Softball | 5/12/2026 10:00:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Junior infielder Taylor Shackleton headlined the St. John Fisher softball team's haul of Empire 8 honors for the 2026 season as the conference's Player of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday morning. The Cardinals have had the Empire 8 Player of the Year in each of the last three seasons.
Shackleton also earned first-team All-Empire 8 honors alongside freshman infielder Sarah Gross, junior outfielder Emily McManus and junior pitcher Molly Kuhn. Fisher added two second-team All-E8 selections in senior catcher Isabella Mahar and senior infielder Madi Rose, and junior outfielder/pitcher CC Holmes garnered third-team honors.
Additionally, freshman infielder Sydney Medeiros was selected as St. John Fisher's representative on the conference's Tomorrow's Leader Team. The Tomorrow's Leaders Team recognizes one student-athlete from each Empire 8 institution who has demonstrated leadership in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.
The ninth player in program history to be named Empire 8 Player of the Year, Shackleton led the Cardinals this season with a .433 batting average, .807 slugging percentage and a 1.286 OPS. She led the Empire 8 with 65 total hits, 20 doubles, 12 home runs, 58 runs batted in and 121 total bases. She set St. John Fisher single-season records in doubles and RBI. Shackleton, a three-time All-Empire 8 honoree, reached base safely in all but three of the Cardinals' 43 games. She also led the team and finished second in the Empire 8 in runs scored, crossing home plate 47 times.
Gross enjoyed an impressive freshman campaign, finishing with 63 hits, including eight doubles, a team-high four triples and a home run, while batting .394 with 32 RBI. On the base paths, she scored 45 runs and led the Cardinals with eight stolen bases on nine attempts. She posted a .972 fielding percentage defensively at third base, recording 44 putouts and 59 assists while making only three errors on 106 errors.
A first-team All-Empire 8 honoree for the third straight year, McManus missed a considerable amount of time due to an injury but still posted nearly a season's worth of production. Over 26 games, the slugger barreled eight home runs and four doubles while batting .519 with a 1.037 slugging percentage and a .617 on-base percentage. She finished fourth on the team with 29 RBI and led the Cardinals with 25 walks.
Kuhn, a first-time All-Empire 8 selection, became a reliable ace for the Cardinals' pitching staff this season. She finished with a 2.88 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and an 18-5 record, including a 13-3 mark in conference play. She amassed 134 strikeouts and issued only 13 walks over 153.1 innings.
Mahar had a breakout senior season, batting .320 with 41 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI. She threw out 11 runners attempting to steal and recorded 19 assists behind the plate.
Rose finished the year batting .270 with 40 hits, all but one of them singles, and 11 RBI. She scored 35 runs and stole five bases. The three-time All-Empire 8 honoree registered a .986 fielding percentage, the top mark on the team (min. 60 chances), amassing 85 putouts and 58 assists while playing second base. She committed just two errors.
Holmes batted .355 with 50 hits – including 12 doubles and six homers – and drove in 33 runs, the second most RBI on the team. In the circle, she worked 70.2 innings and posted a 6-5 record. Holmes also saw action in the outfield, recording 43 putouts and 22 assists with just six errors on 71 chances.
