GREENWOOD, Ind. – The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced the 2025 Academic All-District® recipients for the sport of softball on Tuesday morning, recognizing the student-athletes' success on the field and in the classroom. Representing Black Hills State University is Audrey Fouras, Taylor Dowden, and Tyler Whitlock, who are each receiving the accolade for the first time in their careers. In addition, Whitlock has been selected to 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. BHSU has only had one prior student-athlete receive the accolade in the sport of softball, Gianna Haley in 2023.
 
Fouras adds another postseason academic accolade to her resume, having previously earned RMAC Academic Honor Roll. She appeared in 48 games this year while making 47 starts for the Yellow Jackets. With a .256 batting average, .380 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage, and .833 on-base plus slugging percentage, she tallied 30 hits on the season with half going for extra bases, including 11 doubles and four homeruns. Her 11 doubles allowed her to be one of five players from this year's team to crack the school's top-10 single season list, tying for fifth all-time. She was also able to reach base by way of 19 walks and five hit by pitch plate appearances. In her 117 at-bats she was able to drive home 18 RBIs and scored 19 runs. Fouras recorded six multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games, which were highlighted by a career-best three hits at Adams State and a pair of career-best 3-RBI games against Adams State and Colorado Mesa. On two occasions against CSU Pueblo and Adams State she was able to notch a pair of doubles in a single game. On the defensive side of the ball, she was one of four in the Green & Gold to record 100 or more putouts with 102 on the year and added 45 assisted putouts for a .936 fielding percentage. She also was a part of turning four double plays. In the classroom she posted 3.98 GPA while majoring in business administration.
 
Dowden also adds another postseason academic accolade to her resume, having been named First Team Academic All-RMAC and RMAC Academic Honor Roll already this month. She started all 54 games for the Yellow Jackets during her senior campaign, recording a .296 batting average, .465 slugging percentage, .400 on-base percentage, and a .865 on-base plus slugging percentage as she tallied 42 hits with four doubles, one triple, and six homeruns to drive in 26 RBIs and score 25 runs herself. Additionally, she found her way on base by way of 20 walks and six hit by pitches. On the base paths she was second on the team with six stolen bases on eight attempts. Dowden notched nine multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games, which included games against New Mexico Highlands and Fort Lewis where she matched a career-high of three hits and Adams State where she posted a career-high five RBIs. On the defensive side of the ball, she recorded 74 putouts and added seven assisted putouts for a .964 fielding percentage. In the classroom she posted a 3.97 GPA while majoring in biology.
 
Whitlock closed her collegiate career with one of the top seasons in Yellow Jacket history, adding to her accolades of Second Team All-RMAC, First Team Academic All-RMAC, and RMAC Academic Honor Roll. While starting all 54 contests she recorded a .360 batting average, .548 slugging percentage, .423 on-base percentage, and a .971 on-base plus slugging percentage as she tallied 67 hits with 20 doubles, six triples, and one homerun. She recorded 25 RBIs and scored 52 runs. She holds BHSU career records in at-bats (546), hits (169), and runs scored (105), and is the single season record holder in runs scored (52), doubles (20), and at-bats (186). Additionally, she tied the single season school record for triples (6) and ranks third in stolen bases (23). In the RMAC she was the toughest to strikeout, only striking out six times in 186 at-bats for a percentage of .032 and also led the league in doubles, ranking 25^th and tenth in the nation respectively. She ranked in the conference second in triples (28^th in the nation), third in stolen bases and runs scored, sixth in hits, and seventh in hit by pitch (8). She recorded a hit in 12 of the final 13 games of the year and boasted 20 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games this season. She notched three games with two doubles against Adams State, New Mexico Highlands, and Colorado School of Mines. She also set career-highs of four hits and four RBIs against Regis. She ranked third on the team with 107 putouts and added three assisted putouts for a fielding percentage of .965, while also helping turn one double play. In the classroom she posted a 3.89 cumulative GPA while majoring in business administration and professional accountancy.
 
School's athletic communication staffs are allowed to nominate up to five student-athletes for a spot on the CSC Academic All-District® list. To be eligible individuals must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 in their academic career and compete in 90 percent of the institution's games played or must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's games. For pitchers, a student-athlete must have made at least 17 appearances or pitched 35 innings.