Five Softball Players Named Academic All-District
AUSTIN, Texas – Five South Carolina softball players were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Softball team Tuesday (May 27). Sam Gress, Nealy Lamb, Arianna Rodi, Emily Vinson, and Lexi Winters earned the honor that recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom.
Vinson earns her third Academic All-District® honor of her career, while Rodi and Winters earned their second.
Gress, Rodi, and Winters were selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 17.
The right-handed pitching Gress adds to her season accolades after earning her third NFCA All-Region honor earlier this season. She has a 3.83 GPA while pursuing her graduate degree in sport and entertainment management. She was drafted by the Florida Vibe of the Fastpitch United Pro Series. She was also named to the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team. A graduate student, she led the SEC and is 13th in the nation with five saves. She also leads the team with five complete games. Gress is second on the team with 14 wins, 104 strikeouts, and a 2.83 ERA. On the season, she finished with has 44 appearances over 150 2-3 innings with one shutout.
Lamb, a right-handed pitcher, is majoring in public health and has a 4.0 GPA. The sophomore ended her first season with the Gamecocks third on the team with a 10-3 record. She had a 3.26 ERA, striking out 81 batters over 73 innings pitched. She struck out a season-high seven batters in back-to-back games against Saint Francis and Georgia State. Against rival Clemson, she earned the win after tossing five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and struck out four Tigers.
Rodi adds to her remarkable first season in Columbia after earning NFCA All-Region Second Team honors. The junior first baseman carries a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in services management. She set a pair of South Carolina records with 17 home runs and 49 walks, and her 55 RBIs are third all-time. She hit a home run in five straight games, which is tied for the 14th longest streak in NCAA Division I history. Her 37 game on-base streak was the fourth longest streak in Division I this season.
An outfielder, Vinson is a psychology and has a 4.0 GPA. In her lone season with Carolina, the senior started 60 games. She led the team with nine stolen bases. She batted .202 with 24 runs scored, 11 RBIs, and two home runs. Vinson drove in a season-high three runs in a win over Kentucky.
Winters, a junior catcher, has a 4.0 GPA and majors in economics. She played in all 61 games, starting 59 behind the dish. She previously was named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team. Winters was second on the team with 53 RBIs, which ranks tied for fifth all-time in program history. Her six home runs and .527 slugging percentage are also second on the team. She had a .331 batting average with 13 doubles for the season. Behind the plate she threw out eight attempted base stealers.
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.
