DePaul University Athletics
Four Blue Demons Land on CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
5/17/2022 9:59:00 AM | SOFTBALL, ACADEMICS
Gutierrez, Johnson, Meyer and Polucha recognized for performances on the field and in the classroom
CHICAGO — DePaul softball's Maranda Gutierrez, Brooke Johnson, Tori Meyer and Kate Polucha were selected to the 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 Women's Softball First Team. The recipients were selected amongst the nation's top student-athletes for their performance on the field and in the classroom. The Blue Demons four honorees matches the most from one institution in a region alongside Tennessee in District 3 and Florida in District 4.
Gutierrez, a native of Whittier, Calif., will earn her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education while maintaining an endorsement in English as a Second Language and a minor in Special Education. The graduate shortstop has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.99 in her five years of education. Gutierrez maintained her status as one of the league's top players after earning her fourth all-conference honor in her five seasons to go along with her third BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year nod. The shortstop spearheaded the Blue Demons defensive unit en route to a team fielding percentage of .966 while individually recording 86 putouts and assisting on 85 occasions. Gutierrez helped initiate 13 double plays in her final season.. Behind the plate, Gutierrez totaled a .456 on-base percentage and a .306 batting average . Gutierrez crossed the plate a team-best 46 times while also drawing 31 walks. Speedy on the base paths, Gutierrez went 12-for-13 on stolen bases.
Johnson, one of the BIG EAST's biggest threats behind the plate, owns a 3.67 GPA while pursuing a degree in Health Science and balancing the rigors of lectures, lab work and softball. The junior from Chino Hills, Calif. was selected All-BIG EAST First Team by the league's coaches for her second-straight league recognition. The junior first baseman boasted a .383 average in while starting all 53 games. Johnson totaled team-highs in hits with 61, home runs (13), RBI (52), walks (37) and on-base percentage (.510). Johnson was rock solid at first base with 299 putouts and seven assists while committing just a pair of error's. Johnson's 52 RBI in 2022 lands fifth on the program's single-season list.
Meyer saw a breakthrough junior campaign while maintaining a near perfect 3.99 GPA in her studies of Psychology and Sociology. The Barrington, Ill. native recorded a .389 batting average in 52 starts. The right-fielder totaled 56 hits including 20 for an extra-base en route to an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection, the first postseason honor of her career. Meyer crossed the plate on 35 occasions while driving in 34 runs. In the field, Meyer recorded 59 putouts in right without a single error.
Polucha capped off her final season of eligibility with a bang while pursuing a master's degree in Community Psychology and maintaining a 3.92 GPA. The four-time All-BIG EAST selection earned First Team honors in 2022 after leading the league with 26 RBI across 24 league games. Polucha's eight home runs in BIG EAST games were tops amongst the lead while the graduate student also scored 28 runs and reached base at a .393 clip. The left fielder protected the outfield with 76 putouts and just one error. Polucha completed her undergraduate degree from DePaul in 2021 receiving a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Sociology and Criminology and a Criminal Justice Administration Concentration.
The CoSIDA Academic All-District teams are divided into geographic districts across the United States and Canada. District 5 includes student-athletes from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in June.
