By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tennessee Tech softball team improved by leaps and bounds on the diamond this past season, but the Golden Eagles were also hard at work in the classroom. Their efforts paid off as Tech received No. 25 standing in NCAA Division I as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association released its top GPAs as well as collecting 15 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selections on Tuesday.
The players selected included Carmen Betts, Olivia Evans, Mac Fitzgerald, Meaghan Houk, Jordan Key, Sydney Kirby, Abbee Klinefelter, Brooklin Richardson, Ashlyn Riggs, Alina Schlageter, Abby Shoulders, Bailee Stack, Brooklyn Stewart, S.J. Talley and Emily York.
"I couldn't be prouder of our student-athletes," said Tech softball head coach Danielle Penner. "The effort these young ladies put in both on the field and in the classroom has been incredible. They have dedicated themselves to bringing success to our program in all phases and they did just that. There's always room to grow further and I'm confident that this is just the first step.
"These ladies couldn't have done it without the support and the effort of our Academic Support staff – especially Dr. Samantha Bates, who oversees our student-athletes – as well as the faculty and staff at the University. They have all been behind us every step of the way and strive to help make our student-athletes reach their potential."
Across the Ohio Valley Conference, Eastern Illinois had 14 selections, Lindenwood 15, Southeast Missouri 17, SIUE 11, Tennessee State 8 and UT Martin 7.
In all, 8,054 student-athletes were selected for Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for the 2023-24 academic year across all levels with 2,573 NCAA Division I student-athletes posting a 3.5 GPA or better.
As a team, the Golden Eagles posted a 3.659 cumulative grade point average to place 25th out of 164 teams recognized. Tech was the highest OVC team in the Easton/NFCA list, while Lindenwood was tied for 37th with a 3.62, Eastern Illinois was tied for 64th with a 3.56, Southeast Missouri was tied for 75th with a 3.54, Tennessee State was 114th with a 3.436, SIUE was 133rd with a 3.368.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
