The College of Wooster's Cate Barkdoll, Julia Jennings, Sarah Lodge, and Ella Wolff were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® for softball as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
Barkdoll, who debuted on the All-North Coast Athletic Conference squad as a first-team selection, hit .361 (39-for-108) on the year with a team-leading 32 RBI and six homers. The junior, who posted the second-highest batting average on the team, scored 21 runs, clubbed 13 doubles, and legged out a triple. Barkdoll set a new program record, throwing out 23 base stealers this spring. The junior logged 11 multi-hit games and hit safely in 11 of the team's last 12 games of the year, posting a 15-for-34 (.441) mark at the dish during that stretch with 15 RBI. Barkdoll caught multiple runners stealing five times this spring, headlined by three in game two of a doubleheader with Wittenberg University on March 29 and game one of the Oberlin College twin bill on May 4.
Jennings earned a third straight first-team All-NCAC award this spring to join alumna Molly Likins as the only three-time first-team all-conference selections in program history. Jennings' .355 (39-for-110) average ranked third on the team and she was second with 27 RBI. Jennings had 10 runs and five doubles this spring and sported a .962 fielding percentage on the infield with just six errors in 157 chances. Jennings stepped it up in conference play, batting .419 (18-for-43). She had 10 multi-hit games this year and hit safely in 13 of Wooster's final 14 games, posting a .444 (20-for-45 average during that stretch with 12 RBI.
The education and psychology major is a two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree. As a first-year, Jennings debuted as the NCAC Newcomer of the Year and was a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selection. She was the inaugural winner of the Div. III NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove Award at third base after sporting a .961 fielding percentage. She set a single-season program record with a .450 average (59-for-131) as a first-year. As a sophomore, she was the inaugural winner of the NCAC Gold Glove Award.
The member of Alpha Gamma Phi sorority volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club of Wooster and with the area's annual Night to Shine prom event. She works in the equipment room and in game operations and helps with the softball program at Cathedral High School in Indiana when home for the summers.
Lodge turned in a career year as a senior, starting 37 games. She batted .296 (29-for-98) with 14 runs, 12 RBI, and four doubles. The senior sported a .343 on-base percentage and had one error in 36 chances in the outfield. Lodge delivered a walk-off single in the program's 4-3 win over the University of Mount Union on April 13. She capped her career with a 2-for-4 outing with three RBI in a 10-1 win over Oberlin.
The economics and education major is a two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree. For her Independent Study, Lodge analyzed how the returns to completing an internship relative to completing a college degree have changed over time. Lodge's intent was to explain why the wage premium happens and how she believes that internship opportunities set job candidates apart. She was elected to the NCAA Div. III National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as an associate member. Lodge served on the mental and physical health subcommittee within the national SAAC. As part of the committee, Lodge created social media content and gathered research to promote the group's advocacy work on improving mental and physical health of student-athletes. She was a lead presenter on the virtual mental health townhall. Within the NCAC and Wooster SAACs, Lodge was a student liaison on NCAC Sports Caucus virtual meetings, coordinated the Track-or-Treat event for local youth, and served in multiple leadership roles, culminated by being elected by her peers to be the campus SAAC president this year. Lodge was selected as the student representative to revise the Div. III Strategic Athletics Communication Guide, a key resource for college athletic departments. Lodge worked three years as a social media intern for athletic communication. Her work centered primarily on graphics for gamedays and fun video features captured at the department's four annual media days. Additionally, she led the social media efforts for the softball team's accounts. With her work in athletic communication, Lodge was selected by the NCAA to attend the College Sports Communicators Div. III Student Program at CSC Unite in 2024, and she later attended the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum and the NCAA Convention. She volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Wooster.
Wolff earned her second All-NCAC certificate this spring after batting .303 (10-for-33) in conference play. Wolff finished the year with an overall .254 average (16-for-63) with 10 runs and five RBI. In the outfield, Wolff had one error in 67 chances. Her signature game came in a 15-1 rout of Kenyon College, where the junior finished 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree is a communication sciences and disorders and communication studies major. She is the vice president of Alpha Gamma Phi sorority, where she creates and organizes weekly events for the group. Wolff is a member of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Club and the Communication Club on campus. The student organizations focus on providing opportunities outside the classroom for students within the major to learn more about the industry and develop skills needed to obtain jobs within the field after graduation. Wolff previously worked in the College's athletics equipment room.
Colleges and universities with CSC memberships may nominate up to five softball players for CSC Academic All-District® honors. Honorees must be at least a sophomore with a 3.50 cumulative GPA. Nominees must compete in 90 percent of their team's games or start in at least 66 percent of them. For pitchers, nominees must have at least 17 appearances or 35 innings pitched.
