EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball senior outfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan), senior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela), junior pitcher Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana), junior pitcher Carson Seeman (Auburn, California), and junior pitcher Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District for NCAA Division I. The honor is the second for Tachioka, who also earned the honor in 2023.
To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Award, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). They must have reached a sophomore athletic and academic standing at the institution and must have completed at least one full academic year at the institution.
Tachioka, a master’s candidate in business administration and a 2023 USI graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport management, was named second-team All-OVC after batting a career-high and team-best .363 in 49 games and starts as a senior. He scored 43 runs and drove in 23 RBIs, while stealing a team-best 17 stolen bases The senior also batted .396 in OVC games with 11 stolen bases and 28 runs scored
The native of Saitama, Japan, finished his career ranked 21st in total bases (229); 30th in games played (152); 22nd in games started (152); 20th in hits (184); 11th in stolen bases (53); and tied for 10th in being hit by a pitch (26).
Van Grieken, a sport management major, hit .219 with 34 runs scored, 26 RBIs, and two home runs. He had a career-high four hits, three doubles, four RBIs versus Eastern Illinois University.
The native of Merida, Venezuela, finished his career ranked fifth all-time at USI in being hit by a pitch (35). He also concluded his career with a .244 batting average in 104 games, 101 starts, with 69 runs scored, 39 RBIs, three home runs, and 15 doubles.
Seebold, an individualized studies major, was named second-team All-OVC after posting a team-best 7-2 record in 16 games and 10 starts. He had a 3.93 ERA in 71.0 innings of work, striking out 58 batters. The Jeffersonville, Indiana, native threw a season-best 8.0 innings versus the University of Tennessee at Martin in the OVC Baseball Championship and helped USI to its first Division I post-season win.
Seeman, a business administration major, posted a 4-2 record and a 5.09 ERA in 21 games and five starts during his first season. He posted two saves with the second preserving the 2-0 win over top-seeded University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the OVC Baseball Championship. The Auburn, California, native struck out 34 batters in 46.0 innings of work.
Hutson, an engineering major, was named to the OVC Baseball Championship All-Tournament team after throwing seven scoreless innings to post a win over top-seeded University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He had a 1-4 record and a 4.40 ERA in 25 games and four starts, striking out a career-high 54 batters in 47 innings of work. The Villa Hills, Kentucky, native led USI with five saves out of the bullpen.
USI concluded the season with a 27-32 overall record and placed fourth in the OVC regular season with a 14-13 mark. The Eagles earned the fourth seed in the OVC Baseball championship, won their first Division I post-season game, and advanced to the semifinals with a win over the top-seed in the tournament.
