2026 Empire 8 Softball Players to Watch

Softball | 2/27/2026 10:00:00 AM

The 2026 Empire 8 softball season gets started Saturday, March 1 with teams headed south for Spring games at various weeks throughout the month. The Saxons of Alfred University will attempt to win their second straight Empire 8 crown as 12 teams will battle for the 2026 E8 Championship. League play gets started on Saturday, March 28.

The top eight teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with two play-in games Tuesday, May 5, followed by a six-team double-elimination tournament Thursday, May 7 - Saturday, May 9. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Championship

Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.  

ALFRED UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Luke Wesneski
Kendall Steward, Jr., P, Kennedy, NY/Randolph – Steward, the 2025 E8 Tournament MVP and first team all-conference selection, had an impressive sophomore season. She broke the single-season pitching wins in school history with 23. She went 23-4 on the season with 172.2 innings pitched, 147 strikeouts and a 2.84 ERA. Her efforts earned her NFCA third team all-region honors. 

Molly Whitmyer, Jr., UT, Enola, PA/Trinity - Whitmyer was a 2025 E8 at-large all-conference member. She was impressive at the plate where she held a .435 batting average. She totaled 60 hits, 14 doubles, one triple and nine home runs, while scoring 33 runs and batting in 52. She earned 2025 Christopher Newport University NCAA Regional All-Region, 2025 NFCA second team all-region and E8 all-tournament team accolades.

SUNY BROCKPORT - Head Coach Mary Karen Wheat
Colleen Davis, So., P, Adams Center, NY/South Jefferson - Davis finished her debut season with six wins across 14 starts, 24 appearances and 10 complete games. She threw two shutouts and had two saves while pitching exactly 100 innings. 

Aubrey Ennis, Sr., 3B, Waverly, NY/Waverly - Ennis finished the 2025 season with a .409 batting average, .509 slugging percentage and a .422 on base percentage. On 45 hits, she led the team with 30 runs batted in. 

ELMIRA COLLEGE - Head Coach Randie Torgalski
Hannah Colwill, Jr., OF, Averill Park, NY/Averill Park - In her sophomore season, Colwill started all 37 games for the Soaring Eagles. She held a .278 batting average, a .400 slugging percentage and a .363 on base percentage. She totaled 32 hits with eight doubles and two homeruns. She scored 23 runs and batted in a team-high 22. 

Jocelyn Jean, Jr., INF, Montoursville, PA/Montoursville - Jean, a 2024 third team all-conference member, started all 37 games for the Soaring Eagles in 2025. She held a .306 batting average, .387 slugging percentage and a .360 on base percentage. She was one of the top hitters with 34 total hits, three doubles and two homeruns. She tied for second in runs batted in with 22 and scored 18 herself. 

SUNY GENESEO - Head Coach Rosie Phillips
Gabriella Petroski, Jr., P, Lancaster, NY/Sacred Heart Academy - Petroski, a 2025 second team all-conference member, will be exciting in the circle this season. In 2025, she went 14-3 in 22 appearances. She totaled 94.2 innings pitched with 66 strikeouts, leading the pitching staff for the Knights. She earned a 3.48 ERA and 1.33 WHIP on the season. 

Ray Schumacher, Jr., 3B, Greece, NY/Greece Athena - Schumacher, a third team all-conference member at third base, was a force at the plate for the Knights in 2025. Schumacher held a .350 batting average and an impressive .555 slugging percentage. In 48 total hits, Schumacher had 13 doubles and five homeruns and led the team with 76 total bases and scored 35 runs. 

HARTWICK COLLEGE - Head Coach Brittany Stroop
Brianna Blake, So., C, Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville - Blake, in her first season in the E8, started in 22 games for the Hawks. She finished her season with a .265 batting average, .353 slugging percentage and a .351 on base percentage. Blake totaled 18 hits with six doubles, 11 runs scored and eight batted in. Behind the plate, she had 46 putouts, five assists with a .962 fielding percentage. She also caught five runners stealing. 

Emily Holladay, Jr., UT/C, Hancocks Bridge, NJ/Woodstown - Holladay started all 36 games for the Hawks in 2025. Holladay totaled 23 hits and one double, added 14 runs scored and seven batted in. She led the team in steals with 20 out of 23 attempts. 

HOUGHTON UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Olivia Kincanon
Danielle Nelson, Sr., INF, Smethport, PA/Smethport - Nelson, a 2024 third team all-conference member at third base, started all 35 games for the Highlanders in 2025. She was a top-three hitter with a .301 batting average, .447 slugging percentage and a .360 on base percentage. Nelson totaled 31 hits with seven doubles and three tripoles. She led the team in runs batted in (18) and runs scored (21).

