GENESEO, N.Y. - The Empire 8 announced its softball All-Conference awards on Tuesday, May 12, and junior pitcher Gabriella Petroski earned Pitcher of the Year honors, while the coaching staff, led by head coach Rosie Phillips, brought home Coaching Staff of the Year recognition. Bella Nadzan, Brooke Fraas, Ray Schumacher, and Petroski picked up First-Team honors, Nevaeh Ross and Emily Sylvanus landed Second-Team recognition, while Lauren Babich and Molly Griffin rounded out the awards on Third-Team. Additionally, Schumacher was named to the Tomorrow's Leaders Team for the Knights.

Petroski, a junior hurler from Lancaster, NY, finished the season with a 16-4 overall record, 2.92 earned run average and 1.17 WHIP to go along with 121 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings pitched. Petroski was an incredible 12-1 in league play with a 1.77 earned run average, 0.94 WHIP, 11 complete games and 91 strikeouts in 79 innings. Petroski threw a no-hitter with a career-high 16 strikeouts Elmira on April 23.

Phillips, in her first season with the Knights, and assistant coaches David Sylvester, Martha Martin, Alexandra Koutsogiannis and Jeff Kramarz led SUNY Geneseo to a 19-3 mark in league play, regular season title and right to host the E8 Championship Tournament in 2026. The Knights finished 30-11 overall and had four All-Empire 8 first team selections and eight players garner All-E8 accolades.

Joining Petroski on First-Team All-Conference, are infielders Fraas, Nadzan and Schumacher. Fraas earned the First-Team honor at shortstop, leading the Knights in batting average on the season at .430, and setting the new program record for runs scored. Nadzan was at second base for Geneseo, boasting a .356 batting average, while Schumacher played third with a .367 average and a team-best 16 doubles. Nevaeh Ross and Emily Sylvanus added Second-Team honors, with Ross at pitcher recording a 2.61 ERA and Sylvanus in the outfield with an on-base percentage of .469. Molly Griffin and Lauren Babich rounded out the honors on Third-Team, with Griffin tying the program record for home runs in a season at 10, and Babich recording a team best 38 RBIs.

One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2026 Softball Tomorrow's Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they "compete with honor and integrity" and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding leaders of sportsmanship, and Schumacher earned that honor for the Knights.

Full press release from the Empire 8