RSC SOFTBALL PLAYERS PAPAS AND DICRANIAN NAMED TO 2021 NFCA DIVISION III ALL-REGION TEAMS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association revealed its 2021 NFCA Division III All-Region teams today. This year's eight squads are comprised of a total of 308 student-athletes from 134 programs. Russell Sage College's junior outfielder Arianna Papas (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) and junior utility player, Taylor Dicranian (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) were named to the Northeast Regional Teams. Papas was a First Team selection, while Dicranian was placed on the Second Team.

The awards salute student-athletes from the Association's eight NCAA regions with first, second and third-team honors. NFCA member coaches voted on the teams in their respective regions, and all honorees are eligible for selection to the 2021 NFCA Division III All-America squads.

2021 NFCA Division III All-Region Teams

New in 2021, conference players and pitchers of the year from member institutions, who were nominated by their member head coach, are added to the third team if they were not already voted to an All-Region squad. Where there were ties in the balloting, all players involved in the tie were awarded honors. If there were not enough nominees for a position, all three teams for that position in that region were not filled.

The 2021 NFCA Division III All-America teams will be announced on May 24.

On the season, RSC posted a record of 17-6. Along the way, the team strung together an eight-game win streak, while three players earned Empire 8 First Team All-Conference citations, and the Gators also had three players honored with weekly awards from the Empire 8. They went 16-4 in the Empire 8 play and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

On the season, Papas finished the year with a team-leading 45 hits, .523 batting average, with three homeruns and three triples. A 23-game starter, her 2021 numbers place her 19^th in single-season hits, 23^rd with 10 doubles, 16^th in triples, 12^th in runs scored (33), while her .523 batting average ranks second in the Gator record book. She was named to the 2021 Empire 8 First Team as well at outfield and was twice honored as the Empire 8 Player of the Week. She was also honored by Russell Sage College as the Female Athlete of the Year.

Dicranian worked both in the circle and at the plate this spring, excelling in both areas. She ranks second all-time in single-season victories (15), while having worked 115.1 innings (14^th best), 15^th in appearances (22), with a 3.76 ERA that also ranks 22^nd best. At the plate, she batted .494 with 41 hits, a team-best 13 doubles and added 20 RBI's.  The 41 hits ranks 28^th best in single-season performances, while her 13 doubles is 10^th best. On her career, she has tallied 19 career doubles already and is 13^th best on the career record book. She has now appeared in 43 games, which ranks 13^th best, while adding work in 180.0 innings which is 16^th best. She is also 10^th with 16 career victories. She tossed a no-hitter this season and also tallied her first career home run in the team's doubleheader sweep of Elmira College on May 6 and was honored as the Empire 8 Player of the Week on May 10. Two days later she was also named to the Empire 8 All-Conference First Team, while also earning a spot on the 2021 Empire 8 Softball Sportswoman of the Year team.

All told, the Gators combined for a .331 batting average with 50 doubles, 11 homeruns, and 65 extra-base hits under the guidance of head coach Erica Li. The team's 2021 numbers rank sixth in wins (17), fifth in team batting average, eighth in doubles, while their 8-game win streak mid-season also ranks fourth best in longest win streaks.

DIVISION III - NORTHEAST REGION - FIRST TEAM

Position                             Name                                 School

P             Jessica Wilcox                                  Alfred University

P             Jess Patterson                                 St. John Fisher College

P             Olivia Zoeller                                   Clarkson University

C             Amaya Esparza                               Manhattanville College

1B          Lexi Szesnat                                     SUNY Cortland

2B          Gabby Laccona                               Ithaca College

3B          Ashleigh Hartwig                            Saint Joseph's College (Brooklyn)

SS           Ashley Lugo                                     Alfred University

OF          Kelly O'Gorman                              SUNY Cortland

OF          Allie Klonowski                                St. John Fisher College

OF          Arianna Papas                                 Russell Sage College

UT/P      Emily Trotman                                St. John Fisher College

DP or UT/Non-P              Allison O'Toole  Alfred University

DIVISION III - NORTHEAST REGION - SECOND TEAM

Position              Name                                                School

P             Charli Shinstine                Manhattanville College

P             Karlee Weeden                               SUNY Cortland

C             Cailey Cuttita                                   SUNY Cortland

1B          Haley Gaffney                                 Ithaca College

2B          Giovanna Liggett                            Manhattanville College

3B          Kayla Robert                                    Clarkson University

SS           Jayleen Torres                                 Manhattanville College

OF          Isela Casillas                                     Manhattanville College

OF          Julia Loffredo                                  Ithaca College

OF          Jen Carson                                        University of Rochester

UT/P      Taylor Dicranian                             Russell Sage College

DP or UT/Non-P              Rachel Evans      St. John Fisher College