The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced its Academic All-America teams® softball teams this week. Haylie McCleney of Alabama, Carley Tysinger of Catawba, Courtney Allen of Messiah and Taylor Clinkenbeard of the University of Mobile headlined the announcement by taking home the CoSIDA Academic All-American® of the Year awards for their respective divisions.
Division I Team/Article
Division II Team/Article
Division III Team/Article
College Division Team/Article
Haylie McCleney – University of Alabama (DI)
Senior outfielder Haylie McCleney of the University of Alabama headlines the 2016 Academic All-America® Division I softball team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
McCleney has been selected as the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-American® of the Year for Division I softball for the second consecutive year. She is the first repeat Academic All-American® of the Year for Division I softball since 2011 and 2012 (Louisiana Lafeyette’s Ashley Brignac), as well as only the third two-time Division I (or University Division) Academic All-American® of the Year since the softball program debuted in 1988 — Tennessee’s Lindsay Schutzler was the first in 2006 and 2007.
A human performance exercise science major with a 4.0 G.P.A., McCleney also is a three-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America® choice, having previously made the top squad in 2014 and 2015.
A native of Morris, Ala., McCleney has paced Alabama to its 12th consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance this season, leading the Crimson Tide in batting average (.453 – second in SEC/12th in nation), slugging percentage (.741 – fourth in SEC), on-base percentage (.609 – leads SEC/fourth in nation), runs scored (72 – leads SEC/fifth in nation), doubles (5), triples (5 – third in SEC), walks (53 – second in SEC/seventh in nation) and stolen bases (20).
McCleney is among 10 finalists for the USA Softball National Player of the Year Award, in addition to being a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) first-team all-South Region selection, a first-team all-SEC pick and a SEC All-Defensive Team choice this season.
Nearly half (14) of the 34 members on the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® NCAA Division I softball teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., with seven student-athletes sporting a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. The 11 members of the Academic All-America® NCAA Division I softball first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.80.
Carley Tysinger – Catawba College (DII)
Senior pitcher Carley Tysinger of Catawba College headlines the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Softball team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A chemistry major, Tysinger has a 3.72 G.P.A., she is now a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America® selection after earning third team honors a year ago.
A native of Lexington, N.C., she led Catawba to a 39-16 record and a berth in the NCAA Southeast Regional as the fourth seed. The Catawba Indians won their second straight South Atlantic Conference championship as Tysinger was named the Tournament MVP for the second consecutive season, winning four games and striking out 37 in 35 innings.
Tysinger set a Catawba season record for wins, ending with a 32-11 record with a 1.04 ERA, with 40 complete games and 10 shutouts. That included a no-hitter against Brevard College. She set school and SAC records with 413 strikeouts. In 297 innings, she allowed just 197 hits and 65 walks while holding opponents to a .181 average. She is fifth in NCAA Division II in wins, seventh in strikeouts per seven innings (9.73), and eighth in shutouts. Her 1.04 ERA ranks 11th in the nation, while her 4.63 hits per seven innings is 18th.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® honor is the latest in a long line for the standout pitcher. She was named an NFCA second team All-American and D2CCA second team All-American recently, She was named to an All-America team in each of her four seasons. As a junior, she was an honorable mention CCA selection, after earning third team NFCA All-American accolades as a sophomore and third team Daktronics All-American honors as a freshman. Tysinger was also voted the SAC Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
Tysinger finished her career with a 102-41 record with 1,355 strikeouts. She holds Catawba career records for wins and strikeouts while ranking eighth in NCAA Division II in strikeouts.
Eighteen of the 33 members of the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® NCAA Division II softball teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A., including eight student-athletes who maintain a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The 11 members of the first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.85, as does the average for all three teams.
Courtney Allen – Messiah College (DIII)
Senior pitcher Courtney Allen of Messiah headlines the 2016 Academic All-America® Division III Softball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
An accounting major with a 3.96 grade-point average, Allen was selected as the winner of the CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® of the Year award for softball.
A senior from Lancaster, Pa., Allen repeated as a CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team selection, one of seven individuals who have earned multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors among the 33 players selected to this year’s three teams.
Allen earned Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year honors in her first collegiate season in the pitching circle, after playing her first three seasons as the Falcons’ centerfielder. A three-time All-MAC Commenwealth first-team honoree, Allen has also earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region honors for the third straight season.
This season, Allen is 26-1 with a 1.52 earned-run average in 29 appearances over 179.2 innings, striking out 152 while walking 74 and allowing a .220 opponent batting average. At the plate, she is hitting .357 with 34 runs scored, 13 extra-base hits (six doubles, five triples, two home runs) 31 RBI, a .510 slugging percentage and .439 on-base percentage for the 44-4 Falcons, who will play in the NCAA Division III National Championships this coming weekend in Salem, Virginia.
In addition to her exploits on the field, Allen received first-place honors at Messiah’s second annual Impact Venture Challenge, creating a nonprofit startup called “Accounting Across Borders,” which is intended to provide an accounting and bookkeeping service to missionaries across the world, especially in third-world countries.
Twenty of the 33 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® softball teams have a 3.90 or better grade-point average, with eight achieving a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The 11 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division III softball first team maintain an average G.P.A of 3.93.
Taylor Clinkenbeard – University of Mobile (College Division)
Senior Taylor Clinkenbeard from the University of Mobile headlines the 2016 Academic All-America® College Division Softball Teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division softball teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.
A senior accounting major from Hueytown, Ala., Clinkenbeard carries a 4.00 G.P.A. and this year, was a starter in all 49 games. Clinkenbeard led Mobile with a .401 batting average, 44 runs scored and 36 stolen bases. She lined one double and one triple and drove in 11 runs, while boasting a .497 on-base percentage. Twice an All-Southern States Athletic Conference first team selection, Clinkenbeard ranked 14th in stolen bases in helping Mobile to a 28-21 record.
A two-time academic all-conference honoree, Clinkenbeard was named the 2016 Musco Lighting Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the SSAC. In her two-year career at Mobile, she recorded a career .401 average, 95 career runs, 59 stolen bases and 31 RBI. Clinkenbeard roped 134 hits in 334 at bats in 101 games as a Ram.
There are five student-athletes with a G.P.A. of 4.0. The first team boasts a combined G.P.A. of 3.82, while the second team has a combined G.P.A. of 3.84. The overall G.P.A. for this year’s team is 3.83
— Courtesy of CoSIDA Academic All-America® Publicity/Communications