UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Five Penn State softball players garnered College Sports Communicators Academic All-District accolades, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon.
CSC seeks to honor and celebrate student-athletes who represent the highest caliber of academic and athletic achievement through the annual Academic All-District and Academic All-America programs. The Nittany Lions placed senior first baseman Lexie Black, senior left fielder Maggie Finnegan, senior catcher Cassie Lindmark, junior third baseman Emily Maddock and senior shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison on this year's softball Academic All-District squad.
Black, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, landed the first CSC Academic All-District honor of her collegiate career, adding to an impressive academic resume that includes Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten recognition. A routine contributor to the Nittany Lion squad as starting first baseman and cleanup batter, Black appeared and started in all 47 games for PSU this season. She finished the year batting a career-best .319 with 10 home runs, 15 doubles and 36 RBI. In the classroom, Black locked in a 3.91 cumulative GPA while earning her bachelor's degree in veterinary and biomedical sciences. She will continue her academic career in the fall at the University of Nebraska, where she will pursue her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.
The McHenry, Illinois, native Finnegan secured her first CSC Academic All-District accolade, adding that to prior recognition as an Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection. Finnegan put together one of her more productive seasons in 2023 on the field, appearing and starting in 46 games while recording 37 hits, 10 doubles and a pair of home runs. While pursuing her bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders at PSU, she recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.58. Finnegan will continue her academic career at Marquette University, where she will begin working on a master's degree in speech language pathology.
A two-year veteran of the Nittany Lion softball program, Lindmark landed her first CSC Academic All-District honor, adding that to recognition as an Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete a year ago. Behind the dish and at the plate, the Lyons, Illinois, native appeared and started in 29 games while hitting .314 and slugging at a .414 clip. She also booked an outstanding season on the defensive end, booking a .995-or-better fielding percentage for the second straight year. In the classroom, Lindmark amassed a cumulative GPA of 3.61 while pursuing her bachelor's degree in rehabilitation and human services. Lindmark will attend graduate school at DePaul University and will begin work on her master's degree in occupational therapy.
A native of Kempton, Pennsylvania, Maddock landed her first career CSC Academic All-District award and third academic honor overall, adding Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete laurels in each of the prior two seasons. PSU's breakout star in the box during the 2023 campaign, Maddock secured the second-best single-season batting average in school history by hitting at a .439 clip. The junior saw extended time in the hot corner for the first time in her career, appearing in 38 games while starting in 30. Academically, Maddock has put together an impressive 3.82 cumulative GPA while studying marketing at Penn State. She will continue her collegiate career next season as PSU's lone returning All-Big Ten First Team selection.
Morrison, a native of South Park, Pennsylvania, garnered her first CSC Academic All-District honor, adding that to a pair of Academic All-Big Ten awards from the prior two years. One of the most dominant hitters on the Nittany Lion roster, Morrison hit a career-best batting average of .338 while also notching a career high in slugging percentage with a .579 mark. Morrison cranked 14 doubles and seven home runs in 2023, logging a total of 34 RBI this season. In the classroom, Morrison owns a 3.55 cumulative GPA while studying middle level education. She will return for her fifth and final season at Penn State next year while she pursues her master's degree.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State softball. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion softball team on Facebook at /pennstatesoftball as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateSB.
