Daly and Honnold Named to Academic All-District Softball Team

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sophomore third baseman Kara Daly and junior center fielder Alex Honnold were both named to the Academic All-District Softball Team, the College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday.

The 2023 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.

Daly and Honnold both earned the distinction for the first time in their careers Tuesday.

Daly, a Jefferson City, Missouri, native, currently has a 3.914 GPA at Missouri and is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Health Science: Health & Wellness Services. She was named to the 2021-22 First-Year Academic SEC Honor Roll.

She has started in all 58 games at third for the Tigers in 2023. Daly is batting .268 with 32 runs, 13 doubles, two triples, and 10 home runs (16th in the SEC) to go with 44 RBI.

She is slugging .548 with an on-base percentage of .347. Daly also ranks 12th in the league with three sacrifice flies.

Daly has registered 11 multi-hit games and ranks tied for second on the team with nine multi-RBI games. She is currently on a four-game hitting streak and had a nine-game reached base streak during the campaign.

Honnold, a West Des Moines, Iowa, native, and 2023 All-SEC Second Teamer, currently has a 3.908 GPA at Mizzou and is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Parks, Recreation, & Sport: Sport Management. She has been selected to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll twice and was named to the 2020-21 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Honnold ranked 10th in conference play with a .443 on-base percentage. She hit .290 in SEC games with four home runs, two doubles, 14 runs, and 10 RBI to go with a .493 slugging percentage.

Overall, in 2023, Honnold is fourth in the league for on-base percentage (.554, 10th in the NCAA), fifth for batting average (.414, 25th in the NCAA), fifth for slugging percentage (.800, 20th in the NCAA), and fifth for runs (51). She is also third for walks (42), sixth for triples (3), seventh for hits (60), ninth for RBI (46), and ninth for home runs (13) this season. Honnold has also compiled 11 doubles.

Her slugging percentage ranks second all-time in Mizzou program history while her batting average stands seventh. Honnold is also fifth in the record books for walks in a single season.

Honnold has registered 19 multi-hit games (second on MU) and a team-best 10 multi-RBI games in 2023. She had a reached-base streak of 17 games and a hitting streak of 11 games.

Honnold, a Top 25 Finalist for 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 20.

Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, second, and third-team Academic All- America honorees will be announced June 6.

Voting for the Academic All-America softball teams begins Tuesday and closes Tuesday, May 23, at 11:59 pm ET. All CSC members are eligible to vote on the ballots in their division. To vote, go to www.collegesportscommunicators.com/awards

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• Mizzou will open the 2023 NCAA Tournament against California (33-19-1) on Friday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., CT at Marita Hynes Field. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.