Softball | 5/15/2023 8:52:19 AM
Russell Sage outfielder Arianna Papas was named Empire 8 Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while regular season champion Alfred University earned four individual awards, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022 Softball All-Conference awards on Monday, May 16. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Alfred hurler Arden Hatch was named the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Year. Shortstop Ashley Lugo was named winner of the Empire 8’s inaugural Defensive Player of the Year, while first-year standout Jessica Remm of the Saxons earned Rookie of the Year honors. Alfred head coach Luke Wesneski and his staff was named E8 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Papas led all Empire 8 student-athletes with a .467 batting average, .526 on-base percentage, .796 slugging percentage and 1.322 OPS in 2023. She also led the league with 64 hits, 28 extra base hits, 17 doubles, five triples, was tied for third with six homers and third with 36 RBI. She also stole 12 bases on the season and had at least one hit in 37 of 41 games. Papas, who ended the year with a 22-game hitting streak, is the third student-athlete in E8 history to earn two Empire 8 Player of the Year accolades.
Hatch became the second Alfred player in program history to earn Pitcher of the Year honors, joining Jessica Wilcox, who was honored in 2021. She leads the league with 123 strikeouts in 116 innings of work and is 13-4 overall with a 2.66 earned run average and 1.15 WHIP. Hatch was 7-0 in league play with a 1.81 earned run average and 55 strikeouts in 46 innings. Hatch struck out at least 10 batters in a game three times this season, had three shutouts and recorded a pair of no-hitters against SUNY Fredonia on April 25 and Elmira in the Empire 8 Tournament on May 11.
Lugo, a graduate student, recorded a .949 fielding percentage in 137 total chances at shortstop in 2023. She was even better in league play, making just one error in 16 league games, spanning 51 total chances. Lugo also excelled at the plate, batting .354 with 40 runs scored, 17 extra base hits and 27 RBI. She also stole 27 bases in 2023 and has 164 career stolen bases, seventh all-time in NCAA Division III history.
Remm enjoyed excellent debut season for Alfred, batting .411 with a 1.014 OPS to go along with 17 extra base hits, including 13 doubles, two home runs and an Empire 8 best 44 runs batted in. She drove in 25 runs in just 16 E8 regular season contests. Remm, an outfielder, had at least one hit in 33 games this season. Remm is the third straight Saxon to earn E8 Rookie of the Year honors, joining teammate Mya Wells, who was honored in 2021 and Meghan Neto, who won the award in 2022.
Wesneski and his staff of assistant coaches Brandon Harrison, Cassie Reed and Sarah Ramirez led Alfred to Empire 8 regular season crown in 2023. The Saxons, who won Empire 8 Championships in 2021 and 2022, finished 14-2 in league play and hosted the Empire 8 Championship Tournament. Three Alfred student-athletes won Empire 8 Individual awards, while nine players garnered All-E8 accolades.
Four different teams had at least one first team selection. Alfred led all institutions with five first team selections, while 2023 Empire 8 Champion St. John Fisher University had three selections. Russell Sage College and Utica University each had a pair of first team picks. Overall, the Saxons had nine all-conference selections, while St. John Fisher and Russell Sage each had seven all-league selections. Russell Sage’s Papas and Taylor Dicranian became three-time All-Empire 8 first team selections, while Alfred standouts Mya Wells and Allison O’Toole, Jess Patterson and Mari Spitz from St. John Fisher and Utica’s Emily Joss became two-time all-conference first team picks.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2023 Empire 8 Softball Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
2023 Empire 8 Softball All-Conference Selections
Player of the Year: Arianna Papas, Gr., OF, Russell Sage
Pitcher of the Year: Arden Hatch, Sr., P, Alfred
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashley Lugo, Gr., SS, Alfred
Rookie of the Year: Jessica Remm, Fr., OF, Alfred
Coaching Staff of the Year: Alfred, led by head coach Luke Wesneski
Empire 8 First Team
Catcher – Mari Spitz, So., C, St. John Fisher
First Base – Mya Wells, Jr., 1B, Alfred
Second Base – Madi Rose, Fr., 2B, St. John Fisher
Shortstop – Emily Joss, Gr., SS, Utica
Third Base – Allison O’Toole, Sr., 3B, Alfred
Outfield – Jessica Remm, Fr., OF, Alfred
Outfield – Arianna Papas, Gr., OF, Russell Sage
Outfield – Maddie Zulager, Fr., OF, Utica
Utility – Taylor DiCranian, Gr., U, Russell Sage
Designated Player – Abigail Gatza, Jr., DP, Alfred
Pitcher – Arden Hatch, Sr., P, Alfred
Pitcher – Jessica Patterson, Sr., P, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Second Team
Catcher – Isabella Orozco, Jr., C, Alfred
First Base – Amber Banas, Fr., 1B, Russell Sage
Second Base – Lauren Paul, So., 2B, Utica
Shortstop – Ashley Lugo, Gr., SS, Alfred
Third Base – Kelly Cournoyer, Jr., 3B, St. John Fisher
Outfield – Isabella Carillo, So., OF, Alfred
Outfield – Sarah Simmons, Gr., OF, Nazareth
Outfield – Maddie Donlin, So., OF, St. John Fisher
Outfield – Allie Klonowski, Sr., OF, St. John Fisher
Utility – Maryann Sobel, So., P, Elmira
Designated Player – Madalyn Ring, So., DP, Russell Sage
Pitcher – Emily Daciw, Sr., P, Nazareth
Pitcher – Cassidy Ormond, So., P, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Third Team
Catcher – Makenna DeMoney, Fr., C, Keuka
Catcher – Abbigail Doherty, Sr., C, Medaille
First Base – Justine Brooks, Sr., 1B, Nazareth
Second Base – Emma Anderson, So., 2B, Russell Sage
Shortstop – Kaitlyn Belmont, Jr., SS, Elmira
Third Base – Ciana Santana, Fr., 3B, Russell Sage
Outfield – Madison Brown-Bloom, Sr., OF, Elmira
Outfield – Amelia Martin, Sr., OF, Elmira
Utility – Kylie Murray, So., U, Utica
Designated Player – Jillian Cortez, Sr., P, Elmira
Pitcher – Megan Bennett, Jr., P, Alfred
Pitcher – Maryann Sobel, So., P, Elmira
Pitcher – Leah Madore, Fr., P, Russell Sage
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Raygan Ashmore, Jr., 1B, Alfred
Bella DeAmelia, Jr., C, Elmira
Carlee Miller, Jr., SS, Houghton
Joan Carroll, Sr., OF, Keuka
Maddie Klein, Fr., 3B, Medaille
Megan Pum, Jr., 2B, Nazareth
Amelia Wasilko, Jr., C/IF, Russell Sage
Maddie Nadrich, Jr., C, St. John Fisher
Erica Sanford, Jr., U, Utica
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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