incredible week, batting .733 with 10 runs scored, 11 hits, including four home runs, a double and a triple to go along with eight RBI. Papas recorded a 1.733 slugging percentage, stole one base and had a 1.000 fielding percentage. On Saturday, she homered four times in a doubleheader sweep at Houghton. Papas leads the Gators this season in several offensive categories, as she now has 50 hits including 14 doubles, four triples and six homeruns this season. It is her second E8 weekly accolade of 2023.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Arden Hatch, Alfred, Sr., P, Orangevale, CA/St. Francis
Hatch helped the Saxons go 4-0 on the week, making four appearances and picking up two pitching wins. Hatch was one play away from a perfect game against Fredonia, as she hurled a no-hitter, striking out 10 Blue Devil batters. In total, Hatch only gave up four hits in 19.2 innings and three earned runs on the week while striking out batters 23 times.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jake Owens, SUNY Oswego, So., Greenwich, NY/Greenwich
Owens shot a one-over par 72 to claim medalist honors at the 2023 Oswego Spring Invitational on Saturday from Oswego Country Club. Owens was two shots better than the rest of the field to claim the title during the rain shortened event.
MEN’S LACROSSE
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brandon MacDonell, Keuka, Sr., M, Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes
MacDonell had a strong close to his career at Keuka with 12 goals and 17 points in a pair of wins last week. On Wednesday, he set a new personal best with 10 total points, scoring six goals and adding four assists in Keuka College's senior day victory over Medaille. He then matched that career-high of six goals and led the Wolves with seven total points when Keuka played at Russell Sage on Saturday. MacDonell finished the season with a team-leading 36 goals and joined teammate Devon Gerhardt as the first Wolves to amass 50 points in a season since the 2019 campaign.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brady Mason, St. John Fisher, Jr., A, Johns Creek, GA/Johns Creek
Mason tallied 12 points on nine goals and three assists to go along with five ground balls in a pair of wins during the week. He began the week with a four-goal, five-point performance in a 16-14 win over Ithaca College. Mason followed that up by tallying five goals and seven points in the regular season finale over Nazareth which clinched the E8 Regular Season title.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Andrew Collora, Russell Sage, Fr., G, West Babylon, NY/West Babylon
Collora stopped 13 shots to help Russell Sage to a 15-11 win over Keuka on Saturday. Collora stopped four shots in both the first and third quarters and allowed just four first half goals as the Gators led 7-4 at the half.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sydney Carpenter, St. John Fisher, So., M, Rochester, NY/Hilton
Carpenter exploded for 14 points on seven goals, seven assists, 21 draw controls, eight ground balls and six caused turnovers. On Wednesday, Carpenter tallied six points on two goals and four assists with 10 draw controls in a win over Medaille. She wrapped up the regular season in style on Saturday with three goals, five assists, five caused turnovers, seven ground balls and 11 draw controls in a win over Hartwick. It is Carpenter’s third E8 weekly accolade of the season.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Breese Burlingame, Utica, Fr., G, Binghamton, NY/North Mount Herman
Burlingame put together a 2-0 week with winning decisions over SUNY Canton and Keuka College. With under 10 goals allowed in both games, Burlingame extended her streak of holding teams to single digits to five games. Against Canton, Burlingame made 13 saves, while giving up just three second half goals. In Utica's win at Keuka, Burlingame made seven stops while also adding two ground balls and a caused turnover to her line. It is Burlingame’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S TENNIS
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Micah Schilke, Houghton, Sr., Houghton, NY/Fillmore
Schilke was named Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament, leading Houghton to its second league title in the last three seasons. Schilke paired with Marcelo Garcia to earn an 8-6 win at second doubles and clinched the title for the Highlanders with a 6-3, 6-1 win at second singles in the E8 title match against Nazareth on Saturday. It is Schilke’s second E8 weekly honor of 2023.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Cade Eells, Nazareth, So., Middle Distance, Ithaca, NY/Ithaca
Eells ran his first steeplechase of the season and clocked a winning time of 9:38.28 at St. John Fisher’s Cardinal Classic, which is the top time in the Empire 8 this year.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – John Coddington, Russell Sage, Sr., Throws, Amsterdam, NY/Broadalbin-Perth
Coddington won the shot put at RPI’s Capital District Championship on Friday with a throw of 15.07 meters, which broke his own record of 14.88 meters. In the hammer, he was third with a throw of 45.82 meters and added a fourth place finish in the discus with his performance of 39.79 meters. Coddington earned his second straight E8 weekly accolade.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Alexandria Wisniewski, Houghton, Sr., Sprints/Hurdles, Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Wisniewski recorded a time of 1:06.92 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Cardinal Classic, which is an Empire 8 season-best time, which also qualifies her for the All-Atlantic Region Championships. She also competed in the 4 x 100-meter relay helping her squad to a season best time of 51.99 seconds.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Veronica Duell, St. John Fisher, So., Jumps, Bergen, NY/Byron-Bergen
Duell won the long jump at the Cardinal Classic on Saturday, leaping 5.97 meters, which is one of the top jumps in conference history. The jump of 5.97 meters is not only the best long jump in the Empire 8 and All-Atlantic Region to date but is the second best in Division III in 2023.
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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