By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Four softball players from Willamette University have been chosen for the 2023 NCAA Division III Academic All-District Softball Team, as voted by the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA). Willamette's Academic All-District selections were Adele Benny (Sr., OF, Bee Cave, TX/Lake Travis HS), Sophia Lucio (So., OF, Martinez, CA/College Park HS), Mia Lund (Jr., OF, Omaha, NE/Westside HS), and Alexandra Richards (So., OF, Bellevue, WA/Newport HS).
All of the Academic All-District selections are eligible for the College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-America Softball Team, which will be announced on June 6. Players nominated for the CSC All-District Team were starters or key reserves with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Each nominated student-athlete was at their current college or university for at least one academic year.
Willamette finished the 2023 season with a 16-22 overall record, including 11-17 in the Northwest Conference to tie for fifth place. The Bearcats averaged 4.63 runs per game while hitting 99 extra-base hits with 81 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs. Willamette was 48 of 57 on stolen bases. The pitching staff struck out 183 batters in 249 innings.
NCAA Division III Academic All-District
Adele Benny (Sr., OF) competed in 20 games and made 12 starts in 2023. She scored 10 runs and was 6 for 6 on stolen bases. She hit one double this spring and has three doubles and a homer in her career. On defense, she contributed 17 putouts, one assist, and just one error for a .947 fielding percentage in 2023. Benny played in 88 games in her career with 50 starts. While playing for Willamette, she has been successful on 23 of 26 stolen base attempts. Her career statistics also include 35 runs scored. Benny graduated this spring with a major in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Public Health. She achieved a 3.58 cumulative GPA through the 2022 fall semester.
Sophia Lucio (So., OF) played in 28 games this year and hit .217 with 12 runs scored. She was 6 of 7 on stolen bases. Lucio owns a career .286 batting average with 30 runs. During her two years with the Bearcats, she has gone 22 of 23 on stolen bases. She batted .440 in 2022 with 11 hits in 25 at bats while earning a .481 on-base percentage. When not starting, she has been a key substitute as a pinch-hitter, pinch-runner, and outfielder. Lucio, who held a 3.868 cumulative GPA through the fall of 2022, is majoring in Politics, Policy, Law and Ethics with minors in Sociology and Public Health.
Mia Lund (Jr., OF) hit .276 this season with 10 doubles, four homers, 17 runs, and 21 RBIs. She played in 38 games with 36 starts and was 9 of 11 on stolen bases. This spring, she earned a .975 fielding percentage with 75 putouts, three assists, and two errors, while playing mostly in the outfield. She owns a .317 career batting average with 22 doubles, three triples, and eight homers. She batted .342 in 2021. Lund has a .386 career on-base percentage. On defense, she has a .933 career fielding percentage. Lund is double majoring in Global Cultural Studies and Spanish. Her cumulative GPA was 3.741 through the 2022 fall semester.
Alexandra Richards (So., OF) competed in 20 games in 2022-23 and has played in 53 games over the past two seasons. This spring, she scored seven runs and provided two RBIs while going 3 for 3 on stolen bases. She earned 18 putouts, two assists, and one error on defense for a .952 fielding percentage. She owns a .975 career fielding percentage with 70 putouts, three assists, and just two errors. Richards is majoring in Civic Communication and Media. She held a 3.567 cumulative GPA at the end of the fall semester.
