General | 3/17/2025 12:38:11 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on March 17, 2025, for games played from March 10-March 16. It is the 28th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2024-25 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nolan Pridmore, Alfred, Jr., 3B, Toronto, Ontario/Etobicoke Collegiate
Pridmore was instrumental in helping Alfred University earn its first doubleheader sweep as they defeated University of Maine at Farmington on Sunday by scores of 13-4 and 12-6. Pridmore went 3-for-4 in the first game with three RBI and two runs with one home run. He then went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and two more runs while walking once. In total, Pridmore hit .467 with a 1.400 OPS, scoring six runs on the week with seven RBI and seven hits while walking three times and getting hit-by-pitch twice. Defensively, Pridmore made 23 putouts and had one assist with no errors while turning double plays three times.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jeff Stearns, Russell Sage, Sr., 1B, Vergennes, VT/Vergennes Union
Stearns hit .435 (10-for-23) with two homers, 10 runs scored and 10 RBI across six contests. He was 4-for-5 with a double, home run, five RBI and two stolen bases in a win over Immaculata and was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI in a win over Saint Joseph.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Anthony Lapine, SUNY Brockport, Sr., P, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Lapine maintained his scoreless streak to start the season in Brockport's 9-1 win over Immaculata Sunday, going 6 2/3 innings with seven punchouts and just two hits allowed to earn the victory. Lapine has tossed 15.2 innings of scoreless baseball to open the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dean Ennis, Utica, Fr., P, Middle Island, NY/Longwood
Ennis picked up a win against Emerson College in his first collegiate appearance on the mound this past week. Ennis pitched five innings in his Pioneers debut, shutting out the Lions over the five-frame spell and doing enough to pick up his first career win in the effort. Ennis allowed five hits, but managed to bounce back each time, fanning five batters to escape any danger as he did not allow a run over five innings in an eventual 4-3 win.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Molly Whitmyer, Alfred, So., 1B, Enola, PA/Trinity
Whitmyer had 11 hits, 10 RBI, a double, a triple, three homeruns, three walks and five runs on the week where she batted an impressive, 0.458 on the week to help Alfred finish 7-3 overall in Florida and was 5-3 on the week, including a five-inning, mercy rule win over No. 17 nationally ranked Berry College (Ga.) on Thursday. Whitmyer went yard twice in a five-inning win over Penn State Brandywine for three RBI, right before tacking on five RBI in a six-inning win over Saint Joseph’s College (Me.) on the same day, while adding another homerun that day. Whitmyer posted a 1.477 OPS during the week.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kailtyn Schmitz, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., P, Eden, NY/Eden
Schmitz was dominant for the Knights to open their season, going 2-0 in as many starts, with 12.1 innings pitched while limiting the opponents to a .140 batting average. Schmitz recorded a 1.70 earned run over the two starts while allowing just six hits. She posted a three-hit shutout in Geneseo’s 8-0 win over SUNY New Paltz to begin the trip on Saturday.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kendall Steward, Alfred, So., P, Kendall, NY/Randolph
Steward went 4-1 with her first collegiate save during the week for the Saxons. from Monday until Saturday during the Saxons’ Spring Break trip to Florida. Steward fired a complete-game win as Alfred defeated No. 17 Berry College (Ga.), 10-2 win on Thursday. Steward recorded 21 strikeouts on the week and picked up her first collegiate save inside of the circle, helping AU pick up a six-inning win over Saint Joseph’s College of Maine on Tuesday. Her wins inside of the circle came against Roger Williams College, Penn State Brandywine, Berry, and North Central College (Ill.). Steward fired a complete-game six-hit shutout against Roger Williams and struck out nine against Brandywine. She recorded a 1.94 ERA across her first five appearances of the week.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jimmy Atkinson, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., A, Northport, NY/Northport
Atkinson led Geneseo to a 16-14 win over Maritime on Saturday, totaling seven goals in the game. Four of his seven goals came in the second half, including back-to-back tallies late in regulation that broke a 13-13 tie. Atkinson also picked up four ground balls and now leads the team in points with 15 on 12 goals and three assists this season.
