Five Tigers Earn 2025 Softball Academic All-District Awards
| 2025 CSC Academic All-District Softball Team |
SPRINGFIELD, OH — Five Wittenberg softball student-athletes, including Rebekah Giel (Amelia, OH / West Clermont), Julie Hall (Powell, OH / Bishop Watterson), Lilly James (Troy, OH / Troy), Meghan McCans (Arcanum, OH / Arcanum), and Kirsten Wright (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge), were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division III Academic All-District Softball Team for the 2025 season, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The CSC Academic All-District Team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. To earn CSC Academic All-District distinction, student-athletes must be a sophomore or above in class standing with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 while meeting athletic participation requirements.
In softball, pitchers must have pitched at least 25 innings or appear in at least 17 games, and non-pitchers must have competed in 90 percent or started at least 66 percent of the team's total games. Selected Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, Second-, and Third-Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in June.
A sophomore who primarily plays third base, Giel is an education major with a 3.97 GPA. She played and started 38 games this season. Giel finished the season with a .392 batting average, tallying 47 hits, five doubles, 21 RBI, and 34 runs scored. She also had a slugging percentage of .433 and an on-base percentage of .395. Giel also stole 25 bases on 28 attempts and carried a fielding percentage of .873. In the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), she finished fifth in batting average, was tied for third in at-bats, fourth in runs scored, second in hits, 15th in RBIs, 12th in total bases with 52, tied for first with the least amount of strikeouts with only two on the season, third in stolen bases, and had the most assists in the conference with 92 on the season when it comes to fielding. Last year, she was an NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete.
Hall, a junior left-handed pitcher, is a business and marketing major with a 3.86 GPA. She started 17 games, compiling a record of 10-3, and she threw three complete-game shutouts on the season. She pitched a total of 71.2 innings, allowing 33 runs, 25 of which were earned, along with 82 hits and 13 walks, while striking out 33 and tallying a 2.44 ERA for the second lowest on the team with a batting average against of .291. In the NCAC, Hall registered the fifth-lowest ERA, was tied for third in wins, tied for third for the least number of losses, was tied for fourth in most games started, tied for second in shutouts, seventh in least hits allowed, third in runs allowed, fourth in earned runs allowed, third in least number of walks, tied for ninth in strikeouts looking, tied for second in doubles allowed with six, and had the ninth lowest batting average against her. Last year, she was CSC Academic All-District, a member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll, and an NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
James, a junior right-handed relief pitcher is a nursing major carrying a 3.72 GPA. She went 4-1 on the season with five saves in 21 appearances and led the team with a 2.07 ERA. James pitched in 44 innings allowing 30 hits, 17 runs, 13 earned runs, walked 23, and led the team in strikeouts with 51. She allowed only four doubles, one triple, and led the team in batting average against at .191. In the NCAC, she was third in ERA, first in saves, allowed the least amount of hits, the least number of runs and earned runs, eighth in strikeouts, eighth in strikeouts looking, allowed the least number of doubles, and was second in batting average against. She was the NCAC softball pitcher of the week on March 25. Last year, James made third-team All-NCAC, was CSC Academic All-District, and made the NCAC Academic Honor Roll.
McCans, a centerfielder and grad student pursuing a master’s degree in sport administration, carries a 3.53 GPA. She played in all 38 games, starting 37 games this season and finished with a batting average of .373. She had 44 hits, four doubles, one triple, one homer, and 13 RBIs. She also led the team in runs scored with 37, compiled a slugging percentage of .449, was tied for the team lead in walks, had an on base percentage of .439, led the team in stolen bases with 32 on 35 attempts, and registered a fielding percentage of .980. In NCAC stats, McCans finished 15th in batting average, 20th in on base plus slugging percentage (.873), tied for third in at bats, second in runs scored, sixth in hits, tied for 12th in total bases with 52, 13th in on base percentage, and led the conference in stolen bases. Last year, she was NCAC player of the week in softball on Feb. 27. She also made All-NCAC third team, was NFCA All-Region third team for region VII, and an NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
A junior outfielder, Wright is a business management major with a 3.92 GPA. She played in all the Tigers’ 38 games this season, starting in 37. Wright was first on the team in batting average at .402 with 43 hits, led the team in doubles with 14, had four triples, and one home run. She also led the team in RBIs with 38 and in total bases with 68. Wright had a slugging percentage of .636, an on base percentage of .456, seven stolen bases on eight attempts, and a fielding percentage of .962. In North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) stats, she was sixth in batting average, sixth in on base plus slugging which was 1.076, 12th in runs scored, tied for ninth in hits, tied for third in doubles, tied for second in triples, was third in RBIs, seventh in total bases, had the seventh highest slugging percentage, was ninth in on base percentage, first in sacrifice flies with four, and tied for 17th in stolen bases. Wright was NCAC Athlete of the week on April 1st.
The Tigers had a successful season this year winning 10 of their first 12 games to finish at 27-14 overall. They were 8-6 in the NCAC for a fourth-place finish that led to a berth in the conference tournament.
Written By: Cindy Holbrook