LEWISTON, Maine -- Five Bobcats have been selected to the College Sports Communicators Softball Academic All-District® Team, announced Tuesday. Seniors Sophie Garber and Ella Maher, juniors Isabel Bettencourt and Sienna Pietrasiewicz, and sophomore Maddy Miller have earned recognition on this elite list.

Maher returns to the All-District® Team for a third-straight season while Bettencourt and Pietrasiewicz land on the squad for a second-consecutive campaign. Both Garber and Miller make their respective All-District® debut.

Hailing from Newton, Mass., Maher compiled a 3.92 GPA as a biochemistry major. Also a three-time member of the NESCAC All-Academic Team, and a 2025 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, the senior captain batted .248 on the year, placing third on the roster with 28 hits. Starting all 36 games for the garnet and white, Maher achieved All-NESCAC honors in 2025, the first Bates shortstop to do so since 2013. 

Bettencourt, a biochemistry major, returns to this list with her 3.95 GPA. Selected to the All-NESCAC team for the second-consecutive year in 2026, the junior captain started all 36 games and led the team in both home runs (6) and RBI (17) this season. The catcher slugged .425 while throwing out seven attempted base-stealers. Some of Bettencourt's top performances included going 3-3 with a home run and three RBI in a win over Amherst, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI against Bowdoin, and homering in four out of five games on her way to NESCAC Player of the Week honors in April. The Peabody Mass. native is also a two-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree and a former Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete.

Pietrasiewicz makes her return to the All-District® Team with a 3.91 grade-point as a sophomore psychology major. The 2026 NFCA All-Region selection started 35 games in the outfield for the Bobcats and slashed .220/.278/.300 on the season. The Norton, Mass. native slugged her first collegiate home run, April 11 at Williams, and finished the year on a high note by hitting safely in four of the final six games. She raised her batting average more than 20 points over the final nine games, capping off the year by going 2-4 against Middlebury in the NESCAC quarterfinal. Pietrasiewicz also impressed with error-free defense all season, recording four outfield assists along the way. Sienna has also earned two NESCAC All-Academic selections and was a Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete a year ago.

Garber debuts on the All-District® Team with a 3.90 grade-point as a senior neuroscience major. A three-time NESCAC All-Academic recipient and a 2025 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, Garber started 33 games at first base for the Bobcats, batting .228 (23 hits) with four doubles. The Waterville Valley, N.H. resident played stellar defense, compiling a .992 fielding percentage.

Miller, a biochemistry from Norway, Maine, lands on this list with her perfect 4.00 GPA. The Bobcats' starting second baseman enjoyed a sensational sophomore season, leading the squad with a .363 batting average, 29 hits (tied with Maya Lee), 11 walks, a .563 slugging percentage, and an on-base percentage of .440. Maddy's 10 sacrifice hits on the season tied for second in the NESCAC. Miller is also a 2026 NESCAC All-Academic selection and a 2025 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete.

The 2026 Academic All-District® Softball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs.

For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.