Softball Lands Eight E8 All-Conference Selections

HILTON, NY (nazathletics.com) - Nazareth Softball earned eight 2026 Empire 8 All-Conference selections, the league announced Tuesday morning. The Golden Flyers finished the 2026 season with a program record 25 wins, including 17 in E8 action.

Alexis Brown and Ashley Bell highlighted Nazareth's honorees with first-team nods, while Haleigh Suitor and Madison Hicks landed on the second team. Morgan Russo, Bryanna Moroughan and Kaijah Alexander rounded out the selections with third-team distinctions. Maddy Spakoski also represented the Golden Flyers on the Tomorrow's Leaders Team.

Freshman right fielder Alexis Brown delivered a standout rookie campaign for Nazareth, setting a new program record with 30 stolen bases and leading the Empire 8 with a .491 batting average. Brown ranks second in the conference with a .521 on-base percentage and sixth with a 1.086 OPS. She also sits among the top 10 student-athletes in the league in runs scored, hits and stolen bases. The freshman recorded at least one hit in 30 games while registering 18 multi-hit contests and collecting 25 RBI.

Senior second baseman Ashley Bell concludes her Nazareth career with her first Empire 8 All-Conference selection after being named the Golden Flyers' Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year last season. Bell ranks seventh in the conference with a .416 batting average and 10th with a 1.037 OPS. She also ranks 11th in on-base percentage at .453 and 15th in slugging percentage at .584. Bell recorded 11 multi-hit games in her final season and totaled 14 RBI, eight doubles and five stolen bases.

Junior left fielder Haleigh Suitor earned her second Empire 8 All-Conference honor after being named to last year's first team. She ranks fourth in the conference with a team-best 14 doubles and added four home runs this spring. Suitor sits among the top 20 players in the Empire 8 with a .383 batting average, .586 slugging percentage, 1.009 OPS, 34 runs scored, 49 hits and 32 RBI. The junior recorded at least one hit in 27 games, including 15 contests with two or more hits.

Sophomore designated player Madison Hicks picked up her second straight Empire 8 All-Conference selection after earning third-team honors as a designated player last season. Hicks posted a .322 batting average and .904 OPS this spring for the Golden Flyers, recording 37 hits and 21 RBI. The sophomore ranks 11th in the conference with six home runs and 16th with 10 doubles. Hicks notched eight multi-hit games, including three contests with three hits.

Junior first baseman Morgan Russo collected her second consecutive Empire 8 All-Conference nod after being named to the first team last spring. Russo finished her third season in a Nazareth uniform ranked third in the conference with 10 home runs, fourth with 43 RBI and fifth with a .662 slugging percentage. The junior also ranks eighth in the Empire 8 with a 1.065 OPS. Russo registered 13 multi-hit games this year, including a season-best 3-for-3 performance with six RBI against Hartwick, April 3.

Freshman shortstop Bryanna Moroughan excelled in her first collegiate season with Nazareth, ranking among the top 10 student-athletes in the conference in nine offensive categories. She led the league with nine triples, tying the Golden Flyers' single-season record. Moroughan ranks fifth in the Empire 8 in on-base percentage (.480), OPS (1.114) and RBI (42). The freshman's .418 batting average, .634 slugging percentage, 39 runs scored, 56 hits and 16 stolen bases also rank among the top 10 in the conference. Moroughan added 20 multi-hit games, eight doubles and one home run.

Sophomore third baseman Kaijah Alexander earned her second consecutive Empire 8 All-Conference distinction. The 2025 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and first-team honoree tallied a .331 batting average and 1.007 OPS in her second season. The California native ranks eighth in the conference with 36 RBI and seven home runs while sitting ninth with 17 walks. Alexander became Nazareth's career home run leader this spring with 22 long balls through just two seasons.

Senior right fielder and designated player Maddy Spakoski represents the Golden Flyers on the Empire 8 Tomorrow's Leaders Team. 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 sportsperson.

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Players Mentioned

#19 Kaijah Alexander: P/IF; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#8 Ashley Bell: P/IF; 5' 2"; Senior

#22 Madison Hicks: P/IF; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#5 Morgan Russo: IF; 5' 6"; Junior

#7 Maddy Spakoski: OF; 5' 10"; Senior

#23 Haleigh Suitor: OF; 5' 8"; Junior

#29 Alexis Brown: OF; 5' 1"; Freshman

#2 Bryanna Moroughan: IF; 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#19 Kaijah Alexander
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: P/IF

#8 Ashley Bell
: 5' 2"; Senior
: P/IF

#22 Madison Hicks
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: P/IF

#5 Morgan Russo
: 5' 6"; Junior
: IF

#7 Maddy Spakoski
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OF

#23 Haleigh Suitor
: 5' 8"; Junior
: OF

#29 Alexis Brown
: 5' 1"; Freshman
: OF

#2 Bryanna Moroughan
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: IF