CORTLAND, N.Y.- The State University of New York (SUNYAC) is excited to announce this year's top award winners for softball.  The awards include Player, Pitcher, Coach and Rookie of the Year as well as all-conference selections that were voted on by the conference coaches. 

Player of the Year: Niki Barbato, Cortland 

Barbato, a senior from East Meadow, closed out her collegiate career in tremendous fashion.  The Red Dragon outfielder started and played all thirty-six of her team's games and led the team in hits (44), RBI (30), and average (.407).  Barbato was tied for the team lead with four home runs and was third on the team in runs.  In the field, Barbato procured a dazzling .976 fielding percentage with one outfield assist.  Her outstanding season helped the Red Dragons garner a 26-11 overall record, including a 14-4 mark in-conference. In the championship tournament, Barbato had five hits and four RBI over four games to help Cortland to the SUNYAC title. She was also one of four outfielders to be named first-team all-conference.

Pitcher of the Year: Jamie Lachall, Cortland 

The Red Dragons ace, Lachall put together an excellent senior campaign. The Philadelphia, PA native was the anchor for Cortland's staff. She led the SUNYAC in ERA (2.15) and was tied for third in wins (12).  Lachall accounted for nearly half of Cortland's 29 wins this season.  She picked up key wins down the stretch against in-conference opponents Plattsburgh (4/15), Oneonta (4/22), and Geneseo (4/29) to lock up Cortland's #1 seed in the SUNYAC championship. In the conference championship tournament, Lachall went 2-1 and pitched 12 1/3 innings to propel Cortland to their third straight SUNYAC title. She was also named first-team all-conference, one of three pitchers to earn this honor.

Co-Rookie of the Year: Katie Yudin, Fredonia

Yudin started her SUNYAC career off with a strong rookie season.  The Liverpool native played in thirty-six of Fredonia's games this season and was near the top of the team's leaders in statistics.  This included third in average (.333), second in hits (35), and fourth in RBI (10).  The freshman also showed her prowess in the circle, leading the team in wins and innings pitched.  Yudin went on a tear on April 22 & 23; in two doubleheaders against Brockport and Geneseo, she registered ten hits, inlcuding two doubles, and pitched 16 1/3 innings for the Blue Devils during this stretch.  The versatile freshman will be a key player for Fredonia in the coming years.  

Co-Rookie of the Year: Haleigh Agans, Plattsburgh

The Cardinals got a huge offensive boost from the freshman Agans.  In thirty-five games this season, the Brasher Falls native led the Cardinals in many statistical categories. Agans also was tied for the conference lead in home runs and was second in slugging percentage.  She was extremely solid in the field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Agans had an outstanding championship tournament for the Cardinals.  In their first game, Agans knocked a walk-off double to give Plattsburgh the win over Buffalo State. Against Oswego, Agans hit a decisive, two-run homerun to defeat the Lakers.  She finished the tournament with eight hits, ten RBI, and two homeruns.

Sandra Hollander Coach of the Year: Abby Martin, Oswego

Martin wins her first coach of the year award in only her second year coaching the Lakers.  She improved on her in-conference wins total by four this year, going 11-7 against SUNYAC competition. These included two momentous wins against Brockport on April 29 that pushed the Lakers up in conference standing. Martin's tutelage produced two all-conference selections for Oswego (Ashley Lyman, Rebecca Vilchez) and helped them clinch the #2 seed in the conference tournament. The Lakers were able to defeat New Paltz in the first round before falling by one run to both Plattsburgh and Cortland.  Martin is poised to build on this season's success, as the Lakers return fourteen of their seventeen current players for 2018. 

2017 SUNYAC Softball All-Conference Teams (PDF)