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BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, Fla. – Three members of the Florida Tech softball team have been named to the College Sports Communications Academic All-District team, with the organization announcing the selections Tuesday afternoon.
Three committed players represented the Panthers on the CSC Academic All-District team: Celeste Casillas, Kelly McLaughlin and Ella Niles. Between them, these three players started and contributed to the team in all 46 games this season.
The 2023 Academic All-District Women's Basketball Team is an honorable mention team selected by the College Sports Communicators, recognizing the nation's top scholar-athletes for their outstanding performance on the field and in the classroom.
Academic All-District winners will be considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Academic All-America 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Team winners will be announced in early December.
As a senior, Casillas earned a degree in sports management with a cumulative grade point average of 3.67. On the softball field, Casillas led the team with a .342 batting average.
The Hayward, California native finished with 20 points, 10 doubles, 26 RBIs and the Panthers' first home run, and also led the team defensively at shortstop, leading the team with 106 assists and recording 11 double plays, which was tied for third in the conference.
McLaughlin, a senior, graduated with a degree in marketing while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.88. She batted .273 with 28 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI. She also excelled defensively, recording 86 putouts and 80 assists for a fielding percentage of .976.
Niles, a sophomore business administration major, has a cumulative grade point average of 3.79 over four semesters. Niles had 32 hits, eight RBIs, 17 walks and scored a team-high 32 runs.
She was outstanding in center field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 57 putouts, 26 assists and no errors. The Hesperia, California native was named to the SSC All-Defensive Team as one of only two players in the conference with a perfect fielding percentage.
Niles also made an impact as a pitcher. She appeared in 21 games and started 19 as a pitcher. The sophomore posted a 3.51 ERA with nine complete games, two shutouts and 10 strikeouts in 97.2 innings pitched.
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