NATCHITOCHES – Four Northwestern State softball players were recognized not only for their accomplishments on the field during the 2022 season, but also in the classroom as the Southland Conference released its All-Academic Teams on Tuesday.
 
Laney Roos landed on the first team while Makenzie Chaffin, Maggie Darr and Bronte Rhoden were voted to the second team. 
 
The four selections are the most for NSU in a single season since 2017 with all four players earning their first all-academic honors.
 
Roos was the Lady Demons' offensive leader through the entire season, topping the team in eight different categories including batting average (.365), runs (31) and hits (58). She finished in the top 10 in the conference in average, slugging, on-base and OPS this season.
 
She was also a First-Team All-Southland player and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
Her corner-outfield counterpart, Makenzie Chaffin, earned a spot on the second team after finishing her first season as a starter with a .270 average, five home runs and 21 driven in.
 
She was a Third-Team All-Southland player this season and maintained her 4.0 grade point average through her sixth semester at NSU.
 
Half of NSU's dynamic pitching staff hurled their way onto the all-academic squad.
 
Maggie Darr and Bronte Rhoden led the Lady Demons with the two lowest ERAs and finished first and third in the conference with 1.97 and 2.32 marks respectively.
 
Darr was fourth in the conference in overall strikeouts with 92 and an 8.3 K/7 average and finished the season with the 26^th best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the country at 5.75.
 
Rhoden was dominant down the stretch for NSU keeping Southland opponents to a batting average below .200, one of just three league pitchers to do so. She allowed just six earned runs to Southland teams.
 
The other 4.0 student from NSU's list of honorees, Rhoden was also a second-team all-conference pitcher and member of the NSU President's List while also serving as the 2021-22 SAAC President.
 
The Lady Demons had two of the five total 4.0 honorees, and the most by one institution, on 2022 Southland All-Academic Team. 
 
2022 Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Teams
 
Student-Athlete of the Year: Caitlyn Brockway, Houston Baptist

First Team
Name	Institution	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
Caitlyn Brockway ^3	Houston Baptist	Sr.	Tomball, Texas	3.67	Psychology
Sarah Venker 2	Houston Baptist	Sr.	Houston, Texas	4.00	Nursing
Caleigh Cross	McNeese	Jr.	Forney, Texas	3.75	HHP-Pre-Occupational Therapy
Kaylee Lopez 2	McNeese	Sr.	Indian Bayou, La.	3.75	Early Childhood Education PK-3
Jil Poullard	McNeese	Jr.	Moss Bluff, La.	3.55	Sociology-Family Science
Alayis Seneca 3	McNeese	Gr.	The Woodlands, Texas	4.00	HHP-Exercise Physiology (Master's)
Whitney Tate 2	McNeese	Jr.	Columbia, La.	3.91	Biology/Pre-Med
Ashley Vallejo	McNeese	So.	New Waverly, Texas	3.47	General Business Administration
Kennedy Hebert 3	Nicholls	Sr.	Morgan City, La.	4.00	Accounting & Finance
Laney Roos	Northwestern State	So.	Aubrey, Texas	3.10	Early Childhood Education
Aeriyl Mass 2	Southeastern	Jr.	Lake Charles, La.	3.01	Criminal Justice
Pal Egan	A&M-Corpus Christi	Sr.	Bakersfield, Calif.	3.42	Marketing
Second Team
Name	Institution	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
Jasie Roberts 2	Houston Baptist	So.	Pasadena, Texas	3.94	Biochemistry/Molecular Bio
Savannah Behabetz	UIW	Jr.	Littleton, Colo.	3.82	Communications
Melise Gossen	Nicholls	Sr.	Rayne, La.	3.74	Health Sciences – Pre-Professional
Alexa Poché	Nicholls	So.	New Orleans, La.	3.84	Health & Wellness
Makenzie Chaffin	Northwestern State	So.	Bossier City, La.	4.00	Biology
Maggie Darr	Northwestern State	Jr.	Missouri City, Texas	3.70	Health & Exercise Science
Bronte Rhoden	Northwestern State	Sr.	Plano, Texas	4.00	Biology
Madisen Blackford	Southeastern	Sr.	Des Moines, Iowa	3.53	Management
MC Comeaux	Southeastern	So.	Port Allen, La.	3.64	Health Sciences
Heather Zumo	Southeastern	Sr.	Baton Rouge, La.	3.08	General Studies
Haley Morse	A&M-Corpus Christi	Sr.	Mansfield, Texas	3.51
Gabriella Torres	A&M-Corpus Christi	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas	3.65

 
^ - 2022 Southland Softball Student-Athlete of the Year
2 - Two-time All-Academic selection
3 - Three-time All-Academic selection