Maya Johnson Named Academic All-American

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University softball All-American Maya Johnson has been named to the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America® Division I Softball Team, the organization announced Tuesday.
 
For Johnson, this latest honor further cements her legacy in Belmont lore.
 
Arguably the most dominant athlete in Belmont history, Johnson has authored one of the great stories of courage and perseverance in all of sports.
 
A native of Columbia Station, Ohio, Johnson led Belmont to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference championships and NCAA Tournament bids.
 
Behind the left-handed pitcher, Belmont joined Grand Canyon and South Florida as one of only three programs outside the major conferences to win NCAA Tournament softball games each of the last two seasons.
 
Johnson also became the first Belmont student-athlete ever to earn national First Team All-America honors in consecutive seasons.
 
Her list of 2026 season accolades were impressive and extensive.
 
Johnson was named National Pitcher of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Softball America, as well as garnering First Team All-America honors from the NFCA, Softball America and D1Softball.
 
The pitching ace was also named 2026 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Female Amateur Athlete of the Year, and finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and the Honda Sport Award for softball.
 
She ranked among national leaders in virtually every statistical category, including strikeouts (397), strikeouts per seven innings (12.9), strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.03), earned run average (0.78), WHIP (0.68), complete games (31), and shutouts (15).
 
Johnson led Belmont to transformational victories over Mississippi State and Georgia this season as the Bruins also won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title.
 
Belmont earned National Top 25 poll votes and was ranked No. 1 nationally in mid-major polls from Softball America and D1Softball the majority of the season.
 
Her 1,186 career strikeouts led all active players in NCAA softball.
 
Johnson was selected No. 3 overall by the Oklahoma City Spark in the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) College Draft May 4.
 
Johnson, who earned her bachelor's degree with honors in nursing this past May, is an inspiration, having risen to the top of college softball battling through an autoimmune condition called lupus.
 
She has become an advocate and national spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America, serving as a keynote speaker at the End Lupus Now walk in Nashville this past fall.
 
Johnson is a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
For perspective, Johnson becomes the 26^th Belmont student-athlete to earn CSC Academic All-All-America® honors. Tyler Lundblade of Belmont men's basketball also earned All-America® honors this year.
 
Moreover, when including softball, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball, Johnson is one of only two student-athletes outside the major conferences to garner First Team Academic-All-America® recognition (Kamryn Hunt, Dayton volleyball).

The 2025-26 CSC Academic All-All-America® Softball Team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.50 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his current institution and be nominated by his athletic communications director.

For a complete listing of the 2025-26 Academic All-America® Softball Team, log onto collegesportscommunicators.com.