FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SIX PANTHERS NAMED TO ESPN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT BASEBALL & SOFTBALL TEAMS

ORANGE, Calif. –  Four Chapman University softball players and two baseball players have been named to their respective ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII teams, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The Panther women, in fact, cleaned house as all four players that were nominated were honored, making up exactly one-third (four of 12) of the All-District team.

Seniors Maggie Wilder and Sandra Burns highlight the softball foursome. Wilder, a RHP, finished the season 15-4 with a 1.32 ERA, six shutouts and a career-high 139 strikeouts. She graduated with a 3.47 GPA in communications. The honor is the second for Burns, who batted .313 with nine doubles and 24 RBI in the outfield for Chapman. She finished her collegiate career with a 3.78 GPA as a double-major in accounting and finance.

Junior IF Catherine Hall was the Panthers’ team leader in home runs (7), slugging (.534) and RBI (41), while batting .328 and maintaining a 3.63 GPA in journalism. Sophomore OF Erin Dudzinski led Chapman in batting (.401), doubles (14) and stolen bases (15) and has a 3.53 GPA in marketing.

All four academic honorees were also named to the NFCA All-West Region team earlier this month.

Two members of Chapman’s West Region champion baseball team earned academic honors, as well. Junior IF Kyle Redding had a breakout junior season, batting .340 with nine doubles and 32 runs scored. He is an accounting major with a 3.52 GPA. Likewise, sophomore C Matt Pearson performed well in his first year as the Panthers’ starting backstop, batting .286 with four home runs and 23 RBI, while maintaining a 3.70 GPA in business. It is a first time honor for both.

The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000 member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, student-athletes must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports. Chapman is a member of the District VIII College Division, which includes Division II, III and NAIA schools from throughout the Western United States.

 
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