SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced the softball academic all-district teams on Thursday afternoon. The 2020 Academic All-District® Softball Team recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Among those honored were Mercer's Allie Jones, Chattanooga's Celie Hudson and Morgan Kazerooni and Western Carolina's Erica Hayes. Hudson, Kazerooni and Hayes were named to the District III team (NC, TN, VA) while Jones was selected as a member of the District IIII team (AL, FL, GA, PR, SC). 

Hudson, a Chemistry/Biochemistry major, excelled in the classroom with a 3.69 cumulative GPA for her career at UTC. She was a three-time selection to the Southern Conference All-Academic Team in addition to numerous mentions on both the Dean's List and AD's Honor Roll.

Competitively, Hudson ranks as one of the most accomplished Chattanooga softball pitchers in program history. She was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2019 and sits sixth all-time at UTC in complete games (53) and ninth in strikeouts (365). Hudson is one of just 10 pitchers in program history to appear in 100 games and record 300 strikeouts.

An Accounting major, Kazerooni posted a stellar 3.91 cumulative GPA over the course of her career in the classroom. After the team claimed the 2019 SoCon Tournament title, Kazerooni took home the league's Pinnacle Academic Achievement award for carrying the highest GPA on the championship squad. She was a numerous-time selection to the SoCon All-Academic Team, Dean's List and AD's Honor Roll.

Kazerooni blasted six home runs and 29 RBI in 112 at-bats since 2018, appearing in 83 games while making 25 starts. In 2019, she was named to the All-SoCon Second Team at utility after batting .300 with four homers and 14 RBI for the year.

Jones owns a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while double-majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The Calhoun, Ga., native is the first Mercer softball player to earn academic all-district honors since 2016 when Natalie Shiver earned her second consecutive CoSIDA Academic All-America honor. Jones boasts a career .309 batting average with 109 hits, including 22 doubles, five triples and a home run. She has scored 63 runs while driving in 59. Jones has started each of Mercer's 83 games over the past two seasons.

Prior to the 2020 season being cut short due to COVID-19, Jones led the nation in most stolen bases without being caught with 18. She was hitting an astounding .357 (30-for-84) on the season with six doubles, three triples, 16 runs scored and 19 RBI.

This is the first year Hayes has been honored and the eighth-straight year a Catamount softball player has been named Academic First Team All-District III.Current assistant coach and former Catamount Madidon Armstrong was a three-time honoree (2017, 2018, 2019), Taylor Sigmon (2016, 2015, 2014) while Haley Pace began the streak in 2013.

Hayes, a second baseman from Cary, N.C., carries a perfect 4.0 GPA in education. She is a two-time SoCon Spring All-Academic selection and three-time SoCon Honor Roll honoree along with a member of the Western Carolina Chancellor's List. Hayes will graduate in the fall of 2020 after completing her student teaching.

Before the cancellation of the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hayes was honored as the Southern Conference Player of the Week, Mar. 16, 2020 – the final weekly honor by the conference before the halt of the year. In the 16 games played she had a .265 batting average with 13 hits, eight runs scored, five doubles, three home runs, and nine RBI. 

For her career, she had a .258 batting average with 129 hits, 66 runs scored, 26 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs, and 72 RBI. Hayes was placed on the 2019 SoCon All-Tournament team and SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week. In 2017 she was placed on the SoCon All-Freshman team. 

Honorees selected first-team Academic All-District® will advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. Academic All-America® honorees will be announced from June 8-11.