REDLANDS, Calif. - The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced their 2023 Academic All-District Team for Softball this week with the University of Redlands having four players recognized for the first time in their careers, graduate student Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA), senior Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA), and sophomores Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA) and Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA).
The 2023 Academic All-District Softball Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. With their selections, these four Bulldogs move onto the CSC Academic All-America ballot, and the Academic All-American teams will be announced at the end of May.
This season, Horton, Campos, Culp, and Messenlehner all played a major role in helping the Bulldogs secure the 2023 SCIAC Regular Season Championship, SCIAC Tournament Title, a berth into the NCAA Division III National Championships and a 27-17, 14-7 SCIAC record.
Horton is currently in graduate school at the University of Redlands earning her MBA. She graduated from the University of Redlands with a degree in Financial Economics and holds a 3.83 GPA. This year she was named 2nd Team All-SCIAC as a shortstop, played in 42 games with 42 hits, which included 10 doubles, two triples and two homeruns. She also scored 37 times, drove in 15 along with 19 walks, 15 stolen bases, a .309 average, a .405 OBP and a slugging percentage of .456.
Culp, who is undeclared on a major currently has a 3.67 GPA and plans to coach softball upon graduation. She was named 2nd Team All-SCIAC as a catcher playing in 41 games with 20 hits, which included four doubles and a triple. She scored six times, drove in nine, added four walks, and threw out nine baserunners.
Campos, the power hitting first baseman for the Bulldogs moved from the outfield to first base this season and what a year she had. She graduated with a degree in HMS: Health, Medicine, and Society, added a 3.61 GPA and will be attending Chapman University in the fall to earn her Ph.D in Physical Therapy. This year she was named 2nd Team All-SCIAC playing in 41 games with 55 hits, which included 11 doubles, three triples and four homeruns. She scored 31 runs, drove in 24 with 13 walks, six stolen bases, a .396 average, a .448 OBP and a .604 slugging percentage.
Messenlehner played a utility role for the Bulldogs but primarily played in right field. She is a psychology major, boasts a 3.85 GPA and plans to become a Clinical Psychologist upon graduation. This year she played in 44 games with 30 hits, which included six doubles and a homerun. She scored 18 runs, drove in 18, had 12 walks, eight stolen bases, hit .259 with an OBP of .336 and a slugging percentage of .336.