CO-GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Jack Acker, SUNY Brockport, Sr., G, Ontario, NY/Wayne
Acker totaled 34 saves and recorded a .680 save percentage, while recording an 8.23 goals against average in a pair of games on the week. He stopped 19 shots against SUNY Oswego Wednesday and made 15 saves, while allowing just six goals (.714 save percentage) in a 14-6 win over Allegheny Saturday.
CO-GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Jordon Hankel, Russell Sage, Fr., G, Cold Spring, NY/Haldane
Hankel registered 31 saves on 40 shots on goal, good for a .775 save percentage, and only permitted nine goals, 4.64 per-60 minutes, in a 3-0 week for the Gators. Hankel made 19 saves in a 15-7 win over Curry on Monday before making eight saves in the opening half in a 16-5 win over Greensboro and added four saves in the opening half in a 24-5 victory over St. Joseph’s.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sydney Carpenter, St. John Fisher, Sr., M, Rochester, NY/Hilton
Carpenter tied her career high with nine total points on six goals and three assists in a 19-4 road win over 2024 SUNYAC Champion and NCAA Tournament participant SUNY Cortland on Saturday afternoon. She added four draw controls and a pair of ground balls. It is Carpenter’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Rosemary Mahoney, SUNY Geneseo, Fr., A/M, Syracuse, NY/Westhill
Mahoney led the Knights to a dominant 17-10 win over No. 14 Roanoke on Sunday afternoon, tallying a game-high seven points on six goals and one assist. The Syracuse, NY native tacked two more points earlier in the week against Hamilton with a goal and an assist. Mahoney now leads Geneseo on the season in goals and points, with 17 and 25, respectively.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Kaylee Gadol, St. John Fisher, So., G, Otisville, NY/Minisink Valley
Gadol made eight saves, while allowing just four goals in St. John Fisher’s 19-4 win over SUNY Cortland on Saturday. Six of her eight saves came in the opening half, as Fisher used a 5-0 run in the second quarter to build an 8-2 lead at intermission. After a Cortland goal early in the third quarter, Fisher scored the next eight goals to put the game out of reach. Gadol recorded a .667 save percentage for the game.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Keagan Bakke, Norwich, Sr., Gun Barrell, TX/Mabank
Bakke played a pivotal role in Norwich's dominant 9-0 season-opening victory over Vermont State University Lyndon, delivering wins in both singles and doubles play. Competing in the top singles position, Bakke secured a hard-fought 6-1, 6-4 victory over Jeffrey Blais. In doubles, Bakke teamed up with Gabe Wettig at the No. 2 spot to shut out their opponents, 8-0.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Keagan Bakke, Norwich, Sr., Gun Barrell, TX/Mabank
Gabe Wettig, Norwich, Fr., Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa
Bakke and Wettig were dominant in their season-opening match, securing an 8-0 victory at No. 2 doubles against Vermont State University Lyndon's Wesley McIntyre and Stephen Wutzl. The duo's seamless teamwork gave Norwich a crucial early edge en route to a 9-0 sweep.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Griffin Stella, St. John Fisher, Gr., OH/MB, Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili
Stella tied his career high with 16 kills to lead the No. 12 Cardinals to a four-set victory over No. 14 Hobart on Friday night at Manning and Napier Varsity Gym. Stella finished the match with a .538 hitting percentage and added a pair of blocks. It is Stella’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Paten Buckwalter, Elmira, Fr., MB, Colorado Springs, CO/Doherty
Buckwalter hit .300 with 18 kills, seven blocks and two service aces for the Soaring Eagles in a pair of matches on Saturday. He began the day by hitting .500 with eight kills four blocks and two aces in a three-set win over Drew University. He added 10 kills, four digs and three blocks in a five-set loss at Rutgers-Newark. It is Buckwalter’s fourth weekly honor of the season.
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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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