KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Five Truman State softball players have earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, the organization announced recently. Cassie Smith, Jayda Long, Cali Coombs, Kyleia Salyars, and Brooke Nutter all received the recognition, which requires a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher along with significant on-field contributions. To qualify, position players must start at least 67 percent of their team's games or appear in 90 percent of them, while pitchers must make at least 17 appearances or pitch a minimum of 35 innings. .
Smith, a senior outfielder, leads the group coming off one of the finest offensive seasons in program history. She hit .488 with 81 hits, 15 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 25 RBI, and 28 stolen bases across 52 games, leading the GLVC in both batting average and hits. Smith was named All-GLVC First Team, NFCA Division II Midwest All-Region First Team, and D2CCA Midwest All-Region Second Team this postseason. Smith advances to the national voting pool for CSC Academic All-American honors, with results expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Long, a junior pitcher, was one of Truman's most reliable arms all season. She went 9-10 with a 2.86 ERA across 117.1 innings, completing two games with a shutout and striking out 48 batters. Long was also named the program's GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship honoree.
Coombs, a junior outfielder, appeared in 42 games and provided steady defense in the outfield, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage across 51 chances. She hit .149 with nine RBI on the year.
Salyars, a junior catcher, started 44 of 45 games behind the plate and hit .222 with five doubles, four home runs, and 16 RBI. She threw out base runners at an excellent clip and posted a .975 fielding percentage, handling 162 total chances.
Nutter, a senior, was a versatile contributor who saw time both in the circle and at first base. She hit .222 with two home runs and six RBI across 45 appearances, and posted a 4.45 ERA over 39.1 innings of relief work while striking out 25 batters.
Truman finished the 2025-26 season 20-32 overall and 12-16 in the GLVC.
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