General | 3/23/2026 12:54:36 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on March 23, 2026, for games played from March 16-March 22, 2026. It is the 30th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, women’s flag football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Evan Grimes, Russell Sage, Sr., IF, Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Grimes hit .529 (9-for-17) and recorded a 1.497 OPS with three triples and nine RBI in a 4-0 week for the Gators. Grimes, who scored three runs and totaled 16 bases, slugged .941 and reached base at a .556 rate. He had two hits in a 10-4 win over nationally ranked Tufts and exploded for six hits and eight RBI in a doubleheader sweep over Western New England on Saturday. Grimes tripled twice and drove in four runs in game one, a 9-3 win and went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI in game two, a 7-3 victory.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Xavier Garcia, Russell Sage, Sr., P, San Diego, CA/Saratoga Springs
Garcia permitted zero earned runs, two hits and struck out eight across six innings in a 9-3 win over Western New England on Saturday. Opposing batters hit just .125 off the lefty, who recorded a 0.83 WHIP in earning the win.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Blake Fortunato, SUNY Brockport, Fr., SS, Deposit, NY/Deposit-Hancock
Across four outings in Florida, Blake Fortunato continued his excellent debut season, going 7-for-20 at the plate with eight RBI and four runs scored. Following a two-hit performance against nationally ranked Johns Hopkins, Fortunato would thrive in conference action, going 5-for-13 in a three-game set against Keuka. Two of Fortunato's five hits would go for extra bases (triple and home run), as he would post three runs scored and eight RBIs in the set.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Luis Rivera, Keuka, Fr., P, Miami, FL/Somerset Academy
Rivera continued his strong start to his first collegiate season as he went the distance in a 4-2 win over UMaine-Presque Isle on Wednesday for his first career victory. Rivera allowed just four hits and two unearned runs in the victory over the Owls, while striking out four. It continues his strong start to the season as Rivera has now gone 11 innings on the season with just seven hits and three unearned runs allowed.
SOFTBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hailey Jasinski, Keuka, Jr., SS, Buffalo, NY/North Collins
Jasinski had a powerful start to the season for the Wolves on their spring trip to Florida, hitting .476 with a 1.522 OPS for the Green and Gold with 10 hits in 21 at bats. She scored seven runs and drove in eight. Half of her 10 hits went for extra bases with a pair of doubles and three home runs. Jasinski did hit a fourth home run on the week, but the game was called due to weather before it became official. She hit one home run in each for her first two seasons at Keuka. Jasinski homered, doubled and drove in three runs against Edgewood University on Tuesday.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Taylor Shackleton, St. John Fisher, Jr., 1B, Placentia, CA/El Dorado
Shackleton homered twice in six at-bats and drove in four runs during a doubleheader against the University of Rochester on Saturday. She blasted a go-ahead three-run home run in the first game, which the Cardinals went on to win 4-3, snapping an 11-game losing streak to the U of R. She also added a home run in game two.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Neveah Ross, SUNY Geneseo, So., P, Friendship, NY/Friendship
Ross was dominant on the mound for the Knights this past week, posting a 2-1 record during the week after earning a win the weekend prior. Ross' week was highlighted by a 10-inning complete game performance against Plymouth St., earning the win with six strikeouts and no earned runs. Ross also earned a win over Buffalo St. with only one earned run. Ross leads Geneseo with a 2.12 ERA for the season.
WOMEN’S FLAG FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Smith, So., QB, Elmira, NY/Corning
In the first two games in program history and for Elmira this season, Hannah Smith helped lead EC to two shutout victories over Keystone (29-0) and Daemen (66-0). She had a total of 28 completions, 194 passing yards, and 10 touchdowns. Against Keystone, Smith tallied 11 completions for 194 passing yards and three touchdowns with a long play of 59 yards. Against Daemen, Smith tallied 17 completions for 200 passing yards and seven touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Amarionah Dixon, Elmira, Sr., WR/DB, Elmira, NY/Elmira
In the first two games in program history and for Elmira this season, Amarionah Dixon led the defensive charge for EC in two shutout victories over Keystone (29-0) and Daemen (66-0). She had a total of five interceptions, five pass breakups, and two defensive touchdowns. Against Keystone, Dixon tallied five pass breakups, two tackles for loss and eight flags pulled. Against Daemen, Dixon tallied five interceptions and five flags pulled.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lincoln Crosby, Nazareth, Jr., Chevy Chase, MD/DeMatha Catholic
Crosby scored a 73 (plus-1) on Sunday for a second consecutive 10th-place finish on the individual leaderboard at the Ruckus Tournament. He recorded 2 birdies and 13 pars on the day, coming in one-under-par on the front nine. He ended the event at plus-3, earning him 10th place overall.
