FRISCO, Texas--  Seniors Shaelyn Sanders and Mariana Torres, along with sophomore Rylee Eyster, and junior Crislyne Moreno have been named to the 2024 Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Team, the league announced Monday afternoon.
 
Each nominee must have a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) through the semester prior to the sports' championship, must have completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution prior to the season in which the nomination occurs (true freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible).
 
Sanders and Torres who were named to the first team were automatic selections due to the student-athletes being named to the All-SLC first team.  Eyster and Moreno were second team selections.
 
Sanders, the native of Splendora, Texas who was named the 2024 SLC "Pitcher of the Year", first team All-SLC, was also named to the SLC All-Tournament team and the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team.  Sanders posted a 20-10 overall record and 12-1 conference record, the most overall and SLC wins in the conference.  She also had a team and SLC low 1.76 overall ERA and 0.82 in conference games.  Sanders led the Cowgirls in wins (20), shutouts (7), strikeouts (156), innings pitched (199.1) and tied for a team high with three saves.  Of her 12 conference wins, eight were complete games with seven shutouts.  She began conference play with a 10-0 record before suffering her only conference loss of the season and held conference opponents to a league low .191 batting average. Also, Sanders was second in the SLC with 81 strikeouts in conference games, third in the SLC with 85.1 innings pitched in SLC games and struck out a season high 10 high against Nicholls.  Sanders posted a 3.61 undergraduate GPA and a 3.75 graduate GPA in Behavioral Science.
 
Torres, the product of Pflugerville, Texas, was also an All-SLC first team selection as well as being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.  Torres hit .264 with 37 hits, 21 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a .961 fielding percent in her final season.  In conference games, she produced a .333 batting average, 18 hits, six doubles, one triple, 14 RBI, and a .964 fielding percent in conference games.  The General Studies major had a 3.61 GPA.
 
Eyster hails from Southaven, Miss. who batted .236 overall and .407 in conference games.  She collected 13 hits, 14 runs, four RBI, seven walks, seven stolen bases with a 1.000 fielding percent.  Eyster posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in Mass Communications.
 
Moreno is a native of Converse, Texas who tied for a team high with 16 stolen bases, was second on the team with 12 doubles, third on the team with 26 RBI, and scored 24 runs.  Moreno posted a 3.42 GPA in Mass Communications.
 
2024 Softball Academic All-Conference
Student-Athlete of the Year: Jasie Roberts, HCU
 
First Team
Victoria Altamirano, UIW*
Cera Blanchard, Southeastern*
Reagan Heflin, Nicholls*
Mariana Torres, McNeese*
Shaelyn Sanders, McNeese*
Ellie DuBois, Southeastern
Jasie Roberts, HCU
Maria Detiller, Southeastern
Alexa Poche, Nicholls
Aaliyah Garcis, UIW
Claire Sisco, Nicholls
Ryleigh Mata, UIW
 
Second Team
Monee Montilla, A&M-Corpus Christi
Tristin Court, Northwestern State
Maggie Darr, Northwestern State
Molly Yoo, Nicholls
Ashlyn Walker, Northwestern State
Haylie Savage, HCU
Rylee Eyster, McNeese
Crislyne Moreno, McNeese
Erin Krause, Nicholls
Kenzie Seely, Northwestern State
Lyndie Swanson, HCU
Lexi Johnson, Southeastern
*- Automatic Selection because First Team All-Conference