General | 3/9/2026 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on March 9, 2026, for games played from March 2-March 8, 2026. It is the 28th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and men’s volleyball.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jordan Barthel, Elmira, Fr., U/P, Scuitae, MA/Austin Prep
Barthel helped carry the Soaring Eagles to an 8-2 overall record after competing in eight games over Spring Break. Barthel batted .550 batting average (11-for-20) with a .600 on-base percentage, 1.500 slugging percentage and 2.100 OPS. An astounding 10 of his 11 hits were extra base hits, including five doubles, four homeruns and a triple. He tallied 12 RBI's and scored 10 runs. As a pitcher, Barthel appeared in one game against St. Elizabeth where he tossed four innings. He recorded six strikeouts and only allowed five hits. Barthel doubles, homered and drove in four runs in a 13-3 win over New England College. He homered in his final three games of the week.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kyle Miller, Alfred, Fr., P, Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post
Miller led Alfred University to their first victory of the spring season, defeating Cornell College in 14-2 fashion on Saturday. In his collegiate debut, Miller registered seven strikeouts across five shutout innings, totaling 89 pitches. Miller struck out three of the first six batters he faced. Overall, Miller held Cornell to just three hits, as Alfred jumped to an 8-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning of action.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Austin Stoquert, SUNY Poly, Jr., P, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
On Sunday, Stoquert delivered a dominant six inning performance in a win over against Lycoming College. He struck out four batters, while not giving up a runs, scattering five hits to help lead the Wildcats to a 5-2 victory.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – CJ Wheaton, Elmira, Fr., SS, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Wheaton hit .476 at the plate (10-for-21), while recording a 1.512 OPS. Of his 10 hits, seven went for extra base hits including five doubles, a triple and one homerun. He tallied seven runs and seven RBI alongside four walks, executing strong plate discipline. In addition, he successfully stole two bases. Wheaton homered, scored three runs and drove in three in a win over St. Elizabeth. It is his second E8 weekly honor of the season.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emily McManus, St. John Fisher, Jr., OF, Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili
McManus hit .517 (15-for-29) with a remarkable 1.839 OPS with nine walks to lead the Cardinals to seven wins in 10 games in Florida last week. She slugged six home runs, had a pair of doubles and drove in 18 runs. McManus had three RBI in wins over Marian (Wis.), Lebanon Valley, Susquehanna and Emmanuel (Mass.). She also hit a home run in four straight contests.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Burdick, Elmira, So., P, Utica, NY/West Canada Valley
Burdick threw a complete game and collected the win in an 8-1 victory over Guilford on Saturday to hold a 1-0 record. She recorded two strikeouts, only allowed seven hits and one run, and held opponents to a .259 batting average.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Ava Galvan, Alfred, Fr., P, Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe
Galvan picked up her first collegiate pitching win, defeating the defending PAC Champions, Westminster University (PA) on Sunday in the Saxons’ season-opener. She pitched all seven innings in the 5-2 win in Florida. During which, she only gave up one earned run and struck out four batters.
MEN’S LACROSSE
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Scott Bovard, St. John Fisher, Jr., A, Denver, CO/Denver East
Bovard amassed 11 points on six goals, and five assists as nationally ranked St. John Fisher earned wins over Hamilton and Rhodes last week. He had nine points, tied for the third-most by a Fisher player in a game, on five goals and four assists in a 24-8 win over Rhodes on Friday night.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hunter Cupp, Alfred, Sr., FO, Bath, NY/Haverling
For the second week in a row, Cupp broke another Alfred University men’s lacrosse school record. His 19 face-off wins in 23 attempts against SUNY Oswego on Saturday made him the all-time face-off wins leader in AU history with 764, surpassing the previous record of 762 by Garrette Briggs ‘21. In addition, he led all Saxon players with 17 ground balls. It is his second straight E8 weekly honor.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jake Bowen, Utica, Sr., G, Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union
Bowen and the Pioneers continued their early-season slate by splitting matches against Farmingdale State and Plattsburgh State later in the week. In the first game against Farmingdale, Bowen turned away 12-of-20 shots before stopping 13-of-22 shots on goal by Plattsburgh State. He made several crucial second half saves to fend off Cardinal attacks and retain the one-goal lead. The win marked the first of the season for Utica, and the second of Bowen’s career. He recorded an 8.50 goals against average and .595 save percentage.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lainie Ford, Keuka, So., A, Waterloo, NY/Waterloo
Forde had a big start to her sophomore season. She set a new career-high with eight goals in Keuka's season-opening victory over Hilbert College on Wednesday and added a pair of goals on Saturday against Allegheny.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ellie Leisen, St. John Fisher, Jr., A, Massapequa, NY/Massapequa
Leisen had 10 points on four goals and six assists as nationally ranked St. John Fisher split a pair of games in Colorado last week, beating Kenyon 11-10 on Tuesday before falling to No. 24 Colorado College 11-10 in overtime on Saturday. Leisen scored two goals and tallied three assists in each game.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Makayla Purdy, Utica, Jr., GK, Shirley, NY/William Floyd
Purdy and the Pioneers played in just one game last week, travelling to face Buffalo State. The junior netminder backstopped the team to a competitive 10-9 victory, the team’s second-straight. She made 11 saves on 20 shots between the pipes, even adding a second-quarter assist, the first of her career.
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jacob Miller, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Sprints, Brockport, NY/Brockport
Miller posted a big highlight for the Knights at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Championship Meet over the weekend, winning the 400-meter dash with a new meet record time of 47.50, which also marks the ninth fastest in Division III. It is Miller’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Gabriel Giannini, SUNY Brockport, Sr., Jumps,/Multi-Event, Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute
Giannini highlighted the weekend for Brockport, claiming the men's heptathlon championship with a score of 5,126. Giannini currently holds the school record and ranks second in the nation. Over the two-day competition, Giannini delivered a dominant all-around performance. He placed first in the 60-meter dash (7.09 seconds), first in the long jump (7.19 meters), third in the shot put (11.65 meters), fourth in the high jump (1.78 meters), sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.07 seconds), first in the pole vault (4.70 meters), and seventh in the 1,000 meters with a time of 2:59.22.
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Sprints/Jumps, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Ambler was outstanding for Geneseo as she led the Knights to a first-place finish in the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Championship Meet over the weekend. Ambler was on the winning 4 x 400 (3:47.78) and 4 x 200-meter relay teams (1:42.54) and finished third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.56 seconds. It is Ambler’s fifth E8 weekly honor of the season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Lauren Jaklitsch, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Throws, Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai
Jaklitsch provided a big highlight in the weight throw at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Championship Meet over the weekend, setting a new meet record and recording the fourth best throw in Division III with a distance of 18.80 meters. Jaklitsch's throw also set a new league and program record, breaking her own record of 18.71 meters set earlier in the season. Geneseo went on to win the regional championship, scoring 82 points. It is Jaklitsch’s third E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Luke Jata, Elmira, Jr., OH/RS, Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge
Jata recorded 56 kills and seven service aces this past week in four matches. He also recorded 18 digs. Overall, Jata tallied 65 points and average 4.67 kills per set. He also averaged 5.42 points and 1.50 digs per set. Jata had 15 kills against Lasell and finished the week by hitting .382 with 19 kills and eight digs in a three-set win over Curry College.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Quincy Slayton, SUNY Poly, Fr., OH, Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley
Slayton had 18 kills on 39 attempts with only four errors en route to hitting .359 during in a five-set win over Russell Sage College on Saturday. Slayton added six digs and an ace on the day to help top of his steady offensive performance at the net.