May 23, 2013
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou softball program has two First Team Academic All-Americans in the same season for the first time in school history, with the announcement of the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Division I softball team on Thursday. Seniors Jenna Marston (St. Louis, Mo.) and Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) were the recognized Tigers, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), with Marston becoming the first two-time first team selection in program history.
An industrial engineering major with a 3.99 GPA, Marston named as the SEC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a two-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection. She was selected as a First Team All-SEC catcher this season and was a three-time All-Big 12 honoree. She earned two First Team All-Big 12 honors at shortstop before moving to catcher in 2012 and making the second team. A .353 hitter, she currently leads the Tigers with 16 doubles, which ranks tied for third-best in school history.
A graduate student in positive coaching with a 4.00 GPA, Thomas earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a 3.37 GPA. She has pitched to a 24-4 record with a 1.14 ERA and 221 strikeouts this season. A two-time member of Team USA (2011, 2012), Thomas was named as the 2013 SEC Pitcher of Year. She was named as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore and junior. A two-time NFCA First Team All-American, Thomas was a Top Three Finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year in 2011 and is the all-time strikeouts leader at Mizzou. Thomas was a Second Team Academic All-American last season.
The recognitions for Marston and Thomas mark the seventh and eighth Academic All-Americans during head coach Ehren Earleywine's tenure in Columbia. The total of eight over the last seven seasons surpasses the seven honors in the previous history of Mizzou softball.
Marston and Thomas additionally join former Tiger Jill Brent as Mizzou's only multiple-time Academic All-Americans. Brent was a two-time Third Team Academic All-America selection from 1991-92.
Mizzou continues postseason play with the Columbia Super Regional of the 2013 NCAA Division I Softball Championship from Thursday, May 23-Friday, May 24. The No. 6-seeded Tigers face No. 11 Washington (41-15) in a rematch of the 2011 Columbia Super Regional, in which the Tigers swept the Huskies with scores of 4-0 and 6-3 to advance to the program's third-straight Women's College World Series.
Fans are encouraged to check MUTigers.com and the softball team's social media outlets, @MizzouSoftball and Facebook, for continued updates on the Tigers and the Columbia Regional.
2013 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Softball Team
Academic All-American of the Year: Raven Chavanne, Tennessee
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA Major
P Olivia Galati Hofstra Sr. West Babylon, N.Y. 3.60 Physical Education
P Chelsea Thomas (2) Missouri Gr. Pleasantville, Iowa 4.00 Biology (UG) / Positive Coaching (G)
C Jenna Marston (1) Missouri Sr. St. Louis, Mo. 3.99 Industrial Engineering
INF Raven Chavanne (1) # Tennessee Sr. Thousand Oaks, Cal. 3.84 Political Science
INF Lauren Morizi LIU Brooklyn Sr. San Diego, Cal. 3.93 Health Science
INF Sam Parlich Arizona State Sr. Chandler, Ariz. 3.63 Family & Human Development
INF Coryn Schmit (3) Illinois Chicago Sr. Hawthorn Woods, Ill. 4.00 Kinesiology
OF Kayla Braud (1) # Alabama Sr. Eugene, Ore. 3.78 Public Relations
OF Maggie Hull (3) Kansas Sr. Lawrence, Kan. 3.80 Journalism / Spanish
OF Bailey Wigness (1) Arizona State Jr. Casa Grande, Ariz. 4.00 Political science / Communication
DP Alexa Peterson Oregon Jr. Salem, Ore. 3.41 Communication Disorder Sciences
(1) Capital One Academic All-America® first team selection in 2012
(2) Capital One Academic All-America® second team selection in 2012
(3) Capital One Academic All-America® third team selection in 2012
(#) Capital One Academic All-America® first team selection in 2011