Kareena Ulfig, Sr., P/UT, Elkhart, IN/Concord - Ulfig led the Highlanders at the plate in 2025. She had a team-high .347 batting average with a .376 slugging percentage and a .368 on base percentage. She led the team in hits (35) and had two double. She scored 14 runs with 14 runs batted in. In the circle, Ulfig earned five wins in 15 games started. She totaled 91.2 innings pitched with 37 strikeouts. 

KEUKA COLLEGE - Head Coach Jess Wilcox
Olivia Flynn, Sr., P, Williamson, NY/Williamson - Flynn spent time both in the circle and at the plate for the Wolves in 2025. She was a team leader on offense where she held a .321 batting average, totaling 35 hits, while leading the team with 13 doubles and registered one homerun. Flynn scored 20 runs and batted in eight. On the mound, she led the team with four wins. She totaled 100 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts. 

Hailey Jasinski, Jr., SS, North Collins, NY/North Collins - Jasinski, a 2025 third team all-conference pick at-large, was a the team hitting leader. She had an impressive .432 batting average, a .642 slugging percentage and a .518 on base percentage. She held team-highs in hits (41), triples (3), runs (21) and runs batted in (19). On defense she added 67 putouts and 52 assists. 

NAZARETH UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Margaret Yerdon-Grange
Kaijah Alexander, So., P/INF, Long Beach, CA/Woodrow Wilson - Alexander had an incredible debut season for the Golden Flyers in 2025. She was E8 Rookie of the Year, first team all-conference, a NFCA first team all-region member and a NFCA third team all-american as well as a NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year finalist. She notched an E8 All-Tournament team spot for her performance in the post-season. She finished up her year with a .558 batting average, 15 homeruns and 55 runs batted in. 

Morgan Russo, Jr., C/INF, Illion, NY/Central Valley Academy - Russo, a 2025 first team all-conference member at first base. She registered a .471 batting average and recorded 46 runs and 16 doubles. Russo added 56 hits on the season with 34 runs batted in and 10 homeruns. Her performance landed her 2025 NFCA first team all-region. 

SUNY POLY - Head Coach Juleah Wanner
Ava Faragon, Sr., OF, Averill Park, NY/Averill Park - Faragon started 36 of 37 total games for the Wildcats in 2025. She held a .328 batting average, a .412 slugging percentage and a .424 on base percentage. She totaled 39 hits, eight doubles and one triple. She scored 30 runs and batted in 16. She led the team with six stolen bases on eight attempts. 

Annabella Mondello, So., P/1B, Marcellus, NY/Marcellus - Mondello, in her debut season, made her mark at the plate and in the circle. She held a .340 hitting percentage, a .485 slugging percentage and a .340 on base percentage. She totaled 33 hits, eight doubles and had a team-high three triples. She added 18 runs batted in and 17 runs scored. On the mound, she earned seven wins in 16 appearances. She totaled 67.2 innings pitched with 76 strikeouts. She finished out the season with.a 4.45 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.

RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE - Head Coach Stephanie McKay
Annabella Putnam, Gr., P, Prattsurgh, NY/Prattsburgh - Putnam, who played three seasons at Mansfield University, finished her 2025 season finishing fifth in program history in appearances (73), sixth in innings (345), sixth in strikeouts (272) and fourth all-time in single season history in strikeouts (108). She appeared in 24 games in 2025 and led the team in wins with five. 

Annalise Tyler, Jr., INF, Schenectady, NY/Schenectady - Tyler, a 2025 second team all-conference pick at second base, had her best season of her career. She finished with a .440 batting average, a .473 on base percentage and a .567 slugging percentage. She totaled 59 hits and 13 doubles. She scored 40 runs and batted in 24. 

ST. JOHN FISHER UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Bari Mance
Emily McManus, Jr., OF, Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili - McManus, the 2025 E8 Player of the Year and the 2024 E8 Rookie of the Year, was a first team all-conference selection in both of her years as a Cardinal. In 2025, she set the program single-season homerun record (44) on her way to NFCA third team all-america and first team NFCA all-region honors. McManus led the Cardinals and set career-highs in batting average (.445), hits (53), slugging percentage (.908) and walked taken (25). In addition, she finished with a career-best 44 runs batted in. 

Madi Rose, Sr., INF, Averill Park, NY/Averill Park - Rose, who has both played and started in 123 career games as a Cardinal, batted .290 with 40 total hits, including three doubles last season. The two-time first team all-conference selection led the team with 12 stolen bases on 13 attempts and finished second on the team with 36 runs scored. Defensively, Rose posted a perfect fielding percentage while playing in all of St. John Fisher's games at second base, recording 48 putouts and 27 assists on 75 chances. 

