Caldwell University's Alyssa Calderon Named to Academic All-America First Softball Team

Caldwell University senior Alyssa Calderon (Fontana, CA/Etiwanda) was chosen to the Capital One Academic All-America Division II first team for softball, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced.

Calderon, who made the Academic All-America third team in 2014, is the school’s first two-time Academic All-American, according to a release.

A psychology major at Caldwell, Calderon has made both the Capital One Academic All-District Team and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference All-Academic Team three times. On the field, she is a four-time all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference honoree at catcher who received Daktronics All-American honorable mention this season. As a senior Calderon batted .405 with 14 doubles, seven homers and 38 runs batted in. Earlier this month, she led the Cougars to the CACC Tournament championship and was selected the tournament MVP.

An All-American and the CACC Player of the Year in 2013, Calderon holds the Cougars’ all-time records for RBIs (188), doubles (65) and total bases (406). She also ranks second at Caldwell in home runs (25), third in hits (248) and slugging percentage (.619), eighth in triples (nine) and ninth in batting average (.378). During her four years, the Cougars won two CACC championships and participated in four NCAA Division II East Region Tournaments.

“We are so proud of Alyssa and all that she has accomplished here at Caldwell,” Associate Director of Athletics and softball coach Dean Johnson stated. “She has taken full advantage of her opportunity by becoming the best softball player she could be while also succeeding in the classroom and earning her degree. The fact that she recovered from a serious injury to have an All-American season shows the determination and drive that we have come to expect from Alyssa. There is no doubt that she will be a success at whatever she chooses to do after college, and we wish her nothing but the best.”

Caldwell’s other Academic All-Americans are Claire Sacuk, women’s basketball (1983); Patricia Gasparini, women’s basketball (1984); Timothy Nellegar, men’s tennis (2000); Nicholas Harriott, men’s soccer (2007); Kyrie Timbrook, softball (2010); Lauren Iuliucci, women’s soccer (2014) and Emily Caswell, women’s basketball (2015). Calderon, Timbrook, Iuliucci and Caswell also were All-Americans in their respective sports.

The Capital One Academic All-America teams are voted on by the members of CoSIDA. Student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.30 and be a starter or significant reserve to be nominated.

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