Five South Carolina softball players earn academic all-district recognition

Five South Carolina softball student-athletes have earned honors for their work in the classroom.

On Tuesday, the College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced that first baseman Arianna Rodi, second baseman Karley Shelton, shortstop Shae Anderson, outfielder Tori Ensley, and catcher Lexi Winters had earned spots on the academic all-district team.

Rodi, a senior, also earned the recognition the last two seasons. Winters, another senior, picked up her third honor this season, as well.

Ensley earned her second academic all-district selection. For Anderson and Shelton, 2026 marks the first academic all-district honor of each of their careers.

Rodi and Winters have graduated, while Anderson and Shelton have announced their intentions of transferring from South Carolina. At the time of this writing, Ensley has not revealed her plans for 2027.

The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina softball!

From the South Carolina Athletics release:

AUSTIN, Texas – Five South Carolina softball student athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Softball team Tuesday (May 26). Shae Anderson, Tori Ensley, Arianna Rodi, Karley Shelton, and Lexi Winters earned the honor that recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom.

Rodi and Winters earned their third Academic All-District® honor of their career, while Ensley earned her second.

A shortstop, Anderson is a biological sciences major and has a 3.93 GPA. In her second season with Carolina, the sophomore started all 60 games. She batted .228 with a career-high six home runs and 13 RBIs. She was third on the team with 21 walks and three stolen bases.

Ensley adds to her postseason honors after being named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team. The junior started all 60 games in centerfield and carries a 3.81 GPA while majoring in religious studies. Ensley had a breakout year in her first season with the Gamecocks, leading the team in nearly every offensive category while batting .346 with a .660 slugging percentage. She also led the team with 48 runs, three triples, 13 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. She was second on the team with 65 hits and 14 doubles.

Rodi, a service management major, holds a perfect 4.0 GPA and was named to the CSC Academic All-America® Second Team last season. She capped off a spectacular two seasons with the Gamecocks after setting a new single season record with 50 walks. She was second on the team with 11 home runs while batting .232 with 28 RBIs. For her career, she finishes third all-time in program history with a .592 slugging percentage and sixth all-time with 99 walks and 28 home runs.

Shelton concluded her junior season with a 4.0 GPA while majoring in sport & entertainment management. She started all 60 games at second base and led the team with 68 hits and 16 doubles. She was second on the team with a .345 batting average and 40 RBIs. She also scored 33 runs and hit seven home runs.

A graduate student, Winters has a 4.0 GPA in counselor education after receiving her bachelor’s degree in December with a 4.0 GPA in psychology. She was named to the CSC Academic All-America ® Third Team last season. She appeared in all 60 games this season while starting 58. She had a .233 batting average to go along with 10 doubles and 17 RBIs. She finished the season second in the SEC throwing out nine base runners.

The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina softball!