Three Gamecocks Named to Softball Academic All-District Team

AUSTIN, Texas. – University of South Carolina softball players Riley Blampied, Karsen Ochs, and Leah Powell were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® team Tuesday afternoon (May 16).

Blampied leads Carolina with 41 RBIs on the season, while hitting .278. The junior outfielder has hit seven home runs and 14 doubles, fourth most in the SEC. She also leads the team with a .512 slugging percentage.

Ochs, who graduated last week with her bachelor’s degree, leads the Gamecock pitching staff with 35 appearances on the season. She has a 3.07 ERA in 70 2-3 innings and a record of 7-6 with one save. She has struck out 49 batters while walking 12. Ochs ranks 49th in the nation in fewest walks allowed per 7 innings (1.19) and 61st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.08). She is also 14th in the nation for fewest hit batters.

Powell, a junior, is 2-2 with one save on the season in 21 appearances. She has a 3.58 ERA in 41 innings of work, striking out 17 batters.

All three players advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 6.

The 2023 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. Student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.