FRISCO, Texas – The University of Central Arkansas softball team led the Southland Conference with a total of four student-athletes who achieved all-academic team status. The Southland announced its 2020 Softball All-Academic team on Wednesday.
 
Junior outfielder Reagan Sperling and sophomore catcher Tylar Vernon earned first-team recognition, while senior outfielder Kayla Crutchmer and sophomore pitcher Jordan Johnson collected second-team honors.
 
Sperling, a Sherwood, Arkansas, native achieved her first all-academic nod. She posted an impressive .385 batting average on the season, which was second on the team. She started all 27 games for the Bears with 25 hits, four doubles, one triple, and a home run. She added 13 RBIs and drew 13 walks. Sperling finished the season second on the team with eight stolen bases. Defensively, she was a reliable outfielder with a fielding percentage of .939. Sperling tallied 28 putouts and posted three outfield assists. She excelled in the classroom with a GPA of 3.85 while she majored in Education.
 
Vernon a local of Pangburn, Arkansas, picked up her first career all-academic designation. She appeared in 24 games and started 21 of those appearances. She produced the team's fourth-best batting average with a mark of .348 with 16 hits, five doubles, one triple, and one home run. She drew 11 walks and drove in nine runs. She recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 76 putouts and added nine assists behind the plate. In the classroom, she is a Family and Consumer Science major and compiled an unblemished 4.0 GPA.
 
Crutchmer hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and produced one of the best seasons in UCA history. She earned her first academic all-conference accolade. She led the NCAA with 31 stolen bases and 1.15 stolen bases per game. She broke the UCA program record for career stolen bases as she reached a tally of 102. She tied the UCA single-game record with four stolen bases. She led the team with a .410 batting average and finished third in the SLC. Crutchmer finished the year with 34 hits, which was ranked No. 27 in the NCAA and second in the Southland. She led the team with 22 runs scored. She graduated with a degree in Education and notched a 3.12 GPA.
 
Johnson, a native of Paola, Kansas, collected her first all-academic team recognition. She finished tied for 20th in the NCAA with three shutouts and tied for second in the SLC. She led the Bears with 47.1 innings pitched and finished second on the team with an ERA of 1.77. She made 12 appearances, including eight starts. She finished the season with a 3-1 record and tallied 23 strikeouts. Johnson made one appearance on the base path as a pinch runner. She went 1-for-1 on stolen base attempts and scored a run. Her major is undeclared, but she has a cumulative GPA of 3.86.
 
The all-academic teams are voted on by a head coach, sports information director and academic/compliance staff member from each Southland Conference institution. In order to be nominated for the academic all-conference teams, student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA and have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution.
 
The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 13 member schools, votes for the student-athlete of the year. The Southland Student-Athlete of the Year award is presented to one student-athlete who achieves excellence in both academics and athletics. All Student-Athlete of the Year nominees must have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale and demonstrated athletics achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.
 
From the Coach – Head Coach David Kuhn
"I am really happy for these young women and our program. They really excelled on the field and in the classroom this year. They are most deserving of this honor. This past season they were some of the best players at their positions in the conference. To see them recognized for their academic achievements and softball skills is a great honor for them, as well as UCA Softball."
 
2020 Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Teams

First Team
Name	Institution	Class	Hometown		GPA		Major
Samantha Bradley 2	Abilene Christian	R-Jr.	Azle, Texas		3.86		Mathematics
Reagan Sperling	Central Arkansas	Jr.	Sherwood, Ark.		3.85		Education
Tylar Vernon	Central Arkansas	So.	Pangburn, Ark.		4.0		Family and Consumer Science
Caitlyn Brockway	Houston Baptist	So.	Tomball, Texas		3.58		Psychology
Jade Lewis #	Lamar	Sr.	Mont Belvieu, Texas		4.0		Exercise Science
Alayis Seneca	McNeese	So.	The Woodlands, Texas		4.0		H&HPE (Sports and Wellness)
Kennedy Hebert	Nicholls	So.	Morgan City, La.		4.0		Accounting
Elise Vincent 2	Northwestern State	Sr.	Maurice, La.		3.93		Biology
Kaitlyn St. Clair	Northwestern State	Sr.	Cypress, Texas		4.0		Psychology
Megan McDonald ^, 2	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Georgetown, Texas		3.80		Public Administration
Madisen Blackford 2	Southeastern La.	Jr.	Des Moines, Iowa		3.67		Accounting
Ashley Kriesel	Stephen F. Austin	Sr.	Houston, Texas		3.28		Health Science
Second Team
Name	Institution	Class	Hometown		GPA		Major
Kayla Crutchmer	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Tulsa, Okla.		3.12		Education
Jordan Johnson	Central Arkansas	So.	Paola, Kan.		3.86		Undeclared
Heidi Jaquez	Houston Baptist	Sr.	Wharton, Texas		3.83		Wellness Management
Renee Hoffman	UIW	So.	Clinton, Mich.		3.83		Biochemistry
Shannon Klaus 2	Lamar	Sr.	Cedar Creek, Texas		3.71		Exercise Science
Mackenzie Savage	Lamar	So.	Alvin, Texas		4.0		Biology
Lauren Brown	McNeese	Gr.	Denham Springs, La.		4.0		Political Science/Criminal Justice
Cori McCrary	McNeese	Sr.	McCarley, Miss.		3.38		General Studies
Allie Amerson	Nicholls	So.	Springfield, La.		3.92		Biology Pre-Med/Pre-Dentistry
Tiffany Thompson 3	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Montgomery, Texas		3.82		Public Health: Pre-Nursing
Bailey White	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Burleson, Texas		3.97		General Business
Marisa Arriaga	Stephen F. Austin	So.	Cedar Hill, Texas		3.75		Biology

^ - 2020 Southland Softball Student-Athlete of the Year
² - Two-time All-Academic selection
³ - Three-time All-Academic selection
^# - Google Cloud Academic All-District ®
 

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