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2026 Softball Academic All-District Graphic

Alba, Escalante Earn Academic All-District Honors

Otter duo finds success on the field and in the classroom

June 22, 2026

By: Kevin Gilmore (@OtterKevin)
SEASIDE, Calif. — Junior center fielder Abreanna Alba (Watsonville HS/Cabrillo College) and senior utility player Ellie Escalante (Soquel HS) showed their success wasn't limited to the field in 2026 by earning Academic All-District® honors from the College Sports Communicators.

The awards were the first Academic All-District® honors for both players. To earn the award, student-athletes must have reached at least sophomore academic standing with a minimum 3.50 grade point average. They also must have either appeared in 90 percent of their teams games or started at least two-thirds of the games.

In the classroom, Alba posted a 3.55 grade point average as a business administration major. Escalante graduated with her bachelor's degree in psychology and a 3.76 GPA.

It marked the fourth consecutive season that the Otters have placed at least two softball players on the Academic All-District® team.

Alba was a consensus first team selection by both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the Division II Conference Commissioners' Association (D2CCA). She ranked amongst the CCAA leaders in multiple offensive categories while earning a Rawlings Gold Glove nomination for her stellar defensive work in center. She finished in the conference Top 10 in runs (2nd, 55), home runs (3rd, 15), RBI (3rd, 60), slugging (3rd, .709), OPS (4th, 1.169) and batting average (8th, .379). Her seven assists also tied for the CCAA lead amongst all outfielders. Each of those numbers is a career high.

Alba's season also made a dent in the Otter record book, with her 15 home runs ranking No. 2 on the single-season list. Her 55 runs rank No. 3 all-time while her 60 RBI rank No. 4.

Escalante concluded her collegiate playing career with a flourish, earning honorable mention All-CCAA recognition as CSUMB's starting right fielder. She set career highs in every statistical category, including batting average (.307), doubles (10), triples (3) and steals (9). She also hit her first four collegiate home runs in 2026.

As a team, CSUMB finished 33–24 overall, advancing to both the CCAA Championship and NCAA West Regional tournaments. The 33 victories marked the eighth time the Otters have reached 30 wins since becoming NCAA Division II eligible in 2008. That's the second-highest total amongst all CCAA teams over that span.


 
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