AUSTIN, Texas --- Five Tusculum University student-athletes have been named to the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball Academic All-District® 3 team as selected by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA).
Earning Academic All-District® honors are Hannah Hughes, Kallyn Newport, Keylon Reynolds, Emily Sappington and Claire Smeltzer.
The 2023 Academic All-District® softball team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. All five advance to the Academic All-America® ballot with the winners being announced next month.
District 3 is comprised of colleges and universities representing the South Atlantic Conference, Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher, must be at least a sophomore and played in 50 percent of their team's games or pitch in 10 or more innings.
Hughes, a senior shortstop from Baxter, Tennessee, has a 4.00 GPA while majoring in business administration. She is a two-time recipient of the Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award and is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, President's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, Dean's List and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll. She has been named the recipient of the TU Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award on two occasions and is a two-time Easton / NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
Hughes started in all 49 games where she posted a .299 batting average while totaling 41 hits including seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 16 RBI. She posted 10 multiple-hit games and had an eight-game hitting streak in 2023.
Newport, a senior outfielder from Seymour, Tennessee, has a 3.86 GPA while majoring in elementary education. She is a member of the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, Dean's List, SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. She is a 2022 recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award and was an Easton / NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
She earned All-Conference third team honors this spring as she started in all 49 contests, leading the team in hits (60), doubles (17), sacrifice bunts (6) and stolen bases (23). Her 17 doubles are third in the league and 39th in NCAA Division II. She also finished second in the league in stolen bases and led the team with 38 runs scored and totaled 79 putouts with two outfield assists.
Reynolds, a junior pitcher from Kingston, Tennessee, boasts a 4.00 GPA as a biology and pre-medicine major. She is a member of the President's List, SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. She is a two-time recipient of the Tusculum Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award and the 2021 Freshman of the Year Academic Award. She has been named an Easton / NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete on two occasions and was a 2022 honoree for the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award.
Reynolds has made 25 appearances in the circle, including nine starts where she went 3-4 with a save and a pair of complete games. She recorded 48 strikeouts in her 62 innings while posting a 4.06 ERA.
Sappington, a senior pitcher from Ashburn, Virginia, posted a 3.65 GPA while majoring in elementary education. She is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. She is a two-time recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award and has been twice named an Easton / NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
She played in 37 games including 28 in the circle (9th in SAC) with 19 starts where she went 11-11 with three saves (4th in SAC / 34th in NCAA II), five shutouts (3rd in SAC) and 13 complete games. In her 116 innings, she recorded 134 strikeouts (5th in SAC) and finished with a 3.20 ERA. Her 8.1 strikeouts per seven innings pitched is third in the league and 33rd nationally. She batted .312 with 24 hits including four doubles, one home run and 17 RBI.
In her 81 career appearances, she has established Tusculum records with her 446 strikeouts and six saves.
Smeltzer, a junior outfielder from Smithfield, Virginia, is majoring in nursing and has a 3.70 GPA. She is 2022 recipient of the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award and has been twice named an Easton / NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. She is a member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List and the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
The 2021 SAC All-Tournament selection made 47 starts in the outfield where she led the team with her .371 batting average. She totaled 59 hits including 15 doubles (7th in SAC), one triple and a TU-best seven home runs. She also topped the squad with 41 RBI and 97 total bases. She made only one error in her 67 total fielding chances including a pair of outfield assists for her .985 fielding percentage. She led the team with 19 multiple-hit games and 12 multiple-RBI outings.
The 2023 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2022-23 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA national office.
