FRISCO, Texas—McNeese softball is well represented on the 2021 Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Team, leading the way with five student-athletes named to the team including three players with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
 
The All-Academic teams are voted on by head coaches, sports information directors and academic/compliance staff members from each Southland Conference institution. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution to qualify for All-Academic selection, and have competed in at least 50 percent of their team's contests on the season, excluding pitchers.
 
Senior Cori McCrary and sophomores Haylee Brinlee and Whitney Tate were named to the first team while sophomores Kaylee Lopez and Alayis Seneca was named to the second team. McCrary, Tate, and Seneca all posted perfect 4.0 GPA's.  
 
McCrary, a Health and Human Performance major, and one of three Cowgirls to post a 4.0 GPA, is making her second appearance on the team. McCrary was also named to the 2019 SLC All-Academic Team. McCrary recently completed her playing career with the Cowgirls, helping McNeese capture the Southland Conference Tournament title and a NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
In her final season with the Cowgirls, she led McNeese with a .550 slugging percent, 48 runs, 14 doubles, and 10 home runs and ranked second on the team with 22 stolen bases. The first team All-Southland Conference and SLC All-Tournament selection led the SLC in runs scored and ranked second in doubles and home runs.
 
Brinlee, an Animal Science major, led the Cowgirls and ranked second in the SLC with 45 RBI. Brinlee was also second on the team with nine home runs and 24 walks. She was third on the team with 12 doubles along with a .970 fielding percent at the hot corner. The first team All-SLC and all-tournament team selection is making her first appearance on the team with a 3.31 GPA.
 
Tate, a Pre-Med major with a 4.0 GPA, is also making her first appearance on the team. The SLC Tournament MVP and All-SLC second team selection posted a 14-8 record and won 11 of her last 12 games. She led the Cowgirls in wins (14), ERA (2.08), starts (21), complete games (10), shutouts (5), and innings pitched (148.0) while ranking second with three saves and 55 strikeouts. She ranked in the Top 5 in four SLC pitching categories including ERA, wins, and innings pitched.
 
Lopez, an Early Childhood Education major posted a 3.74 GPA. Lopez led McNeese and ranked third in the league with a .409 batting average. She also led the Cowgirls with a .480 on base percent and 61 hits and was second on the team with a .497 slugging percent, 13 doubles and third on the team with 22 RBI and 19 walks. The second team All-SLC and all-tournament team selection ended the season on an 18-game hitting streak.
 
Seneca, who graduated in May, earned her Health and Human Performance degree in three years, will begin working towards her master's degree in the fall, also posted a 4.0 GPA. A member of the McNeese Honors College since 2018, Seneca tied for a team high with five sacrifice bunts and two triples and was third on the team with a .307 batting.
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 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.
 
2021 Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Teams
2021 Softball Student-Athlete of the Year: Jenna Wildeman, Central Arkansas
 

First Team
Name	Institution	Class	Hometown		GPA		Major
Kayla Beaver	Central Arkansas	So.	Jackson, Tenn.		3.38		Communications
Jenna Wildeman ^	Central Arkansas	So.	Bentonville, Ark.		4.00		Education
Heidi Jaquez 2	Houston Baptist	Gr.	Wharton, Texas		4.00		Master's, Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Psychology
Haylee Brinlee	McNeese	So.	Rosepine, La.		3.31		Agriculture Animal Science
Cori McCrary 2	McNeese	Gr.	McCarley, Miss.		4.00		Health & Human Performance
Whitney Tate	McNeese	So.	Columbia, La.		4.00		Biology/Pre-Med
E.C. Delafield	Northwestern State	Sr.	Stonewall, La.		3.38		Health & Exercise Science
Megan McDonald 3	Sam Houston	Gr.	Georgetown, Texas		4.00		Master's, Public Administration
Aeriyl Mass	Southeastern La.	Jr.	Lake Charles, La.		3.01		Criminal Justice
Shaylon Govan	Stephen F. Austin	So.	Katy, Texas		3.50		Nursing
Bryana Novegil	Stephen F. Austin	Sr.	Houston, Texas		3.20		Sports Business
Kassidy Wilbur	Stephen F. Austin	Jr.	Bridge City, Texas		3.34		Kinesiology
Second Team
Name	Institution	Class	Hometown		GPA		Major
Donelle Johnson	Abilene Christian	Gr.	McKinney, Texas		3.55		Master's, Conflict Management
Mary Kate Brown	Central Arkansas	So.	Atkins, Ark.		3.83		Family and Consumer Science
Jordan Johnson 2	Central Arkansas	Jr.	Paola, Kan.		3.90		Homeland Security & Law Enforcement
Caitlyn Brockway 2	Houston Baptist	Jr.	Tomball, Texas		3.69		Psychology
Jasie Roberts	Houston Baptist	So.	Pasadena, Texas		3.94		Biochemistry/Molecular Bio
Sarah Venker	Houston Baptist	Jr.	Houston, Texas		4.00		Nursing
Kendall McGary	UIW	So.	Katy, Texas		4.00		Business Marketing
Kaylee Lopez	McNeese	So.	Indian Bayou, La.		3.74		Early Childhood Education
Alayis Seneca 2	McNeese	Sr.	The Woodlands, Texas		4.00		Health & Human Performance
Kennedy Hebert 2	Nicholls	So.	Morgan City, La.		4.00		Accounting
Keely DuBois	Northwestern State	So.	Robeline, La.		3.78		Human Health & Performance
Kaitlyn St. Clair 3	Northwestern State	Sr.	Cypress, Texas		3.66		Psychology
Ellie Grille	Sam Houston	So.	Angleton, Texas		4.00		Education
Gaby Garcia	Stephen F. Austin	Jr.	Southlake, Texas		3.90		Marketing

 
^ - 2021 Southland Softball Student-Athlete of the Year
² - Two-time All-Academic selection
³ - Three-time All-Academic selection