ROCHESTER, NY - The Empire 8 released its list of baseball all-conference honorees on Monday morning. The Utica University baseball team had four players receive recognition for their play in the 2025 season, with a player on each of the three all-conference teams in addition to one player achieving Utica's Sportsman of the Year Award, which is given out to one player on each team in the conference.


 
2025 All-Empire 8 First Team
 
#16 Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) | Junior | Relief Pitcher - Newton embraced a new role this season, quickly becoming the Pioneers' best option in clutch time as he adopted the closer moniker after just a few weeks. The junior righty racked up efficient appearances as he tore through opposing lineups to shut the door on many of the conference's top batters. As a closer, Newton gathered four wins, producing a 4-0 record, something that's incredibly difficult to do in his role as the closer normally enters with a lead late in the game. Instead, many times Newton entered the game with a tie on the scoreboard, or even with the Pioneers trailing late. In these situations, he thrived to the tune of a 1.5 ERA and 22 K's in his 18 innings pitched. The Pioneers' late-game leader allowed just 13 hits in his nine appearances, also grabbing two saves while allowing just four total runs. His pitching prowess will be something the Pioneers can lean on heading into next season, as his .200 opposing batting average generates a huge amount of hype for his senior year.


 
2025 All-Empire 8 Second Team
 
#25 Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) | Junior | Starting Pitcher - Watching Knabe toss this season, you wouldn't have known that he missed most of his sophomore year. The Pioneers' ace returned to form immediately upon re-entering the rotation at the start of the year. As the preferred starter for the squad, Knabe greatly improved the chances for victory during every game he appeared in. This is evidenced by the juniors sparkling 6-1 record, a record that was spotless all the way up until the final day of the season. Knabe used a 4.47 ERA and 30 K's to keep opponents at bay, but his true strength was his knowledge and ability to exploit the weakness of many opposing batters. While not striking out an outrageous amount of foes, the Pioneer pitcher managed to induce a large supply of soft contact, leading to droves of scoreless innings. In his 46.1 innings pitched, Knabe allowed just 23 earned runs, exciting marks for yet another Utica pitcher who still has his senior season ahead of him. Knabe also captured the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week Award for his initial outing of the season.


 
2025 All-Empire 8 Third Team
 
#41 Michael Flint (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) | Freshman | Utility - Flint fared extremely well in his first season with the program, slotting in at various different positions and providing a vast array of versatility in just his rookie year. The local product from Rome saw lots of action both in the lineup and on the mound for the team. At the plate, the Pioneer newcomer posted a .283 average, grabbing 17 hits and knocking in 12 RBIs. He also drew 10 walks to reach base a total of 28 times in his 24 games on offense. On the bump, Flint saw four appearances, throwing 12 total innings while allowing just nine earned runs. Flint pitched well in his two starts, providing more options for the Pioneers and showing good mental fortitude as a freshman picking up many different roles. The future looks bright for this Pioneer squad with a great rookie class headed up by Flint.


 
Utica Pioneers 2025 Empire 8 Baseball Sportsman of the Year
 
#24 Tom Ziskin (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) | Senior | Outfield - Ziskin completed his final season as a dual-athlete for the Pioneers, producing for both the baseball and football programs during his time at Utica. The speedy outfielder saw action in lots of high-pressure situations, usually being counted on to secure key runs in close games as a pinch runner. The Amsterdam native scored five crucial runs this year and provided lots of guidance to a relatively young roster. The senior's leadership will be missed, as numerous Pioneer underclassmen will have to fill the veteran void left by the speedster's graduation.


 
The Pioneers also grabbed many awards for individual performances during the season, racking up two weekly Pioneer awards and six weekly Empire 8 awards for a total of eight individual accolades. Four different players received the six total Empire 8 weekly honors during the season. Here is a list of all their accomplishments.
 
March 3rd - Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) | Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week

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March 10th - Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) | Empire 8 Rookie of the Week

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March 17th - Dean Ennis (Middle Island, NY/Longwood) | Empire 8 Rookie of the Week

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March 31st - Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale) | Empire 8 Player of the Week

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April 14th - Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) | Empire 8 Player of the Week

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May 5th - Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) | Empire 8 Player of the Week

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