ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College senior outfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) was voted the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year, headlining the five Gators that earned All-E8 honors.  Voting was conducted by the league's Head Coaches.

Papas, who received first-team All-E8 honors for the second-straight spring, closed the regular season as the conference leader in numerous offensive categories, including: batting (.505), slugging percentage (.869), on-base percentage (.563), and ops (1.405). She also ranked in the top five in hits, RBI, doubles, triples, home runs, and runs scored.

"Ari has continued to leave her mark on our program," said RSC head coach Erica Li. "She is one of the toughest outs in the region and holds down our outfield with her tremendous range."

Senior pitcher/infielder Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) also repeated as a first-team All-Conference pick. The lefty, who represented the Gators on the E8 Sportswomen of the Year squad for the second time, batted .336 with 25 runs scored and 26 RBI.  She topped the Conference with 18 doubles, which was second-most by a Gator in a single-season (Morgan Dunn – 20, 2016), and logged an 8-8 record with 12 complete games in the circle.

Infielder Emily Agate (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey), a grad student, earned second-team accolades. She slashed .333/.415/.441 with 19 RBI.

Junior right-hander/infielder Makayla Lindsey (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) and junior infielder Katelyn Rice (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) made the third-team. Lindsey hit .294 with 17 RBI, while Rice slashed .313/.368/.427 with seven doubles and two triples.

The group helped the Gators (15-21/8-6 E8) make their second-straight appearance in the E8 Championship Tournament.

Gator Golf Classic: The 17th annual Gator Golf Classic will be held on June 3rd at Colonie Country Club. Registration for the event is now open at: alumni.sage.edu/gatorgolf2022

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