GREENWOOD, IN. – Adding yet another prestigious honor to her remarkable career, Gisselle Garcia of Pace University softball has been named a First Team Academic All-American, as announced by College Sports Communicators (CSC) on Tuesday afternoon.

Garcia, the reigning Northeast 10 (NE10) and East Region Pitcher of the Year, earns this distinction not only for her dominance in the circle but for her outstanding academic achievements as well. Majoring in Criminal Justice through Pace's Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Garcia carries an impressive 3.71 cumulative GPA, exemplifying the true meaning of a student-athlete.

She joins an elite group of honorees on the Academic All-America Division II Softball First Team, where the 11 student-athletes selected boast an average GPA of 3.93, with 13 of the 33 total honorees across all teams maintaining a perfect 4.0.

A native of Lemon Grove, CA., Garcia's accolade-filled 2025 season was nothing short of historic. She played a pivotal role in leading the Setters to their first-ever NCAA Division II Softball Championship appearance, capturing both the NE10 Conference and East Region titles along the way.

Garcia shattered records throughout the season and etched her name into the history books on multiple levels. She became the NE10's all-time strikeout leader, becoming the first pitcher in conference history to eclipse the 1,000-strikeout mark. She also rewrote the Pace Softball record books, setting new program bests for career wins, complete games, and shutouts, alongside single-season wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and saves.

Her stellar performance on the field also earned her First Team All-American honors from both the NFCA and D2CCA, a fitting tribute to one of the most dominant seasons in NCAA Division II softball history. Garcia finished the year with a 0.73 ERA across 263.1 innings pitched with 400 strikeouts, a true testament to her consistency on the diamond.

With this latest Academic All-America honor, Garcia has showcased her impressive ability to balance championship-level performance with academic dedication in the classroom.

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