BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 11, 2015) - On Friday, Head Softball Coach Jamie Apicella announced the name of his team captain for the 2016 season, and LIU Post senior first baseman/designated player Paige Swantek (Smithtown, N.Y.) received the honor.

Through three seasons with the Pioneers, Swantek has started in all 173 games, hitting .316 (174-of-550) with 24 home runs and 112 runs batted in. She has also collected 78 runs scored, 39 walks and 38 doubles from 2013-15.

"Since Paige has walked onto the campus of LIU Post, she has led this team by example for four years and is a young woman that always has shown that she genuinely cares about her teammates, both on and off the field," said Apicella. "She has been a student-athlete who has exemplified the core values of our team and is proud to have donned the LIU Post uniform throughout her career. Paige has performed at a high level, both in the classroom and on the softball field, always working to be at her best. She is an outstanding role model for a core of young players, and truly puts her teammates first while being an extension of the coaching staff. It is no surprise that her teammates voted her captain. It has been an honor to be her coach and we both want to exhaust every effort to have Paige enjoy her last year at LIU Post and have a great experience one last time with her teammates."

Swantek has earned All-East Coast Conference in each of her three years in Brookville. Additionally, she has twice been recognized as a Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Region player and earned Academic All-America third-team accolades from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in 2015.

Swantek and the Pioneers open the 2016 campaign on Sunday, Mar. 6 at the PFX Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.