Softball | 5/12/2026 9:59:38 AM
Four different institutions were represented for the five major individual awards, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2026 Softball All-Conference awards on Tuesday, May 12. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Junior first baseman Taylor Shackleton of St. John Fisher University was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year, while Gabriella Petroski, a junior from SUNY Geneseo was named the Pitcher of the Year Alfred University senior outfielder Samantha Vidal was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, while first-year pitcher/outfielder Liana DeValder of SUNY Brockport earned Rookie of the Year honors. SUNY Geneseo head coach Rosie Phillips and her staff was named E8 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Shackleton, a native of Placentia, CA, enjoyed a tremendous season for the Cardinals, hitting .433 on the season with an .807 slugging percentage and remarkable 1.286 OPS. She slugged a league-leading totals of 65 hits, 20 doubles, 12 home runs, 58 RBI and 121 total bases, to go along with 47 runs scored in 43 games played. She reached base in 40-of-43 games played this season. Shackleton hit .450 with a 1.407 OPS, nine home runs and 40 RBI in 22 E8 contests. Shackleton is the ninth St. John Fisher student-athlete to earn E8 Softball Player of the Year honors.
Petroski, a junior hurler from Lancaster, NY, finished the season with a 16-4 overall record, 2.92 earned run average and 1.17 WHIP to go along with 121 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings pitched. Petroski was an incredible 12-1 in league play with a 1.77 earned run average, 0.94 WHIP, 11 complete games and 91 strikeouts in 79 innings. Petroski threw a no-hitter with a career-high 16 strikeouts Elmira on April 23.
Vidal, a junior from Lake Worth, FL, had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 48 total chances as Alfred’s centerfielder during league play in 2026. Overall, she has recorded a .978 fielding percentage with 88 putouts and three assists this season. Vidal has also excelled at the plate, batting .397 with a .978 OPS, 48 runs scored, and a league-high 49 stolen bases in 51 attempts. She is just three stolen bases shy of the E8 single-season mark of 52, set by former Saxon All-American Ashley Lugo in 2021.
DeValder, a native of Webster, NY, enjoyed an incredible debut season for SUNY Brockport, excelling both on the mound and at the plate while leading the Golden Eagles to the double elimination E8 Championship Tournament. On the mound, DeValder went 11-7 with a 2.37 earned run average and 1.10 WHIP, 13 complete games, four shutouts and 119 strikeouts in 109 1/3 innings. At the plate DeValder hit .315 with a 1.015 OPS, 19 walks, 11 doubles, three homers and 26 RBI. DeValder recorded an impressive 9-2 mark with a 2.03 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in league play.
Phillips, in her first season with the Knights, and assistant coaches David Sylvester, Martha Martin, Alexandra Koutsogiannis and Jeff Kramerz led SUNY Geneseo to a 19-3 mark in league play, regular season title and right to host the E8 Championship Tournament in 2026. The Knights finished 30-11 overall and had four All-Empire 8 first team selections and eight players garner All-E8 accolades.
Six different teams had at least one first team selection. SUNY Geneseo and St. John Fisher led all institutions with four first team selections apiece, while E8 Champion Alfred had three selections. Nazareth University had a pair of first team picks, while SUNY Brockport and Russell Sage College each had one. Overall, SUNY Geneseo had eight all conference selections, while Alfred, St. John Fisher and Nazareth had seven all-conference selections apiece to lead the way. St. John Fisher outfielder Emily McManus earned All-E8 first team honors for the third straight season, while Kendall Steward of Alfred garnered All-E8 first team honors for the second time.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2026 Softball Tomorrow’s Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they “compete with honor and integrity” and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding leaders of sportsmanship.
“Developing character and integrity is a hallmark of the Empire 8,” said E8 Executive Director
Chuck Mitrano. “This series is proof that Empire 8 and our member institutions are committed to intercollegiate athletics’ important role in higher education.”
