Baseball | 4/20/2026 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on April 20, 2026, for games played from April 13-April 19, 2026. It is the 34th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include baseball, softball, women’s flag football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
BASEBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jack Griffin, St. John Fisher, Sr., 1B, Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
In the weekend series against Alfred, Griffin hit .769 (10-for-13) at the plate with a 1.786 OPS, driving in seven runs, while chipping in with three doubles and a walk as the Cardinals scored 67 runs in a three-game sweep at Alfred. He was 5-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI in game one Saturday and 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI in game two.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Luke Landis, SUNY Poly, Sr., 1B, Moravia, NY/Moravia
Landis hit .615 (8-for-13) and recorded a 2.244 OPS with three doubles, three home runs and nine runs batted in a three-game road sweep at Elmira. He also walked three times and scored seven runs. Landis, who homered twice and drove in four runs in game one Saturday and homered again and drove in five runs in game two, became SUNY Poly’s all-time leader in homers.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Evan Grimes, Russell Sage, Sr., P/U, Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Grimes helped the Gators hand SUNY Brockport its first Empire 8 loss of the season on Friday. The left-hander allowed just one earned run and four hits across six innings to get the win. He struck out three Golden Eagles, which hit just .167 off him. At the plate, Grimes slashed .300/.750/.391 with five runs scored, two homers, four stolen bases and eight RBI in the 3-2 week, as Sage moved into sole possession of first place in the E8 standings.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Brady Leichtman, Utica, Fr., P, Bay Shore, NY/St. John The Baptist
Leichtman was outstanding in his lone appearance of the week, pitching 8.1 innings while allowing just two runs and striking out 11 batters against Houghton in a weekend conference matchup. He rebounded after allowing a run in the opening frame. Leichtman wouldn’t allow a run for the next seven innings and did not allow a hit for five straight innings in the middle part of the matchup.
SOFTBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bella Mistrella, Alfred, Fr., SS, Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary
Mistretta helped the Saxons go 4-2 overall and 4-0 in Empire 8 action on the week. She batted a .611 with 11 hits in 18 at-bats, including a double and home run with six RBI and scored 10 runs herself, including two game-winning runs and one game-tying run that led to a win. Mistretta recorded a run in all six games of the week including two in each of the Empire 8 matchups. She was hit-by-pitch once and hit a sacrifice fly ball en route to her four RBI in game one against Utica University Friday.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Molly Kuhn, St. John Fisher, Jr., P, Lancaster, NY/Buffalo Academy of Sacred Heart
Kuhn led the Cardinals in the circle, helping the team to a 3-1 weekend against SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo. She earned two wins over 14 innings, allowing just one run on nine hits with no walks and 19 strikeouts. On Friday against Brockport, Kuhn pitched a complete game in a 3-1 victory, giving up four hits and one run while issuing no walks and recording a career-high 12 strikeouts. On Saturday against Geneseo, she threw a seven-inning shutout in a 1-0 win, allowing five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. It is Kuhn’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Neveah Ross, SUNY Geneseo, So., Friendship, NY/Friendship
Ross went 2-0 this week on the rubber, picking up wins over two of the top teams in the conference in Nazareth and St. John Fisher. Against the Cardinals, Ross threw all seven innings while only allowing one hit en route to a 7-0 win on Saturday. Against Nazareth, Ross only allowed a pair of runs in the first inning, as the Knights picked up a 10-2 victory. It is Ross’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S FLAG FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Natalia DiPalma, SUNY Geneseo, So., WR, Fredonia, NY/Fredonia
DiPalma led the way for Geneseo clinching the first ever Empire 8 Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed for the postseason tournament. In the deciding game against Brockport on Friday, DiPalma caught 10 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns, she then followed it up the next day with four catches for 97 yards and two more touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Caitlyn Schutte, SUNY Geneseo, So., DB, West Sayville, NY/Sayville
Schutte helped lead Geneseo to a pair of key wins that clinched the Empire 8 Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed for the postseason tournament. In Friday’s 27-19 win over SUNY Brockport, Schutte led Geneseo with nine tackles (flag pulls) and a key interception and pass breakup. She had seven tackles in Saturday’s 26-8 win at Elmira to close out the regular season.
