College Sports Information Directors of America

2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Softball Teams release dates:

College Division Teams: PDF | doc
NCAA Division III Teams: PDF | doc
NCAA Division II Teams: Wed., May 24
NCAA Division I Teams: Thurs., May 25

Academic All-America Program Index Page

Amanda Lochte of Texas Lutheran Leads CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division III Softball Teams

AUSTIN, Texas – Senior pitcher Amanda Lochte of Texas Lutheran headlines the 2017 Academic All-America® Division III Softball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
 
An exercise science (pre-physical therapy) major with a 3.97 grade-point average, Lochte was selected as the winner of the CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® of the Year award for softball.
 
The CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2016-17 Division III Academic All-America® teams program.
 
A CoSIDA Academic All-America® second-team selection in 2016, Lochte is one of 11 individuals who have earned multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors among the 34 student-athletes selected to this year’s three teams.
 
Twenty of the 34 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® softball teams have a 3.90 or better G.P.A., with six achieving a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The 11 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division III softball first team maintain an average G.P.A of 3.89.
 
Lochte earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team honors this season, after being named to the second team last year. She earned National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-West Region honors this spring after posting a 15-2 record with two saves and a 1.39 ERA in 105.2 innings from the circle. Lochte ended her career with a 38-4 record and a program-best .905 winning percentage. She went 9-0 in conference play with a 1.07 ERA, and she had a win and a save in the SCAC Championship Tournament. She tossed a five-hit, complete-game shutout in the Bulldogs' title-clinching win over Southwestern.
 
A native of Fredericksburg, Texas, Lochte collected 73 strikeouts to 14 walks and allowed a .220 opponent batting average. She will attend the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in the doctor of physical therapy program.
 
TLU won the SCAC title, both regular-season and playoff, for the fourth straight season and finished with a 38-6 record, which included a school-record 38-game win streak. The Bulldogs made their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship and finished as the regional runner-up for a third time in four seasons.
 
Lochte has remained engaged in a variety of activities and projects outside of athletics, including internship opportunities with Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas; Mills and Associates Physical Therapy in Fredericksburg; Knopp Nursing Home and Assisted Living Center in Fredericksburg; Fredericksburg Physical Therapy and Guadalupe Regional Medical Center in Seguin, Texas.
 
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team honor is the second consecutive for Lebanon Valley senior outfielder Sammy Bost, who won the MAC Commonwealth’s regular-season batting title en route to her fourth consecutive NFCA All-East Region and All-Conference first-team honor this spring. A health science major (physical therapy) with a 3.90 G.P.A. from Eldersburg, Maryland, Bost led the Flying Dutchmen with a .442 batting average, 50 hits and a .471 on-base percentage this spring. She slugged .496 and scored 28 runs to go with 17 stolen bases and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in center field. Earlier this season, she broke the program's all-time hits record before being named the MAC Softball Senior-Scholar Athlete of the Year.
 
Worcester Polytechnic senior catcher Lindsay Gurska earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team honors for the second consecutive season in 2017. A biotechnology major with a 4.00 G.P.A. from Revere, Massachusetts, Gurska batted .319 with 36 hits, 22 RBI and 17 runs scored in 41 games. Behind the plate, she was successful on 213 of 214 total chances, including nine runners caught stealing, for a .995 fielding percentage. Last season, Gurska was named NEWMAC Player of the Year and All-New England, and won the Bonnie-Blanche Schoonover Award, which is given to one or more outstanding junior women students preparing for a career in engineering and science.
 
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® honor is the third for Hamline senior infielder Mary-Clare Couillard, who was named to the second team last year and the third team in 2015. A psychology/public health major with a 4.00 G.P.A. from Fridley, Minnesota, Couillard transitioned from second base to shortstop for her senior season and batted .391 with a team-high 19 walks. She struck out only three times in 139 plate appearances and finished her career as just the second Piper to record 200 career hits. Couillard earned her fourth straight All-MIAC selection and was named NFCA All-Midwest Region for the third consecutive year this spring.
 
