General | 4/1/2024 12:14:25 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on April 1, 2024, for games played from March 25 – March 31, 2024. It is the 30th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2023-24 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – James Murphy, St. John Fisher, Sr., 3B, Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna
Murphy batted an incredible .842, going 15-for-19 on the week with six walks, 13 runs scored, 11 RBI and seven stolen bases, as the Cardinals opened E8 play with a 4-1 record. In the opener against Russell Sage Tuesday, Murphy reached base in all four plate appearances, scoring three times. He went 4-for-5 in game two with three RBI and a pair of stolen bases. Against Utica on Friday, Murphy finished a home run short of the cycle, scoring four times, to go along with two walks and two stolen bases. On Saturday, Murphy reached base four times in game one, with a double, triple, two walks, three runs scored and three RBI and capped off the week by going 5-for-6 with two doubles, two stolen bases, three runs scored and three RBI in a game two win. Murphy recorded an incredible 2.057 OPS on the week.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Jack Finnerty, Elmira, Gr., P, Canton, NY/Hugh C. Williams
Finnerty went 2-0 on the week for the Soaring Eagles to go along with 18 strikeouts, six hits, one run allowed, and a 0.82 ERA over 11 innings of work. Finnerty worked four scoreless innings while recording 10 strikeouts and scattering three hits in a win against Alfred on Monday. He followed with a complete game victory on Friday against Keuka, allowing one run off three hits to go along with eight strikeouts through seven innings of work.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Robert Leach, St. John Fisher, Fr., P, Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park
Leach earned his first collegiate win on Saturday, coming out of the bullpen to shut down the Utica offense, allowing just one run on one hit over four innings, while striking out six batters in St. John Fisher’s game one win on Saturday.
SOFTBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Carlee Miller, Houghton, Sr., SS, Fillmore, NY/Fillmore Central
Miller enjoyed a tremendous week at the plate, batting .600 (12-for-20) with three home runs, four doubles, 13 RBI, 11 runs scored, and six walks over six games. Miller helped the Highlanders to a 5-1 record on the week and posted a .692 OBP, a 1.250 slugging percentage, and a 1.942 OPS. She homered, doubled twice, and drove in five runs in game two against RIT on Monday and went 6-for-7 with a homer, six RBI, five runs scored a pair of walks in a doubleheader sweep against SUNY Delhi Wednesday.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jennifer Rodriguez, Utica, Fr., INF, Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy
Rodriguez made history in her incredible two-game performance in Utica's sweep of Morrisville on Friday. She went 5-for-8 at the plate over the pair of games with three extra-base hits, 10 RBI, seven runs scored, and one walk. Rodriguez also completed the rare feat of hitting two grand slams in a single inning game two. In game one she went 2-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Rodriguez went 3-for-3 in game two nine RBI, four runs scored and two grand slams. The grand slams came in the second inning, both clearing the center field fence, for what was a 21-run inning for the Pioneers. This is Rodriguez's second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Shelby Dawe, Elmira, Fr., P, Cohoes, NY/Cohoes
In her collegiate debut this weekend against Wells, Dawe helped the Soaring Eagles to a five-inning shutout victory over Wells as she allowed just one hit in the complete-game shutout. In the contest, Dawe walked one while striking out three, and did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Cole Loewke, Alfred, So., A, Hilton, NY/Hilton
Loewke recorded 11 points on seven goals and four assists in leading the Saxons to a pair of wins. He had back-to-back hat-tricks, while adding two assists in each contest as the Saxons defeated soon-to-be Empire 8 foe, SUNY Brockport and Empire 8 opponent, Russell Sage College. Loewke was credited with the game-winning goal (second in a row) as part of his four-goal effort against Brockport while scoring one man-up and one man-down goal against Russell Sage. He also gathered five ground balls in the Saturday win against Russell Sage.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Ben Hammond, St. John Fisher, Sr., G, Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Hammond helped lead the Cardinals to a pair of wins on the weekend, at non-conference foe SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday and home against Keuka to open E8 play Friday. Hammond recorded a 7.00 goals against average and a .517 save percentage in the two wins, stopping 12 shots in a one-goal win at Geneseo and allowing just one goal and making three saves in the opening half against Keuka. It is Hammond’s second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Grace Stuhlman, Utica, Jr., A, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Stuhlman had an outstanding week, posting 17 points, 23 draw controls and 14 shots on goal. Against Canton, on March 27 she recorded four goals, one assist and eight draw controls. On March 25 against Morrisville, she collected four goals, two assists, four ground balls, two caused turnovers and nine draw controls. On March 30 against Keuka, she had three goals on three shots on goal, two assists and six draw controls, guiding Utica to a 3-0 week and an eight-game winning streak dating back to March 2. It is Stuhlman’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Makayla Purdy, Utica, Fr., G, Shirley, NY/William Floyd
