Softball | 5/24/2023 8:16:51 AM
Nine players from three Empire 8 institutions were named to the 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region III Team. Two-time Empire 8 Player of the Year Arianna Papas of Russell Sage College and teammate Taylor Dicranian earned first team honors, while Alfred University standouts Ashley Lugo and Mya Wells were second team picks and fellow Alfred student-athletes Arden Hatch, Allison O'Toole and Jessica Remm were third team selections. The Empire 8 Champion St. John Fisher University duo of Allie Klonowski and Madi Rose garnered third team accolades.
This year's 10 squads are comprised of a total of 373 student-athletes from 174 programs. The awards salute student-athletes from the Association's 10 NCAA regions with first, second and third-team honors. NFCA member coaches voted on the teams in their respective regions, and all honorees are eligible for selection to the 2023 NFCA Division III All-America squads, which will be announced on May 31.
Dicranian, Klonowski and Papas all earned NFCA All-Region accolades for the third straight season, while Lugo and O'Toole both garnered their second All-Region nod.
Papas, a graduate student outfielder, 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, became the third student-athlete in E8 history to earn two Empire 8 Player of the Year accolades. She hit .488 over three seasons with 160 hits, 40 doubles, 12 triples, 14 home runs and 83 RBI.
Dicranian, a pitcher/first baseman, had a great final season for the Gators, batting .323 with 20 extra base hits, including four home runs and 30 RBI. In the pitching circle, she went 13-10 with a 3.13 earned run average. She was an All-E8 first team pick for the third straight season and was named to the Empire 8 Championship All-Tournament Team. Dicranian finished her career with a .364 batting average, 146 hits, including 51 doubles, eight home runs and 85 RBI and won 37 games in the circle at Russell Sage.
Lugo additionally received All-Empire 8 Second Team honors. She had a remarkable season that included clinching the all-time hits record with Alfred University. Lugo finished the season with a .354 batting average that included 46 hits, 12 of which were doubles. She was responsible 40 runs, the third-highest total in the Empire 8. On the basepaths, Lugo finished second in the conference with 27 stolen bases. She now ranks seventh all-time in NCAA Division III history with 164 career stolen bases. Lugo was also named as the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year. Lugo was one of two Saxons to start all 40 games during the 2023 season. She finished the season with a .949 fielding percentage across 137 chances at shortstop. In Empire 8 competition, Lugo only surrendered one error.
Wells was one of five Saxons to be honored with All-Empire 8 First Team recognition. Wells had a historical junior season with AU, finishing seventh in the conference with a .389 batting average. She additionally ranked third in the Empire 8 with a .641 slugging percentage that included a conference-high seven home runs. Wells ranked second in the Empire 8 with 42 runs scored and 42 RBI, while finishing third with 51 hits. Following the spring season, Wells ranks ninth in program history with 139 career hits while posting a .370 career batting average.
Hatch was also named the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Year, becoming the second Saxon in school history to earn the accolade, joining
Jessica Wilcox '21. Hatch led the conference with a .209 opposing batting average while striking out 123 batters. She ended the season with a career-best 13-4 overall record while maintaining a 2.66 ERA. Hatch put together no-hitter performances against both Fredonia and Russell Sage during the spring season. She ended her collegiate career with 329 career strikeouts, which ranks third in program history. Hatch additionally received All-Empire 8 First Team honors.
Remm became the third Saxon in a row and fourth in school history to be named an Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Remm was fourth in the Empire 8 with a .411 batting average, totaling 58 hits and a conference-high 44 RBI. The 58 hits for Remm are the fourth-highest total in a single season in program history for Alfred University, while her 44 RBI ties for the third-highest mark. She was responsible for 13 doubles, two triples, and two home runs this spring for the Saxons. In the outfield, Remm put together a .967 fielding percentage that included 55 putouts. She additionally received All-Empire 8 First Team recognition.
O'Toole earned All-Empire 8 honors for the third straight season with Alfred University. O'Toole had a remarkable graduate season with the Saxons, starting in all 40 games and finishing 11th in the Empire 8 with a .361 batting average. O'Toole totaled a career-high 43 hits, eighth in the conference. She ended her collegiate career with 134 career hits, which marks 10th in program history.
Klonowski, a senior outfielder, earned All-Empire 8 second team accolades and was named the 2023 Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player. She hit .361 with seven home runs, 35 runs batted in and recorded a .615 slugging percentage. Klonowski also added 10 doubles and finished with a 1.015 OPS. She is a career .394 hitter with 30 home runs and 119 RBI in 127 games to go along with 153 hits, 95 runs scored, 32 doubles and a 1.156 OPS.
Rose, a second baseman, enjoyed a tremendous debut for the Cardinals in 2023, batting .347 with 42 hits, 34 runs scored, 21 walks, nine stolen bases and eight RBI in 42 games played. The Averill Park, NY native also made just three errors in the field, compiling a .972 fielding percentage in 108 chances.
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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