MEN’S LACROSSE
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Colin August, Hartwick, Sr., A, Garrison, NY/James I. O’Neill
August continued his offensive tear in two conference contests, firing in 11 goals to lift the Hawks to a pair of conference wins. August opened his week with a six-goal performance against SUNY Poly on the road in a 16-10 win. He followed that up by pouring in five goals to go along with six ground balls in a 20-8 triumph over Keuka, as the Hawks have now won four straight league games. It is August’s second straight E8 weekly accolade.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kyle Rosenberger, Nazareth, Sr., A, Syracuse, NY/Westhill
Rosenberger led the Golden Flyers with 11 points on six goals and five assists in two key Empire 8 wins over Alfred and No. 9 St. John Fisher. On Wednesday, he posted six points on three goals and three assists in 21-0 shutout of Alfred. Three days later, Rosenberger tallied five points on three goals and two assists in 12-7 win over No. 9 St. John Fisher. He helped Nazareth defeat Fisher for the first time since 2016 and extend the Golden Flyers' win streak to nine-games. The win snapped Fisher's 39-game Empire 8 regular season win streak and 52-game conference win streak including postseason play. Nazareth remains the last undefeated team in Empire 8 action at 7-0 with two games remaining.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sven Habitzreuther, Nazareth, Sr., GK, Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Habitzreuther made 14 saves and allowed seven goals in two wins over Alfred and No. 9 St. John Fisher, as the Golden Flyers moved into first place in the E8 standings. On Wednesday Habitzreuther did not allow a goal in 40 minutes of action against Alfred, aiding the Golden Flyers to a 21-0 shutout victory. On Saturday, Habitzreuther notched 11 saves and allowed just seven goals in 12-7 win over No. 9 St. John Fisher. He helped Nazareth defeat Fisher for the first time since 2016 and extend the Golden Flyers' win streak to nine-games. The win snapped Fisher's 39-game Empire 8 regular season win streak and 52-game conference win streak including postseason play. Nazareth remains the last undefeated team in Empire 8 action at 7-0 with two games remaining.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ellie Leisen, St. John Fisher, Jr., A, Massapequa, NY/Massapequa
Leisen amassed 15 points on seven goals and eight assists over the No. 24 Cardinals' games against Brockport, Ithaca and Nazareth last week. She had five points on four goals and an assist in a 17-2 win over Brockport and eight points on three goals and a career-best five assists in a 21-4 win over Nazareth. Leisen has now amassed five-plus points in eight games this season, including in four of the last five. She has had two games with eight points this season. It is Leisen’s third E8 weekly accolade of the season.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Maria Stuhlman, Utica, Jr., M, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Stuhlman tallied 16 points on 11 goals and five assists to go along with nine draw controls for the Pioneers. On Wednesday, Stuhlman finished with six goals and one assist in an 18-6 win over Russell Sage. Additionally, Stuhlman scored her 100th career goal on her third goal of the game, becoming the 13th Pioneer in program history to reach triple digits. Against Alfred Saturday, Stuhlman matched her total of seven points in this game with four goals and three assists, while also leading the game with four caused turnovers. She led Utica in draw controls in all three contests. It is her third E8 weekly honor of the season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Maddie Lowney, St. John Fisher, Sr., D, Baldwin, NY/McDonough
Lowney had another huge week for the Cardinals, as she recorded nine caused turnovers to go with seven ground ball recoveries and 13 draw controls over three games. The two-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year stamped another mark on the Cardinals' record book on Saturday in a 21-4 victory over Nazareth on Saturday. Lowney, who recently broke Fisher's career record for caused turnovers, bested the single-season program record 44 turnovers she caused last year with five against Nazareth. She now has 45 through 15 contests this season, an average of three per game. It is her fourth Empire 8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Dominic Clifford, Thomas, So., Smithfield, ME/Skowhegan Area
Clifford went undefeated this week, earning dominant wins in each match for Terriers, as they clinched the No. 1 seed in the Empire 8 East Division and will host the semifinals and championship of the Empire 8 Tournament on May 1-2. Clifford started the weekend off with a 6-0 sweep at No. 2 doubles against Norwich, then proceeded to win 6-4, 7-5 in singles, to help the Terriers take down Norwich and secure the top seed in the Empire 8 Eastern Division. On Sunday in the team's doubleheader against Lesley Clifford was equally as good. In the first match of the day Clifford won 6-0 at doubles, then won 6-0, 6-1, at second singles. In the final match of the week Clifford moved up to No. 1 doubles and No. 1 singles, winning both matchups (6-2 in doubles, 6-1, 6-0 in singles). It is Clifford’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Ricardo Alvarez Janik, Alfred, So., La Orotava, Spain/Casa Azul
Anlun Zwerver, Alfred, Gr., Koog Aan De Zaan, Netherlands/Blaise Pascal College
Alvarez Janik and Zwerver were undefeated on the week from the No. 1 doubles spot, defeating the top pairs from Houghton University and St. John Fisher University. Alvarez Janik and Zwerver picked up a 6-3 win over Houghton’s Rune Camps and Eben Schilke on Wednesday and then won, 6-1 over Fisher’s Tyler Hernandez and Will Chubb on Saturday. Alvarez Janik was also undefeated at No. 1 singles while Zwerver went 1-1 in singles. It is the duo’s second E8 weekly accolade of 2026.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Jacob Miller, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Sprints, Brockport, NY/Brockport
Miller provided a big highlight for the Knights at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener University, running in the 400-meters and setting a new program and Empire 8 Conference record with a time of 46.77. Miller's time was also the fastest time in Division III so far this season. Miller also competed in the 4x400 relay, where the Knights raced to a time of 3:09.63, which is the fastest time in Division III this season, and second-fastest in program history.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Zion Baitey, Alfred, Jr., Jumps, Morristown, NJ/Morristown
Baitey took home two top-10 finishes at the Coach P Invite, hosted by Moravian University on Saturday. His top finish was fifth place in the long jump, hitting a personal record jump of 6.91m (22’-8”), moving him from No. 3 to No. 2 in AU’s record book. He also took seventh place in the triple jump with a mark of 13.96m (45’-9.75”) on Saturday. Baitey is among the Empire 8 leaders in both events this season.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Middle Distance, Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder
Doody competed at the Paul Donahue Invitational at Widener University over the weekend in three events. She was third in the 400-meters with a time of 57.01 and was the top Geneseo finisher in the 800-meters in a time of 2:09.85, just off her personal best. Doody was also on the 4x400 relay team that took second overall with a time of 3:50.99, marking the ninth fastest time in program history and the 14th-best in Division III this season. It is Doody’s second E8 weekly honor of the spring.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Allie Cary, Utica, Jr., Throws, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Cary continued her dominant outdoor season with two tremendous efforts at the Cortland Classic on Friday. She fired the shot put 13.91 meters (45’7.75”) to move her into sixth nationally in the event. Cary then recorded a toss of 46.59 meters (152’10”) in the discus, which also puts her sixth in Division III in that event. It is her third E8 weekly honor of the outdoor season.