Baseball | 2/16/2024 9:54:22 AM
St. John Fisher will look to earn its fourth straight league title, as seven teams will vie for the 2024 Empire 8 Championship, as the upcoming season gets underway with teams in non-conference play starting Feb. 16. Alfred University makes its debut as a baseball program this season. Empire 8 regular season league play is set to begin March 22-24. The top four teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place from May 9-11 at the home of the top seed and regular season champion. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the
Empire 8 Network.
2024 Empire 8 Baseball Players to Watch
Kooper Knabe, Utica, So., P, Cortland, NY/Cortland – Knabe was named the 2023 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned ABCA Rawlings and D3baseball.com All-Region accolades after going 7-1 with a 2.17 earned run average and 1.15 WHIP. He was 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in E8 play last season.
James Lubanski, Russell Sage, Gr., IF/OF, Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber – Lubanski earned All-E8 second team honors as both a utility player and designated hitter, while garnering third team ABCA All-Region accolades in 2023. He hit .335 with 18 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI, while recording a .947 OPS.
Patrick McGuire, St. John Fisher, Sr., P, Ballston Lake, NY/Shenedehowa – McGuire earned D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings All-American honors in 2023 after finishing 8-1 with a 2.21 earned run and 1.02 WHIP in 61.0 innings, while opposing batters hit just .164 against him. The 2023 E8 Pitcher of the Year, McGuire went 6-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 0.69 WHIP in 36 innings during league play, while opponents hit just .117 against him.
RJ Murphy, Keuka, Sr., C, Camillus, NY/West Genesee – Murphy earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades in 2023 after hitting .327 with 10 extra base hits, 16 RBI, 19 walks and a .433 on-base percentage in 31 games.
Nolan Pridmore, Alfred, So., 3B, Toronto, Ontario/Etobicoke Collegiate Institute – Pridmore hit .280 with 20 RBI in 35 games during his debut season with Medaille in 2023.
Matteo Salvati, Elmira, Jr., OF, Batsto, NJ/St. Augustine Prep – Salvati earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2023, after hitting .363 and recording a .948 OPS, driving in 17 runs and drawing 19 walks.
Chris VanCheri, Houghton, Sr., C, Silver Creek, NY/Silver Creek – VanCheri hit .298 with 20 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 2023 and is a career .302 hitter with 97 career hits and 56 RBI.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2023 Standings)
St. John Fisher
The Cardinals will look to earn fourth straight Empire 8 Championship after finishing with a perfect 18-0 record in league play last season en route to the program’s fifth conference tournament championship and berth in the NCAA tournament. St. John Fisher advanced to the John’s Hopkins Region Final and scored 385 runs last season, while finishing with a 32-14 mark. The Cardinals enter the 2024 season riding a 24-game winning streak in E8 regular season play. While the Cardinals will look to replace two-time E8 Player of the Year, 2023 All-American and 2023 DIII Commissioner’s Association Male Student-Athlete of the Year Noah Campanelli, who finished his career with 226 hits, 83 stolen bases and 119 RBI, there are several standout student-athletes returning. Senior Patrick McGuire earned D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings All-American honors in 2023 after finishing 8-1 with a 2.21 earned run and 1.02 WHIP in 61.0 innings, while opposing batters hit just .164 against him. The 2023 E8 Pitcher of the Year, McGuire went 6-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 0.69 WHIP in 36 innings during league play, while opponents hit just .117 against him. Fellow All-E8 first team position players Brian Norsen (.335, 1.097 OPS, 12 HR, 55 RBI), James Murphy (.313, 1.062 OPS, 14 HR, 65 RBI) in addition to fellow All-E8 selections Dominic Guccia, Nick Lemire and Jake Crantz will also be back to lead a potent offense. Norsen enters the season with 181 career hits, 32 home runs and 179 RBI. In addition to McGuire, fellow All-Empire 8 first team selection Russell Dunlap and former All-E8 pick Hunter Walsh will lead the pitching staff.
Utica
Utica returns a strong nucleus from last season’s team that won 24 games and advanced to the Empire 8 Tournament for the second straight season. Utica returns several All-Empire 8 selections from last season, including 2023 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and ABCA Rawlings and D3baseball.com All-Region selection, pitcher Kooper Knabe. Knabe went 7-1 with a 2.17 earned run average and 1.15 WHIP and was 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in E8 play last season. The Pioneers have 36 players back and bring in a strong group of newcomers, including All-E8 second team outfielder Dom Fasolo, All-E8 second team infielder Steve Sclafani and All-E8 third team picks John Longoretta and Joe Crossley. Senior Jason Story has excelled in various opportunities and will help shore up a deep outfield group. Fasolo hit .382 with 16 extra-base hits, a 1.056 OPS and 32 RBI last season, while Crossley drove in 27 runs and drew 26 walks and Story hit .383 with 16 RBI in just 60 at-bats last season. Newcomers Jack Scanlon, who was an NJCAA DIII Gold Glove winner as a shortstop at Onondaga Community College), outfielder Josh Duval, infielders Derek Holmes and Tanner Warren and pitcher Jonathan Rivera will look to make an immediate impact.
