Softball 5/11/2022 10:00:00 AM

Trio of Major Award Winners Highlights Softball’s MAAC Awards Haul

Highlighted by three major award winners, a total of five members of the Canisius softball team were recognized as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced its end-of-year awards on Wednesday.

Graduate outfielder Erin Hufford was named the MAAC Player of the Year. Sophomore Megan Giese was the league's unanimous selection as MAAC Pitcher of the Year and freshman Saige Alfaro was named the circuit's Co-Rookie of the Year.

Sophomore catcher Gianna Fazzolari joined the trio as an All-MAAC First Team selection while freshman Rosie Gomez was an MAAC All-Rookie Team pick along with Alfaro.

A native of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Hufford was named the MAAC Player of the Year and an All-MAAC First Team pick following a regular season that saw her pace the league with a .399 batting average, 29 stolen bases and a .452 on-base percentage while ranking in the top six in the league in both hits (57) and runs scored (32). Hufford posted 16 multi-hit performances during the 2022 season, highlighted by seven three-hit outings. Hufford also stole multiple bases in a game on eight occasions, with four of those efforts coming against league competition. Hufford is the seventh player in program history to be named the Player of the Year and first since Lindsey Silfer in 2016.

Giese garnered MAAC Pitcher of the Year and All-MAAC First Team honors after dominating the competition from the circle during the 2022 campaign, pacing the league with a 1.67 ERA, 11 wins, 14 complete games, 5 shutouts and a 6.32 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. One of only four pitchers in program history to throw multiple no-hitters in a single season, Giese struck out five or more batters in 15 of her 27 appearances, including a career-high 15 punchouts against Manhattan on April 30. The Buffalo, N.Y., native's 157 strikeouts this season are the seventh most by a Canisius pitcher in a single campaign and the highest single-season total for a Griffs hurler since 2010. She becomes the sixth pitcher to earn this honor in Canisius history, the first since Juliette Bowers in 2008.

Alfaro earned MAAC Rookie of the Year, All-MAAC First Team and MAAC All-Rookie Team distinction following a regular season that saw her place third in the league with a .382 batting average and 10th with 50 base hits. A native of Chula Vista, Calif., Alfaro was two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week selection who ranked third on the squad in both slugging percentage (.450) and total bases (59) and was second on the team with 53 defensive assists. Alfaro is just the fourth freshman in school history to earn the Rookie of the Year award, joining Beckie Murphy (2002), Lauren Hope (2008) and Erika Mackie (2015).

Fazzolari was named All-MAAC First Team after a sophomore campaign that saw her lead the Canisius lineup with 37 RBI, eight home runs, a .522 slugging percentage and 71 total bases, placing her among the top nine players in the MAAC in all four categories. As the team's primary catcher, the Newfane, N.Y., native guided a pitching staff that combined to post a league-low 2.80 ERA and a league-best 267 strikeouts. Defensively, Fazzolari turned in a .990 fielding percentage, committing just three errors in a team-high 292 chances.

Gomez garnered MAAC All-Rookie Team distinction after appearing in 32 games during the 2022 season, posting a .297 batting average, 19 hits, two doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI. A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Gomez recorded multiple hits in three contests, including a 4-for-5 effort that included four RBI in Canisius' 14-8 victory versus North Carolina Central on Feb. 26.

This is the second time in program history that Canisius has won three major awards in a season. In 2008, Katie Miranto, Bowers and Hope earned Player, Pitcher and Rookie of the Year honors, respectively.

The four All-MAAC First Team selections are the most since Canisius earned five in 2010 and the pair of All-Rookie Team selections are the most in program history in a single season.

Canisius (29-16, 16-4 MAAC) claimed the program's 15th regular-season title and earned the right to host the 2022 MAAC Softball Championship, scheduled for May 11-14 at the Demske Sports Complex. The top-seeded Griffs open the championship Thursday against the winner of the opening-round contest between No. 4 seed Rider and No. 5 seed Marist in a 1:30 p.m., contest. The game will air live on ESPN+.

For complete coverage of Canisius softball, please follow @griffssoftball on Instagram and Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Gianna Fazzolari: C/INF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#17 Megan Giese: P/INF; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

#1 Erin Hufford: OF; 5' 6"; Graduate Student; L/L

#15 Saige Alfaro: INF; 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R

#42 Rosie Gomez: INF; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Gianna Fazzolari
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: C/INF

#17 Megan Giese
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: P/INF

#1 Erin Hufford
: 5' 6"; Graduate Student; L/L
: OF

#15 Saige Alfaro
: 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R
: INF

#42 Rosie Gomez
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: INF