SAN DIEGO – San Diego State softball's Makena Brocki, Cali Decker, Alyssa Garcia and Angie Yellen were selected to the 2024 Academic All-District Team, the College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced today.
The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada, and recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Some Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-American Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected next month.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at her current institution.
This is the first season that the Aztecs have had multiple players selected to the Academic All-District Team. Prior to this season, just six Aztecs had made the All-District Team: Brocki (2023), Samantha Camello (2016), Hayley Miles (2012), Brittany Knudsen (2010), Celena Velasquez (2006) and Kelcy Murphy (2004). Brocki becomes the first Aztec to accomplish the feat multiple times.
A criminal justice major with a 3.74 GPA through the fall semester, Brocki earned the Malik award in that semester for having a 4.0 term GPA. On the field, Brocki finished the season with 49 starts, batting .252 (25-for-139) with nine doubles, 17 RBIs and 14 runs scored while reaching base at a .299 clip.
Moving on to the All-America ballot, Decker is looking to join Camello (2016) as the only Aztecs to earn CSC Academic All-American honors. A communications major, Decker had a 3.85 GPA in the fall semester to improve her GPA to 3.72. She was named Second Team All-Mountain West for hitting .348 (23-for-66) with four doubles, a triple, a home run, 14 RBIs and eight runs scored in conference play. Overall, Decker started 46 times, primarily as the Aztecs' catcher, batting .304 (41-for-135) with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs, 23 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Garcia graduated from UCLA last year and is currently pursuing a master's degree of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences (MALAS). She achieved a 3.76 GPA in her first semester as an Aztec. SDSU's regular designated player started 45 times, batting .312 (39-for-125) with eight doubles, two home runs, 26 RBIs and seven runs scored. She hit a two-run go-ahead home run in the Mountain West Tournament Championship Game on her way to All-Tournament Team honors. In her final collegiate game, Garcia hit a two-run single against Grand Canyon in the Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA Tournament at her former home stadium.
A transfer from Washington, Yellen earned a 3.63 GPA in her first semester on The Mesa as a political sciences major. She played in 49 games and batted .260 (27-for-104) with four doubles, two home runs, 17 RBIs and 18 runs scored. Yellen's five go-ahead RBIs were fourth on the team. In the NCAA Tournament Los Angeles Regional game against Grand Canyon, she homered, hit an RBI single and scored.