Houghton
The Highlanders advanced to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2023, winning 19 games, including 11 in league play. The Highlanders return 18 players from last season’s team, including seniors Chris VanCheri, Ethan Cetton, Ian Slate and Jeremy Wilcox. VanCheri, a catcher, hit .298 with 20 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 2023 and is a career .302 hitter with 97 career hits and 56 RBI. Cetton earned All-Empire 8 third team honors in 2023 after striking out 50 batters in 54.2 innings of work, while firing a pair of complete games. Wilcox hit .338 las season, while Slate drove in 21 runs and batted .317. Houghton has a host of talented newcomers looking to make an immediate impact, including pitchers Conner Benitez and Kip Bertram, Fr., P, Rochester, NY/Irondequoit to go along with outfielder Nate Hall and infielders Mason Sutherland and Kanta Ueno.
Russell Sage
Russell Sage College won 18 games and advanced to the Empire 8 Championship series in 2023 in just its second Division III season under head coach Nick Pontari. The Gators return 26 players and virtually all starters from last season, including infielder/outfielder James Lubanski, who returns for his graduate season. He earned All-E8 second team honors as both a utility player and designated hitter, while garnering third team ABCA All-Region accolades in 2023. He hit .335 with 18 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI, while recording a .947 OPS. Overall, seven All-E8 selections return for Russell Sage in 2024, including first team selection Brendan Espinal, an outfielder who d both earned All-E8 second team accolades, while Jared Russell was a third team pick. On the mound, Liam Doyle and Michael Karpinski are back to lead the way. Doyle was a workhorse on the mound in 2023, firing a team-best 60.1 innings, averaging nearly a strikeout per inning. The Gators have a strong group of newcomers who will look to push them to the next level in 2024.
Elmira
The Soaring Eagles will look to get back to the postseason in 2024 and returning 28 players from last season. Junior outfielder Matteo Salvati is back after earning All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2023, hitting .363 and recording a .948 OPS, driving in 17 runs and drawing 19 walks. Brett Warden, the 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, earned All-E8 third team accolades in 2023 after hitting .306 and drawing a team-high 20 walks. Pitchers Jarek Podest and Jack Finnerty return to lead the Elmira hurlers in 2024. Podest recorded a team-best 3.38 earned run average, while striking out 45 batters in 37.1 innings of work in 2023. The Soaring Eagles have a strong group of newcomers for 2024, including transfers Erik Charnetski from St. John Fisher and Zander Canfield and Carter Mattice, both from Cazenovia, will look to make an immediate impact. Reigning Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year Jared Money is back as an assistant coach.
Keuka
The Wolves will look to get back to the postseason in 2024 and return 20 players from last season. Keuka returns senior catcher RJ Murphy, who earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades in 2023 after hitting .327 with 10 extra base hits, 16 RBI, 19 walks and a .433 on-base percentage. Senior outfielder Matt Vacarro (.300, 33 hits, 17 BB) and junior hurler/outfielder Anthony Laurinitis (67 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched) will also be counted on to lead the way. The Wolves bring in transfers Carlos Fantauzzi, Keegan Ferris, Kyle Wood and first-year Lucas Gilbert, among a strong group of newcomers, who will also be welcome additions to a team that is looking to get back to the postseason.
Alfred
Alfred makes its program debut in 2023 under head coach Brian Kehew, who was previously at former Empire 8 institution Medaille University last season. The Saxons have 24 players on the roster for their inaugural season, made up of three seniors, Aaron Buck, Quinton Jordan and William Denton, four juniors, 10 sophomores and seven first-years. Sophomore infielder Nolan Pridmore had 20 RBI as a first-year with Medaille in 2023. Newcomer Gabe Cheddie, a first-year outfielder and pitcher is set to make an immediate impact for the Saxons.
Final 2023 Empire 8 Baseball Standings
St. John Fisher (32-14, 18-0 E8) – League Champions
Utica (24-15, 13-5 E8)
Houghton (19-22, 11-7 E8)
Russell Sage (18-25, 9-9 E8)
Elmira (9-25, 5-13 E8)
Keuka (9-22, 4-13 E8)
Medaille (9-29, 2-15 E8)
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
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