Fayette, Mo. - Five members of the Central Methodist Softball program earned 2025 CSC Academic All-District honors in the NAIA Division.
Lauren Hill, Madison Roberts, Elizabeth Palumbo, Daly Garland, and Kaysie Jolley were the five Eagles representing the program. All five Eagles are first-time CSC Academic All-District honorees.
The 2025 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 17, 2025.
Hill, a graduate student from California, Missouri, completed her masters in education administration. She played in 52 of Central's 53 games, serving as CMU's starting catcher in her final season. Hill batted .344 and finished second on the team in doubles (17), home runs (eight), RBI (43), and slugging percentage (.631). In her final season she was named an NAIA Third Team All-American, a NFCA All-Region Second Team selection, and a Heart First Team All-Conference honoree.
Roberts is a junior nursing major from Elkhart, Illinois. She was Central's primary shorstop in 2025, appearing in 51 games. Roberts recorded a .422 batting average with 11 doubles, three triples and five home runs. She totaled 98 bases and scored 33 runs. Roberts was named to the Heart All-Conference First Team and was a NFCA Region V First Team selection.
Palumbo, an exercise science major from Sterling, Illinois, finished her junior year with a multitude of honors, including All-Region Second Team honors from the NFCA, Heart First Team All-Conference recognition, and, for the second straight year, was named the Heart Player of the Year. Palumbo led the team in slugging percentage (.699), doubles (19), RBI (48), home runs (11), batting average (.399), and hits (69). She was also named an NAIA Second Team All-American.
Garland is a senior exercise science major with a minor in marketing. The native of Woodridge, Illinois appeared in 52 games in her final season in an Eagle uniform. She tallied a .358 batting average which included 14 doubles and three home runs. Garland drove in 41 total RBI and scored 30 runs. She was named a NFCA Region V First-Team selection and a Heart First Team All-Conference selection.
Jolley, a junior outfielder from Nampa, Idaho, is majoring in Business. She finished the year with a .318 batting average while collecting 14 doubles, a team leading six triples, and seven home runs. Jolley was second on the team in RBI with 43 and led the Eagles with seven stolen bases. She was also named a Heart First Team selection and a NFCA Region V Second Team honoree.
As a team, Central concluded the year winning the Heart Regular Season Championship for the fourth straight season. In addition, CMU finished the season with a 42-11 overall record and punched its ticket to a third consecutive appearance in the NAIA World Series. It is the first time the program has made back-to-back-to-back trips in school history.
To view the CSC release on the 2025 Softball Academic All-District Teams, please click here.
#TakeFlight