Purdy made 19 saves, while recording a 5.60 goals against average and a .576 save percentage in three games this week, leading Utica to a 3-0, while helping the Pioneers extend its winning streak to eight games. She began the week by making 10 saves in a win over SUNY Morrisville on Monday and added seven saves in a 15-4 win over SUNY Canton Wednesday. On Saturday, Purdy played the opening half and helped Utica earn a shutout win over Keuka to begin E8 play. It is Purdy’s fourth E8 weekly honor of the 2024 season.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Max Funiciello, Nazareth, So., Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville
Funiciello recorded a pair of victories and key points for Nazareth in the 5-4 win over St. John Fisher to open league play over the weekend. He teamed with Dominic Vito for an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles and then scored a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 Singles for Nazareth.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
CO-TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Cade Eells, Nazareth, Jr., Middle Distance, Ithaca, NY/Ithaca
Eells started the outdoor season in impressive fashion with a win in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and an outdoor personal record in the 800-meters as Nazareth competed at the Geneseo Early Season meet. He won the steeplechase with a time of 9:25.35 to qualify for NCAA Regional championships and was 20th overall (11th among Division III runners) in the 800 with a time of 2:01.39. Both times are at the top of the Empire 8 performance lists, while his 3,000-meter steeplechase time is currently 23rd nationally.
CO-TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Bennett Melita, Utica, Fr., Distance, Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville
Melita was exceptional once again adding the 5000-meter run to his collection of school records, clocking in at 15:13.92 to place second overall at the Hamilton Continental Invite. That time smashes the previous record by 12 seconds and qualifies him for All-Atlantic Regional Championships. Melita also placed second overall in the 3000-meter steeplechase, with a regional qualifying time of 9:31.99, which places him 34th nationally.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Kaiden McCaskill, Utica, So., Jumps, Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy
McCaskill, competing in his first meet in nearly a calendar year, took first place in the high jump at the Hamilton Continental Invite with a personal best jump of 1.96 meters. That height punches his ticket to the All-Atlantic Region Championships and is currently 13th best in Division III to date this season.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Emily Weaver, Nazareth, Gr., Middle Distance, Martville, NY/Hannibal
Weaver recorded an outdoor personal best time in the 800-meters and placed first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday at the Geneseo Early Season meet. She clocked a 2:29.97 in the 800-meters to take 14th place and won the steeplechase with a time of 11:50.28. Both times rank first in the Empire 8 this season, while the 3,000-meter steeplechase time is currently 54th nationally.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jane Fahy, Utica, Gr., Throws, Oriskany, NY/Oriskany
Fahy, the 2024 NCAA All-American and national runner up in the shot put, opened the outdoor season right where she left off, recording a toss of 14.32 meters to take first place in the Hamilton Continental, which is also currently the top spot in NCAA Division III. That mark also beats her previous school record in that event.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Josh Weaver, Nazareth, Jr., S/RS, Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Weaver led Nazareth to a come-from-behind five-set win over No. 15 MIT on Saturday, slamming 18 kills, while hitting .484 to go along with four digs and three blocks. This is Weaver's second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dylan Fox, Russell Sage, Fr., OH, Albany, NY/Colonie Central
Fox recorded 20 kills, and 16 digs in a pair of matches for the Gators on Saturday. He hit .524 with 14 kills and 10 digs in a three-set win over Vermont State Johnson and added six kills and six digs against SUNY Potsdam. It is Fox’s second straight E8 weekly accolade and third overall of 2024.
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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