EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball senior outfielder Caroline Stapleton, junior outfielder Kate Satkoski, junior infielder Sydney Long, and sophomore pitcher Kylie Witthaus were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District for NCAA Division I. Stapleton earns her third Academic All-District award, Long picks up her second, while Satkoski and Witthaus earn their first.
 
To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Award, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). They must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at the institution and completed at least one full academic year.
 
Stapleton, who completed her MBA, started all 44 games that she played in for the Screaming Eagles in the 2026 season. The senior was named to the All-OVC Second Team for the third year in a row. Stapleton led the team with a .333 batting average, 49 hits, and 32 runs scored. The outfielder totaled five extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. Plus, Stapleton ranked third on the team with an OPS of .729, a .374 slugging percentage, and a .355 on-base percentage. She also ranked second on the team and top 10 in the OVC with 13 stolen bases. Stapleton tied for a team-best 15 multi-hit games, including three three-hit games, with a pair of multi-RBI games. Stapleton, a native of Shirley, Indiana, is a three-time member of the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
 
Satkoski was one of two players to start all 47 games for the Screaming Eagles this season. The marketing major had a career season, hitting .278 with 35 hits, including 13 extra-base hits. Satkoski led the team in OPS (.806), slugging percentage (.452), doubles (8), and home runs (4), while tying for the team lead in RBIs (21). The junior scored 17 runs and walked 12 times. Satkoski ranked third on the team with 10 stolen bases. Satkoski recorded seven defensive outfield assists. The Lanesville, Indiana, native logged 11 multi-hit games, including two three-hit performances, and posted three multi-RBI games. The outfielder tallied a pair of game-winning RBIs, including when she notched her first career multi-home run game at the University of Tennessee at Martin on May 2.
 
Long also started all 47 games for USI this season. The mechanical engineering major batted .277 with 36 hits and recorded a .715 OPS. Long tied for a team-best 21 RBIs and scored 12 runs. The junior logged seven extra-base hits and walked a team-best 18 times. Long also swiped seven bases this season. The infielder recorded a team-high 95 assists and helped turn six double plays. Long registered eight multi-hit games and a pair of multi-RBI performances. The Haubstadt, Indiana, native tied for a team-best seven-game hitting streak during the season and had the second-longest on-base streak on the team after reaching base in 11 consecutive games in the middle of the season. Long tallied three game-winning RBIs, including a walk-off winner over Villanova University in February at the Florida Atlantic University Joan Joyce Classic.
 
Witthaus started 18 games and made 33 appearances in the pitching circle for USI this season. The business management major went 4-11 with a 4.67 ERA and 57 strikeouts in a team-high 111.0 innings pitched. The left-hander tossed four complete games, including three in OVC play, with a shutout. The sophomore ended the season collecting OVC All-Tournament Team honors after pitching a 1-0 shutout with five strikeouts against Tennessee Tech University in the opening game of the conference tournament. The Jonesburg, Missouri, native also notched four saves during the season, three of which came in OVC play.
 
USI Softball ended the season with a 15-32 overall record and an 11-16 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Screaming Eagles made a fourth consecutive appearance in the OVC Tournament and also recorded a postseason win at the conference tournament for a fourth-straight season.