Five Tigers Earn CSC Academic All-District Honors

SPRINGFIELD, OH - Five Wittenberg softball student-athletes - seniors Julie Hall (Powell, OH / Bishop Watterson) and Lilly James (Troy, OH / Troy) and juniors Shyann Beddow (Kearns, UT / Kearns), Bekah Giel (Amelia, OH / West Clermont) and Kirsten Wright (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge) - have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) NCAA Division III Academic All-District Softball Team for the 2026 season.

The CSC Academic All-District Team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. To earn CSC Academic All-District distinction, student-athletes must be a sophomore or above in class standing with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 while meeting athletic participation requirements.

In softball, pitchers must have pitched at least 25 innings or appear in at least 17 games, and non-pitchers must have competed in 90 percent or started at least 66 percent of the team's total games. Selected Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, Second-, and Third-Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in June.

Hall, a senior pitcher, is a marketing major with a 3.83 GPA. This season, she was named to second-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) for the second straight year, and it is also her second year in a row earning Academic All-District recognition. She logged 11 wins in 20 starts in the 2026 season, vaulting her into the top 10 in school history in wins, tied for seventh all-time at the conclusion of the season.

James, another senior pitcher, is a nursing major with a 3.62 GPA. This season, she was named first-team All-NCAC, and it is her second straight year being named a CSC Academic All-District honoree. Along with her 11 saves this season, a school record, James holds the Wittenberg and NCAC career saves record with 28 over her four years.

Beddow, a junior who primarily played catcher for the Tigers, is a communication and digital media major with a 3.66 GPA. This season, she was the NCAC Gold Glove recipient in her first season as a Tiger. This is her first year earning Academic All-District honors.

Giel, a junior infielder, is an education major with a 3.98 GPA. This season, she earned first-team All-NCAC, her second career all-conference award, and this is her second year being part of the Academic All-District team. Giel played in every game in the 2026 season and was second on the team in both batting average and RBIs.

Wright, a junior outfielder, is majoring in management with a 3.88 GPA. It is her second straight year earning Academic All-District honors. This season, she was third in both doubles and walks while playing in all 44 games for the Tigers.

The Tigers ended their season with a record of 27-17 after sharing the regular season conference title with an 11-3 record. In the conference tournament, the Tigers defeated Kenyon to start their run but fell to Denison before then beating DePauw to get another chance against Denison. Wittenberg’s season ended in walk-off fashion against the Big Red.