Dominican (Ill.) senior infielder Alyssa Domico was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team this year after receiving second-team honors in 2016. A neuroscience major with a 4.00 G.P.A. from Naperville, Illinois, Domico started all 43 of the Stars’ games at first base and batted .320 with 26 RBI and 29 runs scored. She recently earned Dominican’s Senior Scholar Athlete award and was a finalist for the 2016 Diverse Magazine Arthur Ashe Jr. Diversity Award, combining her academic and athletic success with contributions to the community through leadership and service.
 
A pair of NFCA All-Atlantic Region honorees from Emory, senior outfielder Taylor Forte and senior pitcher Brittany File, repeated their CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors in 2017. A biology and mathematics double-major with a 3.69 G.P.A. from Pleasantville, New York, Forte was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team this spring after earning third-team distinction a year ago. She started all 38 games for the Eagles and led the conference in batting average (.436) and on-base percentage (.538) en route to All-UAA first-team honors. Forte led the team with 51 hits, 22 walks and 32 runs scored.
 
A neuroscience/behavioral biology and philosophy double-major with a 3.71 G.P.A., File followed last year’s CoSIDA Academic All-America® third-team honor with a second-team distinction this spring. A native of Carmel, California and a two-time All-UAA first-team selection, File ended the season with a 13-4 record, two saves and a 1.81 ERA in 26 appearances (13 starts). She allowed a .180 opponent batting average and struck out 157 batters in 116.1 innings pitched. Her average of 9.45 strikeouts per seven innings ranked 10th in Division III. File finished her career as the Eagles’ all-time wins leader with 76 (76-21 career record) and registered 24 games of 10 strikeouts or more.
 
Salisbury senior outfielder Caitlin Lake earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® second-team honors this season, after being named to the first team last year. An elementary education and early childhood education double-major with a 3.96 G.P.A. from Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, Lake batted .355 with 31 RBI and 35 runs scored, and was a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen-base attempts this spring. She started all 40 games for the Sea Gulls in center field, where she collected four assists.
 
A two-time NFCA All-Northeast Region honoree from Frederick, Maryland, Rensselaer Polytechnic junior outfielder Devan Puhl earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® second-team distinction this season and first-team honors in 2016. A biochemistry and biophysics double-major with a 3.94 G.P.A., Puhl started all 41 games for the Engineers and hit .350 with a team-leading 49 hits, 29 runs scored and nine sacrifice bunts.
 
A mathematics and biology double-major with a 3.98 G.P.A., Otterbein junior Maddie Flasco earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® second-team honors this season after making the third team in 2016. She started all 43 games at second base and batted .324 with 34 runs scored and 22 RBI for the 35-8 Cardinals. A native of Copley, Ohio, Flasco is a two-time All-OAC honoree.
 
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® third-team honor is the second consecutive for Aurora senior outfielder Laura Dierking, who is a criminal justice and business double-major with a 3.96 G.P.A. from Naperville, Illinois. She started all 44 games for the Spartans and batted .293 with a .353 on-base percentage and 24 RBI.
 
Other members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team include pitcher Madison Perez of Whitworth; infielders Jessica Long of Averett and Hope Shevchuk of Worcester Polytechnic; outfielder Stefanie Polderman of Texas-Dallas; and designated player Jayme Perez of East Texas Baptist.
 
Also on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team are pitcher Kassie Howard of Berry; catcher Madi Francis of Nebraska Wesleyan; infielders Emily Gorecki of Johnson & Wales (R.I.), Becky Guinto of Neumann, Sarah Moore of Berry and Anna Strien of Luther; outfielder Laura Finke of Thomas More; and designated player Megan Wade of Anderson (Ind.).
 
Rounding out the CoSIDA Academic All-America® third team are pitchers Haley Broomell of Neumann and Holly Haberkorn of Benedictine; catcher Janae Matos of Moravian; infielders Taylor Arends of Washington (Mo.), Mary Caron of Southern Maine, Mara Forsyth of Wartburg and Shannon Stricker of Scranton; outfielders Kaylee Prather of Texas-Tyler and Jackie Schneider of Neumann; and designated player Cassie Ruscz of Tufts.

 
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jeff Schwartz, North Dakota State University
Academic All-America® Co-Director for Publicity/Communications
Jeff.Schwartz@ndsu.edu
(701) 231-8332
 
Ryan Klinkner, Saint John’s University
Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity
rklinkner@csbsju.edu
(320) 363-3127