2026 Empire 8 Softball All-Conference Selections
Player of the Year: Taylor Shackleton, Jr., 1B, St. John Fisher
Pitcher of the Year: Gabriella Petroski, Jr., P, SUNY Geneseo
Defensive Player of the Year: Samantha Vidal, Sr., OF, Alfred
Rookie of the Year: Liana DeValder, Fr., P/OF, SUNY Brockport
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Rosie Phillips
Empire 8 First Team
Catcher – Paris Guzman, Jr., C, Alfred (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe)
First Base – Taylor Shackleton, Jr., 1B, St. John Fisher (Placentia, CA/El Dorado)
Second Base – Bella Nadzan, Sr., 2B, SUNY Geneseo (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville)
Shortstop – Brooke Fraas, Sr., SS, SUNY Geneseo (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster)
Third Base – Sarah Gross, Fr., 3B, St. John Fisher (Hancock, NY/Hancock)
Third Base – Ray Schumacher, Jr., 3B, SUNY Geneseo (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena)
Outfield – Alexis Brown, Fr., OF, Nazareth (Hamburg, NY/St. Mary’s)
Outfield – Samantha Vidal, Sr., OF, Alfred (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill)
Outfield – Emily McManus, Jr., OF, St. John Fisher (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili)
Utility – Kendall Steward, Jr., P, Alfred (Kennedy, NY/Randolph)
Designated Player – Annalise Tyler, Jr., DP, Russell Sage (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont)
Pitcher – Molly Kuhn, Jr., P, St. John Fisher (Lancaster, NY/Sacred Heart Academy)
Pitcher – Gabriella Petroski, Jr., P, SUNY Geneseo (Lancaster, NY/Sacred Heart Academy)
At-Large – Ashley Bell, Sr., 2B, Nazareth (Groton, NY/Lansing)
At-Large – Liana DeValder, Fr., P/OF, SUNY Brockport (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder)
Empire 8 Second Team
Catcher – Emma Heartquist, Sr., C, Russell Sage (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane)
Catcher – Isabella Mahar, Sr., C, St. John Fisher (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park)
First Base – Molly Whitmyer, Jr., 1B, Alfred (Enola, PA/Trinity)
Second Base – Caitlyn Dailey, Sr., 2B, SUNY Brockport (Goshen, NY/Goshen)
Second Base – Madi Rose, Sr., 2B, St. John Fisher (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park)
Shortstop – Hailey Jasinski, Jr., SS, Keuka (Buffalo, NY/North Collins)
Outfield – Natalie Faas, Jr., OF, SUNY Brockport (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia)
Outfield – Mya Strong, Fr., OF, Utica (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls)
Outfield – Haleigh Suitor, Jr., OF, Nazareth (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda)
Utility – Kari Graziano, Fr., P/OF, Utica (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane)
Designated Player – Madison Hicks, So., DP, Nazareth (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas)
Pitcher – Annabella Putnam, Gr., P, Russell Sage (Prattsburgh, NY/Prattsburgh)
Pitcher – Neveah Ross, So., P, SUNY Geneseo (Friendship, NY/Friendship)
At-Large – Ally Boulger, So., 3B, Alfred (Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak)
At-Large – Emily Sylvanus, Sr., OF, SUNY Geneseo (Northport, NY/Northport)
Empire 8 Third Team
First Base – Lauren Babich, Jr., 1B, SUNY Geneseo (Glen Cove, NY/Kellenberg Memorial)
First Base – Morgan Russo, Jr., 1B, Nazareth (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy)
Shortstop – Bryanna Moroughan, Fr., SS, Nazareth (Adams, NY/South Jefferson)
Third Base – Kaijah Alexander, So., 3B, Nazareth (Long Beach, CA/Woodrow Wilson)
Outfield – Molly Griffin, So., OF, SUNY Geneseo (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy)
Outfield – CC Holmes, Jr., OF, St. John Fisher (Utica, NY/New Hartford)
Outfield – Brielle Wark, Sr., OF, Alfred (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East)
Utility – Julia Hill, Gr., INF/OF, SUNY Brockport (Dunkirk, NY/Silver Creek)
Designated Player – Teona Cruz, Jr., DP, Elmira (Penfield, NY/Penfield)
Pitcher – Olivia Flynn, Sr., P, Keuka (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Pitcher – Ava Galvan, Fr., P, Alfred (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe)
At-Large – Joely Welpe, Sr., C, SUNY Poly (Utica, NY/Proctor)
At-Large – Sophia Polzella, So., U, Elmira (Dunmore, PA/Corning-Painted Post)
Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leaders Team
Destiny Avila, Sr., U, Alfred (Long Beach, CA/St. Anthony)
Caitlyn Daley, Sr., IF, SUNY Brockport (Goshen, NY/Goshen)
Jenna Burns, Sr., OF, Elmira (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit)
Ray Schumacher, Jr., 3B, SUNY Geneseo (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena)
Ashlee Stevens, Jr., P/U, Hartwick (Knox, NY/Berne-Knox-Westerlo)
Rebecca Oates, So., P/OF, Houghton (Tonawanda, NY/Tonawanda)
Olivia Flynn, Sr., P/U, Keuka (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Maddy Spakoski, Sr., OF, Nazareth (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder)
Ava Faragon, Sr., OF, SUNY Poly (Poestenkill, NY/Averill Park)
Izabelle Ratcliffe, Jr., INF, Russell Sage (Cohoes, NY/Shaker)
Sydney Medeiros, Fr., INF, St. John Fisher (Syracuse, NY/Westhill)
Ava Hayes, So., 1B, Utica (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit)