Albany, NY– The Sage Colleges' department of athletics recently announced the recipients of the department's annual awards. Senior captain and pitcher, Alicia Swavely (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was named the 2019-2020 Softball Gator of the Year.
Head softball coach Erica Li remarked, "Alicia has truly left a mark on this program." She continued, "In just two years, she has shown this team what it takes to be a leader. She was a true utility player, showing everyone what it meant to be a student of the game and yearned to learn and grow as a player. The team felt confident when she was on the mound and knew she would get the job done when she played any other position. Her ability to connect with all of her teammates allowed her to be our only captain this year. Day in and day out she embodied what it meant to be a part of the Sage softball program. She will be greatly missed. We wish you nothing but the best in all of your future endeavors."
Named the Gators' 2020 softball team captain, she went 3-1 in the circle, while fanning 18 batters in six appearances. She also had two complete games on the abbreviated campaign and had a 1.88 ERA as well. She was named the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week honors on March 9, 2020 after she went 2-1 in the circle with a 1.47 earned run average to go along with 11 strikeouts and one complete game as the team was in action in Florida. She also held opposition to a .262 batting average on the week after appearing in four games with a pair of starts. Swavely fired a complete-game gem versus Penn State Brandywine and finished the week by allowing just an unearned in 4 2/3 innings to pick up a win over John Jay.
A transfer student from Herkimer County Community College, Swavely was a newcomer to Sage and a first-year member of the inaugural field hockey team in 2018. She played three games in net and another in the field and she collected her first career win on Sept. 7, 2018 against Dean College. She had a 3.88 goals against average and played 194 minutes, 37 seconds in net with a total of 27 saves as a member of the field hockey squad.
As a newcomer with the 2019 Sage softball team, she posted a 3.94 ERA in the circle having fanned 30 batters in her 69.1 innings of work and was 5-4. She also had six complete games along the way with 11 starts in 17 appearances, while limiting the opposition to a .320 average. In limited time at the plate, she batted .182 with two doubles.
Overall in her time with the softball program, Swavely owns a record of 8-5 in the circle with a 3.38 career ERA in 23 appearances. She has appeared in 95.1 innings, while fanning 48 and has 8 career complete games with two shutouts.
She ranks 18th in the Sage career record book in victories (8) and also stands 11th with her 3.38 career ERA as a Gator.