UTICA UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Rinae Olsen
Maggie Habernig, Sr., P, Kingston, NY/Kingston - In her junior season, Habernig earned a 4-1 record in the circle. She pitched 33.2 innings and totaled 24 strikeouts. 

Meghan Paul, So., OF, Guilderland, NY/Guilderland - Paul, a 2025 second team all-conference pick in the outfield, was a top contributor in the lineup. She held a .333 batting average, a .563 slugging percentage and a .400 on base percentage. She totaled 42 hits with eight doubles and team-highs in triples (3, homeruns (5) and runs scored (37). She added 28 runs batted in.  


Final 2025 Empire 8 Softball Standings
St. John Fisher (29-15, 18-4 E8)
Alfred (33-11, 18-4 E8) - League Champions
Geneseo (28-12, 17-5 E8)
Utica (24-12, 17-5 E8)
Nazareth (21-15, 14-8 E8)
Poly (20-16, 12-9 E8)
Russell Sage (16-24, 12-10 E8)
Elmira (12-24-1, 9-13 E8)
Brockport (14-22, 6-16 E8)
Keuka (7-28, 5-17 E8)
Houghton (8-28, 3-19 E8)
Hartwick (6-30, 1-21 E8)

2025 Empire 8 Softball Tournament Recap

Thursday, May 8
Game 1 – No. 1 St. John Fisher University defeated No. 7 SUNY Poly, 11-1 (6 innings) – BOX SCORE
Game 2 – No. 2 Alfred University defeated No. 5 Nazareth University, 11-3 (6 innings) – BOX SCORE
Game 3 – No. 4 Utica University defeated No. 3 SUNY Geneseo. 9-7 – BOX SCORE
Game 4 – No. 7 SUNY Poly defeated No. 5 Nazareth, 10-2 (5 innings) – BOX SCORE (Nazareth eliminated)

Friday, May 9 
Game 5 – No. 1 St. John Fisher defeated No. 3 SUNY Geneseo, 10-2 (5 innings) – BOX SCORE (Geneseo eliminated)
Game 6 – No. 2 Alfred University defeated No. 4 Utica University, 7-4 – BOX SCORE
Game 7 – No. 4 Utica University defeated No. 7 SUNY Poly, 15-2 (5 innings) – 2 p.m. – BOX SCORE (Poly eliminated)
Game 8 – No. 2 Alfred University defeated No. 1 St. John Fisher, 6-4 – BOX SCORE
 
Saturday, May 10 
Game 9 – No. 1 St. John Fisher defeated No. 4 Utica University, 9-1 (5 innings) – BOX SCORE – (Utica eliminated)
Game 10 – No. 2 Alfred University defeated No. 1 St. John Fisher, 5-2 – BOX SCORE

2025 Empire 8 Softball Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player
Kendall Steward, So., P, Alfred (Kennedy, NY/Kennedy)
 

• Emily McManus, St. John Fisher, Jr., OF, Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili - 2025 Empire 8 Player of the Year, 2023 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, 2025 NFCA First Team All-Region, 2025 NFCA Third Team All-American, 2024 NFCA Third Team All-Region
• Jessica Remm, Alfred, Sr., OF, Carmel, IN/Carmel - 2025 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, 2025 NFCA First Team All-Region, 2025 NFCA Second Team All-American
• Kaijah Alexander, Nazareth, So., P/INF, Long Beach, CA/Woodrow Wilson - 2025 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, 2025 NFCA First Team All-Region, 2025 NFCA Third Team All-American
• Morgan Russo, Nazareth, Jr., C/INF, Illion, NY/Central Valley Academy - 2025 NFCA First Team All-Region
• Molly Griffin, Geneseo, So., 3B/OF, Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy - 2025 NFCA First Team All-Region
• Molly Whitmyer, Alfred, Jr., UT, Enola, PA/Trinity - 2025 NFCA Second Team All-Region
• Kendall Steward, Alfred, Jr., P, Kennedy, NY/Randolph - 2025 NFCA Third Team All-Region
• Haleigh Suitor, Nazareth, Jr., OF, North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda - 2025 NFCA Third Team All-Region
• Taylor Shackleton, St. John Fisher, INF, Placentia, CA/El Dorado - 2024 NFCA Third Team All-Region
• Madi Rose, St. John Fisher, Sr., INF, Averill Park, NY/Averill Park - 2023 NFCA Third Team All-Region