Four Pioneers make CSC Academic All-District Team
5/26/2026 12:00:00 PM | Softball
Freed, Heath, Kowalski and Leckrone were honored for their academic and athletic achievement
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Four Sacred Heart University softball players were honored Tuesday by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), earning spots on the 2026 Academic All-District Softball Team for their academic achievements.
Seniors Kaelyn Freed, Emily Heath, Sam Kowalski, and sophomore Elle Leckrone were recognized. Heath and Kowalski earn the distinction for the third time, Freed for the second, while Leckrone appears for the first time.
The award honors student-athletes for academic and athletic success. Recipients must hold a minimum 3.50 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and meet game participation requirements.
Freed started 36 games as a senior, serving as the team's primary center fielder all season. The Sun Valley, Calif., native tallied 11 hits with 10 runs scored and eight RBIs. She hit her first two collegiate home runs in 2026, helping to lead the Pios to critical Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) wins over Mount St. Mary's and Iona. Freed graduated with a Psychology degree and held a cumulative GPA of 3.64.
Heath capped her stellar career in 2026, finishing second on the team with seven wins and 62 strikeouts as a senior. She ended the season with a 4.88 earned run average over 146.1 innings pitched. The Coventry, R.I., native caught fire at the end of the season, winning four of her last seven starts, including SHU's victory over Quinnipiac in the MAAC Championship. Heath has been recognized by the CSC every year that she has been eligible, as she ends her collegiate tenure with a 3.96 GPA as a Biology major.
Kowalski, a 2026 First Team All-MAAC honoree, had one of the best individual seasons in the team's recent history before a late-season injury derailed her momentum. Despite the injury, she still ended the season ranking second in the league with a 2.09 ERA and third in strikeouts with 130. The San Clemente, Calif., native posted an 11-9 overall record over 137.0 innings pitched and was even better in conference play at 9-3 with a 1.16 ERA. At the plate, Kowalski held a .396 batting average with 21 RBIs, 14 runs, six doubles and eight home runs over 101 at-bats. She set new career highs in ERA, batting average and home runs.
Historically, Kowalski became the program's Division I leader in strikeouts with 599 in her career on April 7 at Marist. She graduates from Sacred Heart with a degree in Management and leaves with a cumulative GPA of 3.73.
Leckrone, in her first eligible season, earns her first CSC All-District nod. The two-time MAAC Second Teamer led the Pioneers with a .340 batting average, 35 runs, and 18 doubles, and finished second with 26 RBIs and six home runs—all career highs. The La Cañada, Calif., native excelled in the MAAC Championship, leading with a .583 batting average, five RBIs, three runs and two home runs. Leckrone maintains a 3.89 GPA as a second-year Finance major.
Seniors Kaelyn Freed, Emily Heath, Sam Kowalski, and sophomore Elle Leckrone were recognized. Heath and Kowalski earn the distinction for the third time, Freed for the second, while Leckrone appears for the first time.
The award honors student-athletes for academic and athletic success. Recipients must hold a minimum 3.50 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and meet game participation requirements.
Freed started 36 games as a senior, serving as the team's primary center fielder all season. The Sun Valley, Calif., native tallied 11 hits with 10 runs scored and eight RBIs. She hit her first two collegiate home runs in 2026, helping to lead the Pios to critical Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) wins over Mount St. Mary's and Iona. Freed graduated with a Psychology degree and held a cumulative GPA of 3.64.
Heath capped her stellar career in 2026, finishing second on the team with seven wins and 62 strikeouts as a senior. She ended the season with a 4.88 earned run average over 146.1 innings pitched. The Coventry, R.I., native caught fire at the end of the season, winning four of her last seven starts, including SHU's victory over Quinnipiac in the MAAC Championship. Heath has been recognized by the CSC every year that she has been eligible, as she ends her collegiate tenure with a 3.96 GPA as a Biology major.
Kowalski, a 2026 First Team All-MAAC honoree, had one of the best individual seasons in the team's recent history before a late-season injury derailed her momentum. Despite the injury, she still ended the season ranking second in the league with a 2.09 ERA and third in strikeouts with 130. The San Clemente, Calif., native posted an 11-9 overall record over 137.0 innings pitched and was even better in conference play at 9-3 with a 1.16 ERA. At the plate, Kowalski held a .396 batting average with 21 RBIs, 14 runs, six doubles and eight home runs over 101 at-bats. She set new career highs in ERA, batting average and home runs.
Historically, Kowalski became the program's Division I leader in strikeouts with 599 in her career on April 7 at Marist. She graduates from Sacred Heart with a degree in Management and leaves with a cumulative GPA of 3.73.
Leckrone, in her first eligible season, earns her first CSC All-District nod. The two-time MAAC Second Teamer led the Pioneers with a .340 batting average, 35 runs, and 18 doubles, and finished second with 26 RBIs and six home runs—all career highs. The La Cañada, Calif., native excelled in the MAAC Championship, leading with a .583 batting average, five RBIs, three runs and two home runs. Leckrone maintains a 3.89 GPA as a second-year Finance major.
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