FARMVILLE, Va. — Three Longwood softball players have been named to the 2026 Academic All-District® NCAA Division I Team as selected by the College Sports Communicators, the organization announced Tuesday.
Senior Maggie Chapin and sophomores Brooke Bennett and Maggie Hiatt each earned the honor.
To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale, appear 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.
Since 1952, the award has recognized the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The Academic All-America® program recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Chapin, a 3.951 GPA student in biology from Shawnee, Kan., was 13-13 with a 3.65 ERA in 35 appearances and a career-high 172 2/3 innings in the circle in 2026. She led the Big South in strikeouts with 185, after being named Preseason All-Big South, Big South Co-Pitcher of the Week March 10 and Big South Pitcher of the Week on April 13. She also picked All-Big South honorable mention honors and was named Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year at season's end, a first in Longwood softball history.
Chapin earned 42 wins over four seasons, finishing her career with the fifth most career strikeouts at Longwood (473), ninth most innings pitched (549) and ninth most wins.
Bennett, a native of Crestwood, Ky., was a First Team All-Big South selection for a second consecutive season. She batted .340 (52-for-153) with a 1.028 OPS and a team-leading nine home runs, 34 RBIs and a .595 slugging percentage.
Bennett had 10 doubles, one triple, scored 22 runs, had 21 walks and posted a .433 on-base percentage. She tallied nine multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI games with Longwood's longest hitting streak of the season at seven games.
Defensively, Bennett picked off five runners from behind the plate and threw out 17 for a .309 caught-stealing percentage. She is currently fourth in the NCAA with the 17 runners thrown out this season.
Bennett was named to the NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team this season, becoming the Longwood's 14 all-region honor in program history.
Bennett, is a 3.98 student in communication studies.
Hiatt, a sophomore first baseman from Henrico, Va., who was a Hiatt, who was an All-Big South Second Team selection this season after being part of the All-Freshman Team in 2024, led the Lancers with a .341 batting average in 2026.
She added seven doubles, seven home runs and 27 RBIs. Hiatt walked a team-best 30 times, posted a 1.047 OPS, .569 slugging percentage and a .478 slugging percentage. In 17 conference games, she batted .341 with a 1.122 OPS with three doubles, three homers and six RBIs.
Hiatt is a 3.915 student in kinesiology at Longwood.
The Lancers finished the season 21-32 overall and 7-10 in the Big South.
