SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran Softball's Serena Gonzalez (Corpus Christi/Foy H. Moody), Katelyn Howard (Waller/Hempstead), and Taylor Vannett (Kingwood/Kingwood) were named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans as announced by the organization Tuesday, June 16. Gonzalez and Vannett was selected to the second team, while Howard was honored with third team recognition to give TLU multiple honorees in four out of the last five years.

Formerly known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the trio brings TLU Softball's all-time total to 24 CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. A total of 23 of the 24 honorees have come during head coach Wade Wilson's tenure. Texas Lutheran now has 64 Academic All-Americans in school history with 24 coming from TLU Softball. TLU is one of six programs at the Division III level to have multiple honorees this season and tied Virginia Wesleyan for the most honorees with three.

To be named a CSC Academic All-American, student-athletes have to be selected to the CSC Academic All-District team. The trio were joined by teammates Cady Bowyer and Chesley Swisher on the list last month. CSC Academic All-Americans and all-district honorees are nominated by members of CSC and are ultimately recognized for their work on the diamond and in the classroom. 

Gonzalez graduated with a 3.62 grade point average (GPA) to earn her degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) along with a minor in psychology. Gonzalez becomes the sixth Bulldog in program history to earn multiple Academic All-American honors after being named a Second Team Academic All-American last season. The senior designated player/first baseman was an All-SCAC First Team honoree for the third time in her career and was named NFCA All-West Region Second Team, hitting .424 with seven home runs, 54 RBI, 20 runs, 12 doubles, and 17 walks in 2026. Gonzalez concludes her career as TLU's all-time leader in RBI (188), home runs (32), and slugging percentage (.695).

Vannett graduated with a 3.96 GPA to earn her degree in Kinesiology (Rehab Science) with a minor in biology and was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-American. The Kingwood native was spectacular behind the plate as the Bulldogs everyday catcher, finishing with a .994 fielding percentage (145 putouts, 19 assists, nine runners caught stealing, one error). She was also an All-SCAC First Team and NFCA West Region Second Team selection. For the season, she hit .438 with 33 runs, 60 hits, 17 doubles, a triple, three homers, 66 RBIs and 11 walks. Vannett set the TLU and SCAC records for single-season RBI to cap her career year.

Howard dominated in the circle during her final campaign with the Bulldogs. The right-hander went 22-2 with a 1.03 ERA and totaled a career-high 91 strikeouts over 149.0 innings pitched. A First-team All-American for the first time in her career, she was also named SCAC Pitcher of the Year and NFCA West Region First Team. Howard graduated with a 3.62 GPA to earn her degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) with a minor in psychology. After earning a win in her first 28 career decisions, Howard leaves the TLU softball program with a career 33-2 (.943) record, the highest winning percentage in program history.

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