2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Softball Teams release dates:
College Division Teams: PDF | doc
NCAA Division III Teams: PDF | doc
NCAA Division II Teams: PDF | doc
NCAA Division I Teams: PDF | doc
Academic All-America Program Index Page
Kasey Cooper of Auburn Headlines CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division I Softball Teams
Kasey Cooper
Auburn
AUSTIN, Texas – Senior outfielder Kasey Cooper of Auburn University headlines the 2017 Academic All-America® Division I softball team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A mechanical engineering major with a 3.97 G.P.A., Cooper also is a three-time first-team Academic All-America® honoree, having previously made the top squad in 2015 and 2016.
A native of Dothan, Alabama, Cooper holds the Southeastern Conference record for career RBI (269) and is one of only two student-athletes in SEC history with 250 hits and 250 RBI in her career. She led Auburn to NCAA Women’s College World Series appearances the past two seasons, reaching the semifinals in 2015 and finishing as the national runner-up in 2016.
This season, Cooper has helped the Tigers to their third consecutive NCAA Super Regional berth, batting .311 while ranking among the SEC leaders in home runs (10), RBI (45), on-base percentage (.484), slugging percentage (.578) and walks (49).
A three-time All-American and recipient of the 2016 NCAA Elite 90 Award, Cooper was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) second-team all-Southeast Region selection this season, becoming the first four-time all-region honoree in school history. She also was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season and was a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, while earning second-team all-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team accolades this year, her fourth consecutive all-conference citation and third all-defensive honor in a row.
Nearly half (16) of the 33 members on the 2017 Academic All-America® NCAA Division I softball teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., with six student-athletes recording a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. The 11 members of this year’s Academic All-America® NCAA Division I softball first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.87.
In addition to being this year’s Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year, Cooper is among a group of 10 student-athletes who have earned multiple Academic All-America® citations. The other repeat Academic All-America® student-athletes in 2017 are University of Utah senior infielder Hannah Flippen, Southern Illinois University senior infielder Shaye Harre, University of Florida junior infielder Kayli Kvistad, Murray State University graduate student infielder Jessica Twaddle, University of Alabama graduate student pitcher Sydney Littlejohn, Charlotte junior infielder Haley Pace, University of Oklahoma junior pitcher Paige Parker, Oklahoma State University junior catcher Vanessa Shippy and University of Louisiana senior infielder Kassidy Zeringue.
Parker received her second consecutive first-team honor, while Pace and Shippy moved up to the first team this season after receiving third-team recognition last year (Shippy made the third team as an infielder in 2016). Twaddle moved up to the first team this year after receiving third-team honors in 2015. Flippen and Kvistad collected second-team accolades this year after garnering first-team selections last season (Kvistad was a first-team choice as designated player in 2016). Both Littlejohn and Zeringue are second-team honorees for the second year in a row, while Harre earned third-team recognition this season following her second-team selection in 2016.
The Academic All-America® Division I softball first team features six student-athletes with a G.P.A. of 3.90 or higher, including one (Pace) with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A.
Florida sophomore pitcher Kelly Barnhill joined Parker in earning the nod as the pitchers on the Academic All-America® first team, with Shippy serving as the battery mate on the first team.
Along with Cooper, Pace and Twaddle, the other member of the Academic All-America® first-team infield is Marshall University senior Morgan Zerkle, while University of Illinois senior Nicole Evans, Louisiana senior Haley Hayden and University of Dayton senior Gabrielle Snyder completed the first-team outfield. Campbell University senior Amber Schisler also made the Academic All-America® first team as its designated player.
The Academic All-America® second team is led by two-time selection Flippen, Kvistad, Littlejohn and Zeringue. Louisiana senior Alex Stewart joins Littlejohn (who has a spotless 4.0 graduate G.P.A.) in the second-team circle, throwing to University of Missouri senior catcher Kirsten Mack.
Flippen, Kvistad and Zeringue make up three-quarters of the Academic All-America® second-team infield that also features Baylor University graduate student Lindsey Cargill. The second-team outfield includes another student-athlete with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. in Alabama graduate student Chandler Dare, Michigan State University junior Lea Foerster and University of Kentucky senior Breanne Ray, while Marist College junior Gabrielle Kelliher is the second-team designated player.
Three other student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. — Houston Baptist University senior outfielder Cecilia Bauer, Belmont University senior outfielder Shersty Stanton and Michigan State junior pitcher Kristina Zalewski — lead the Academic All-America® third team. Zalewski and University of Minnesota senior Sara Groenewegen are the third-team pitchers, while University of Albany senior Elizabeth Snow is the group’s catcher.
Two-time Academic All-America® selection Harre headlines the third-team infield. Along with Harre, University of Tennessee junior Meghan Gregg, UNCW senior Lauren Moore and University of North Texas senior Kelli Schkade complete the four-player unit.
Bauer and Stanton join Florida State University junior Morgan Klaevemann as outfielders who earned Academic All-America® third-team honors this year, while University of South Carolina senior Victoria Williams rounds out the 2017 third team as its designated player.
Eleven members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division I Softball teams will continue play in the NCAA Super Regionals that begin Thursday, May 25, at eight sites around the country. The list includes Florida’s Barnhill and Kvistad, Oklahoma’s Parker, Auburn’s Cooper, Alabama’s Littlejohn and Dare, Baylor’s Cargill, Utah’s Flippen, Kentucky’s Ray, Tennessee’s Gregg and Florida State’s Klaevemann.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jeff Schwartz, North Dakota State University
Academic All-America® Committee – Co-Director for Publicity/Communications
jeff.schwartz@ndsu.edu
(701) 231-8332
Chris Masters, Big Ten Conference
Academic All-America® Committee – Coordinator of Publicity
cmasters@bigten.org
(847) 696-1010, ext. 146