HAMMOND, La. – Four Southeastern Louisiana University student-athletes were honored for their success athletically and academically as members of the 2022 Southland Conference All-Academic Softball Teams, which were released by the league office on Wednesday.
 
Representing SLU on the first team was senior outfielder Aeriyl Mass, who was named to the conference all-academic squad for the second straight season. Senior first baseman Madisen Blackford, one of four 2022 Southland All-Academic honorees to be making their third appearance on the team, was one of three Lady Lions on the second team. She was joined by senior pitcher Heather Zumo and sophomore pitcher Mary-Cathryn (MC) Comeaux.
 
Mass, a general studies major with a 3.07 grade point average, was named first team All-Southland Conference for the second straight season. The Lake Charles, Louisiana native topped the conference with 73 hits and 33 stolen bases, while also ranking among the league leaders in batting average (.410, 4^th), slugging percentage (.579, 4^th), on-base percentage (.481, 4^th), runs (44, 3^rd), walks (22, 6^th), RBI (34, 7^th), doubles (14, 4^th) and triples (2, 7^th).
 
Blackford, a management major with a 3.53 GPA, joins Katie Duhe (2009-11) and Brooke Lockhart (2006-08) as the only three-time Southland All-Academic selections in program history. The .329 hitter from Des Moines, Iowa was among the league leaders with 11 doubles and seven hit by pitches.
 
Zumo, who entered the spring 2022 semester with a 3.08 GPA while majoring in general studies, was an All-Southland choice for the second straight season. The second team all-conference choice from Baton Rouge, Louisiana (20-5, 2.42 ERA) led the SLC in wins, while also sitting on the league leaderboard in opponent batting average (.219, 6^th), innings pitched (144.1, 2^nd), strikeouts (132, 2^nd) and ERA (5^th).
 
Zumo is the second player in program history to win 20 games in a season in the circle. During her time in Hammond, she pitched in a school career record four no-hitters.
 
Comeaux, a health studies major with a 3.64 GPA, received her first Southland All-Academic nod. The Port Allen, Louisiana native (10-3, 3.72 ERA, 1 save) gave SLU multiple pitchers with double-digit victories and was among the league leaders with 61 strikeouts.
 
To be eligible for consideration for the Southland All-Academic team, student-athletes must be in their second season at their current institution and carry a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher and play in 50 percent of their team's games. Head coaches, sports information directors and academic staff members from each institution vote on the teams and first team All-Southland and CoSIDA Academic All-District selections are automatically named to the Southland All-Academic squads.
 
2022 Southland Conference Softball All-Academic Teams
Student-Athlete of the Year: Caitlin Brockway, HBU
 
First Team
Name – School – Class – Hometown – GPA – Major
Aeriyl Mass – Southeastern – Sr. – Lake Charles, La. – 3.07 – General Studies
Caitlin Brockway – HBU – Sr. – Tomball, Texas – 3.67 – Psychology
Sarah Venker – HBU – Sr. – Houston, Texas – 4.00 – Nursing
Caleigh Cross – McNeese – Jr. – Forney, Texas – 3.75 – HHP-Pre-Occupational Therapy
Kaylee Lopez – McNeese – Sr. – Indian Bayou, La. – 3.75 – Early Childhood Education PK-3
Jil Poullard – McNeese – Jr. – Moss Bluff, La. – 3.55 – Sociology-Family Science
Alayis Seneca – McNeese – Gr. – The Woodlands, Texas – 4.00 – HHP-Exercise Physiology
Whitney Tate – McNeese – Jr. – Columbia, La. – 3.91 – Biology/Pre-Med
Ashley Vallejo – McNeese – So. – New Waverly, Texas – 3.47 – General Business Administration
Kennedy Hebert – Nicholls – Sr. – Morgan City, La. – 4.00 – Accounting & Finance
Laney Roos – Northwestern State – So. – Aubrey, Texas – 3.10 – Early Childhood Education
Pal Egan – A&M-Corpus Christi – Sr. – Bakersfield, Calif. – 3.42 – Marketing
 
Second Team
Name – School – Class – Hometown – GPA – Major
Madisen Blackford – Southeastern – Sr. – Des Moines, Iowa – 3.53 – Management
MC Comeaux – Southeastern – So. – Port Allen, La. – 3.64 – Health Sciences
Heather Zumo – Southeastern – Sr. – Baton Rouge, La. – 3.08 – General Studies
Jasie Roberts – HBU – So. – Pasadena, Texas – 3.94 – Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Savannah Behabetz – UIW – Jr. – Littleton, Colo. – 3.82 – Communication
Melise Gossen – Nicholls – So. – New Orleans, La. – 3.84 – Health & Wellness
Makenzie Chaffin – Northwestern State – So. – Bossier City, La. – 4.00 – Biology
Maggie Darr – Northwestern State – Jr. – Missouri City, Texas – 3.70 – Health & Exercise Science
Bronte Rhoden – Northwestern State – Sr. – Plano, Texas – 4.00 – Biology
Haley Morse – A&M-Corpus Christi – Sr. – Mansfield, Texas – 3.51
Gabriella Torres – A&M-Corpus Christi – Jr. – San Antonio, Texas – 3.65
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Softball, follow @LionUpSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
HOME RUN CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the softball program are encouraged to join the Home Run Club. Lady Lion softball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Home Run Club and S Club (softball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern softball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events (softball, baseball, football and basketball), effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.