MEN’S LACROSSE
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sean Donaldson, St. John Fisher, Jr., M, Springfield, PA/Springfield
Donaldson tallied six goals and eight points in a pair of games, as the Cardinals wrapped up non-conference play with a pair of games against nationally ranked foes RIT and SUNY Cortland. He began the week with two goals and an assist against No. 10 RIT. On Saturday, Donaldson matched his career high with four goals and had an assist for five points to lead the No. 12 Cardinals to a 10-8 victory over No. 19 Cortland on Saturday at Growney Stadium. He scored three goals in the second half, with one coming during a three-goal fourth quarter run that put Fisher in front for good. The five-point outing marked his second of the season.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ronnie Trebing, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., A, Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West
Trebing tallied 11 points on seven goals and four assists in a pair of wins over St. Mary’s (Maryland) and E8 foe Hartwick College. He had seven points on four goals and three assists in a 17-16 win at St. Mary’s and added three goals and an assist, as Geneseo earned an 11-6 win over Hartwick to begin league play.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ethan Hodge, St. John Fisher, Jr., D, Vienna, VA/James Madison
Hodge caused six turnovers and recovered six ground balls over two games for No. 12 St. John Fisher. He caused four turnovers and scooped up five ground balls, both career highs, in a 10-8 victory over the No. 19 SUNY Cortland Red Dragons on Saturday at Growney Stadium. Hodge also caused a pair of turnovers against No. 10 RIT on Wednesday, as the Cardinals wrapped up their non-league schedule.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Megan Rinker, Alfred, Sr., M, Le Roy, NY/Le Roy
Rinker posted seven points on six goals and one assist while notching six ground balls, seven caused turnovers and five draw controls in Alfred’s two victories last week. In the Saxons’ home opener against Alfred State College on Wednesday, she led the way with four goals, while also contributing to the defense with three ground balls, three caused turnovers, and a draw control. Rinker followed with three points on two goals and an assist in the Saxons' first E8 win of the season at Russell Sage College on Saturday. She also led AU with a season-high four caused turnovers, matched her career-high four draw controls and picked up three ground balls.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Maria Stuhlman, Utica, Jr., M, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Stuhlman and the Pioneers returned from their spring break, challenging Oswego State in a road matchup on Friday before hosting SUNY Morrisville in the team’s first home game in a month on Saturday. Stuhlman tallied six goals, eight points, six draw controls and five ground balls in the two wins. On Saturday, Stuhlman turned in four goals and two assists in a 13-8 win over SUNY Morrisville, achieving a six-point game for the fifth time in her career, and first of her junior season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sydney Angelo, Alfred, So., M/D, Windsor, NY/Windsor Central
Angelo tallied 12 ground balls and seven caused turnovers while scoring four goals in Alfred’s two wins last week. In the home opening win against Alfred State College on Wednesday, she picked up a team-high seven ground balls, caused six turnovers and notched the first goal of the game. Angelo followed with five ground balls, three goals and a caused turnover to help the Saxons win their first E8 game of the season, 13-9 over Russell Sage on Saturday.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Dominic Clifford, Thomas, So., Smithfield, ME/Skowhegan Area
Clifford went undefeated this week in both his doubles and singles matches, earning two valuable wins to help the Terriers defeat conference foe Norwich 6-1 on Saturday. Clifford won at No. 2 doubles 6-1, then won at No. 2 singles 6-2, 6-4.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Jaxon Redmond, Norwich, So., Kennebunkport, ME/Kennebunk
Terrance Bayly-Henshaw, Norwich, Jr., Scottsville, NY/Wheatland-Chili
Redmond and Bayly-Henshaw produced a standout performance at No. 1 doubles during Norwich’s matchup with Empire 8 foe Thomas College, earning a 6-4 victory over the Terriers’ top pairing. Their win represented the Cadets’ only doubles triumph of the afternoon and came in a competitive contest against one of the conference’s most established programs. Competing in the top flight, the duo secured a key point against high-level opposition while continuing to anchor Norwich’s doubles lineup early in the season.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gabe La Robardiere, St. John Fisher, Sr., OH, Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
La Robardiere slammed 19 kills and registered a .621 hitting percentage while leading the Cardinals to a 3-0 record last week. La Robardiere led the Cardinals with 9.5 points, slamming nine kills while hitting .667 to go with a block assist in a sweep of Elmira on Friday night. He had six kills and hit .667 in a sweep of Hood College on Saturday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Quincy Stayton, SUNY Poly, Fr., OH, Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley
Stayton slammed home 13 kills while hitting .257 against Nichols College on Saturday. He added two blocks and a dig during the match. It is Stayton’s third E8 weekly accolade of the season.